Top 10 Litigation Soft Skills During the Discovery Phase

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Mid-Year Update from PLDF President Andrew R. Jones

Following an update on PLDF activities and priorities from President Andrew R. Jones of Furman Kornfeld & Brennan, LLP, an experienced litigator and two claims handlers will present their collective Top 10 List on what to do (and what not to do) during the discovery phase of a professional liability defense assignment. This presentation focusses on practical advice for the “meat and potatoes” of litigation—the time between the initial evaluation and the resolution—and includes a discussion of strategic use of experts, ESI considerations, leveraging dispositive motions, use of discovery motion practice and more.

Moderated by Megan Zurn of AXA XL, she is joined by experienced litigator Dan Church of Morrow Willnauer Church, LLC and Senior Claim Attorney Molly Teigen of Minnesota Lawyers Mutual to share their experiences, insights, and pet peeves in this conversational webinar, which we hope to be especially helpful for newer attorneys and to anyone seeking a refresher on what carriers want from defense counsel during the discovery phase of litigation.

Featured Speakers

	For more than 30 years, Daniel F. Church has been representing local, regional, and national companies in civil litigation, both in federal and state courts. He represents defendants in class action suits, as well as in cases involving toxic torts, bad faith, railroad, premises liability, professional liability, product liability and general tort claims. He has tried more than 40 cases before juries, many involving damage claims in excess of one million dollars and has represented clients in civil trials in 15 states. Mr. Church was selected as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" by his peers and as a Super Lawyer in the Kansas City area.
	Molly Teigen is a Senior Claim Attorney with Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company where she handles lawyers professional liability claims. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She received her law degree and business law certificate from Hamline University School of Law. Prior to joining Minnesota Lawyers Mutual, she practiced in the areas of insurance defense and general civil litigation. Ms. Teigen holds both the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation and the Registered Professional Liability Underwriter + designation. She is an active member of the Professional Liability Defense Federation previously serving on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee.
	Megan Zurn is a Large Loss Claims Specialist working out of AXA XL’s Atlanta office. She handles a variety of professional liability claims, including high exposure and complicated coverage matters for AXA XL insureds nationwide with a concentration on lawyers professional liability claims. Prior to joining AXA XL, Megan practiced law with a boutique litigation firm in Atlanta, Georgia. Before transitioning to civil litigation, Megan began her legal career as an Assistant Public Defender in Athens, Georgia.

Continuing Legal Education

Should you need credit, we will be happy to supply you with an attendance record and course materials to allow you to self-report your credit.

Registration

Registration for this event is COMPLIMENTARY for PLDF members. Non-member registration is just $25.

Mission Sponsors

Our sincere thanks to our mission level sponsors, Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company and Ringler Associates. We are very thankful for their continued support of and involvement in the association.