2024 AADC Annual Meeting Brochure

May9,2024

12:00pm12:30pm

1Hour Ethics

DEDICATED TO YOUR SUCCESS

ArizonaAssociationofDefenseCounsel

NetworkingLunch

Reconnectwithfriendsandcolleaguesoveraquicklunch

Speakers:

QuorumsNotQuotas: RethinkingDiversityintheWorkplace

Diversity in the workplace may sound like a simple phrase, but in reality many lawyers and law firms find it to be a confusing, complicated, and sometimes frustrating concept This panel, comprised of members of the legal community with their own distinct and diverse backgrounds, will address the real questions firms are facing in a time that may be confusing to many while we navigate new ways of looking at diversity, new challenges to incorporating diversity, and the impact that diversity can have on a practice, all while embracing the fears, failures, and successes that go along with.

We are soliciting anonymous questions to be posed to our panel in all aspects of diversity hiring, diversity makeup of firms, and diversity requirements from outside vendors Please send us any questions you’d like our panel to answer through the survey link below. Because we understand, some questions are difficult to ask, your questions will remain anonymous as you submit through the link https://www surveymonkey com/r/Z62CH7G

May9,2024

1:45pm2:45pm

1Hour CLE

Speakers:

DEDICATED TO YOUR SUCCESS

ArizonaAssociationofDefenseCounsel

WhatYouDon’tSayWillCostYou:GiveaNumberand ArguePainandSufferingtoStopNuclearVerdicts®

What drives nuclear verdicts, how juries are manipulated into awarding such high awards, and how accepting responsibility can go a long way in preventing nuclear verdicts. Learn the tactics used by plaintiffs’ counsel and how to combat them in trial.

LynnAllen,Esq. TysonMendes

SitarBhatt,Esq. TysonMendes

2:45pm3:00pm

3:00pm4:00pm

1Hour CLE

15MinuteAfternoonBreak

RefreshmentsHostedBy:

TheRobertsCourt: RetrenchmentonRace,Religion,and Regulation

Speaker:

ProfessorChristopherGriffin,Jr. DirectorofEmpirical&PolicyResearchatthe UniversityofArizona,JamesE.RogersCollegeofLaw

May9,2024

4:00pm

5:00pm

1Hour Ethics

Speaker:

AvoidingEthicalImplicationsofAIinYourPractice AI raises complex and challenging ethical questions that implicate the principles of confidentiality, competence, practice management, and honesty Lawyers could face potential risks of the unauthorized practice of law when using AI tools Lawyers must understand the risks that AI can pose to client confidential data, and to inadvertently waiving attorney-client and attorney work product privileges.

5:00pm

1Hour Fun!

ScottRhodes,Esq.

SpencerFane

HappyHourReception-Joinusforaninformalhappy hourimmediatelynextdooronLou’spatio

thankYou to our sponsors!

The AADC Encourages Members to Return the Support of Our Sponsors!

2024 AADC Platinum Sponsors

2024 Annual Meeting Sponsors

DEDICATED TO YOUR SUCCESS

ArizonaAssociationofDefenseCounsel

Speaker Bios

Lynn Allen, Esq. Lynn is the Southwest Regional Manager for Tyson & Mendes. She is an experienced trial lawyer who represents her clients in a wide variety of complex cases including insurance coverage disputes, insurance bad faith, personal injury and wrongful death defense, premises liability, product liability, intellectual property and appeals. Lynn has extensive appellate experience in Arizona and federal courts. She has been lead counsel in many successful jury trials, arbitrations, summary judgment motions, and appeals. Lynn is a frequent lecturer on insurance bad faith and coverage issues in Arizona.

Sitar, Bhatt, Esq. Sitar is the managing partner of the Scottsdale and Seattle offices of Tyson & Mendes. His practice focuses on general liability, personal injury, premises liability, professional liability, employment and bad faith litigation. Sitar has successfully represented individuals and businesses in Arizona state and federal courts as well as arbitrations. He also chairs the Tyson & Mendes Young Professional Group.

Alison Christian, Esq. Alison manages bad faith litigation against Liberty Mutual and its affiliates in the United States. Prior to joining Liberty Mutual, she was a shareholder at Christian Dichter & Sluga, P.C., with a practice dedicated to insurance coverage and insurance litigation matters in Arizona and New Mexico. In 2012, Alison cofounded a business development program to empower women lawyers called “Ladder Down.” The program is unique in both structure and content, and runs year-long with monthly sessions dedicated to instruction in three key areas: leadership, business development, and mentoring.

Prof. Christopher L. Griffin, Jr. Professor Griffin is the Director of Empirical & Policy Research at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, where he teaches Civil Procedure, Torts, Remedies, Employment Discrimination, and Empirical Methods in the Law. His work has appeared in both law reviews and peer-reviewed journals. Professor Griffin received the John W. Strong Teaching Award in 2021 and 2022. He holds a B.S. in International Political Economy, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where he was a John Carroll Scholar and a Beinecke Scholar; an MPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford, where he was an Albritton Scholar; and a J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law & Policy Review.

Whitney Harvey, Esq. Whitney is the visionary behind The Self Coached Lawyer, LLC, where she dedicates her expertise to guiding legal professionals towards achieving a harmonious balance between their personal and professional lives. Her innovative coaching system is designed to help individuals rediscover their zeal for work by integrating their personal missions with their legal careers. This includes a focus on enhancing time management skills, reducing stress levels, and cultivating more engaging and fulfilling work environments. Whitney holds a Juris Doctor from Arizona State University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in General Psychology, with a specialization in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

DEDICATED TO YOUR SUCCESS

ArizonaAssociationofDefenseCounsel

Speaker Bios

Jessica Kokal, Esq. Jessica’s practice includes the areas of commercial general liability, medical and professional liability and lawyer discipline, dram shop, products liability, premises liability, automobile liability defense, insurance bad faith with a particular focus on workers’ compensation bad faith, and wrongful death and personal injury defense. In addition to maintaining her practice, Jessica oversees the firm’s mentorship program and chairs the firm’s diversity and recruitment committees. Between 2017 and 2019, she also directed the Phoenix Ladder Down program, designed to help women lawyers extend the “ladder down” to other women lawyers

Karina Ordóñez, Esq. Karina was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in both Malaga, Spain and Phoenix, Arizona. She graduated with her J.D. from Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, after receiving her Masters in Homeland Defense and Security from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. She currently focuses on Immigration Law, Criminal Law, and Personal Injury law. Prior to her legal career, she was the Assistant Director for Strategic Policy for the Arizona Department of Homeland Security. Special projects in her portfolio include developing the State Homeland Security Strategy and the State Infrastructure Protection Plan. Her previous responsibilities as Southwest Border Specialist (2003-2005) included serving on various bi-national committees and implementing agreements between Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.

Scott Rhodes, Esq. With an extensive and distinguished background in legal ethics, Scott regularly advises clients in matters relating to state bar complaints, fee disputes and arbitrations, disciplinary matters, bar admission, and other licensing, ethics, and professional responsibility issues. His previous experience includes serving as managing attorney and general counsel for a Phoenix law firm in addition to his private practice. Scott also serves as an expert witness in legal malpractice and other cases related to the practice of law. In addition to his work in professional conduct, Scott has experience in the areas of general commercial, local government, and professional corporate governance and structure litigation.

David Shapiro, Esq. David is a noteworthy local leader in the plaintiff’s personal injury space with over 13 years in the industry. Shapiro attended The University of Arizona where he graduated cum laude and obtained a minor certificate in entrepreneurship at The University of Arizona’s renowned McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship. He then attended Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law, where he clerked for several prominent judges with the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County before being awarded his Juris Doctor in 2010. Upon graduating from law school and passing the bar, Shapiro worked for a prominent personal injury trial attorney before opening his own firm in 2017. Throughout his career, David has been instrumental in obtaining numerous multimillion-dollar results on behalf of his clients.

Andy Turk, Esq. Andy focuses his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, professional malpractice defense, including the defense of professionals before various licensing boards, and serving as a mediator and arbitrator. He has been a volunteer judge pro tem for 20 years. He serves as an adjunct professor at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of law and frequently participates in continuing education programs as a speaker and/or chair. He is currently the Chair of the Litigation Department at Rose Law Group, P.C.

BRIT TEMPLETON, ESQ Thomas, Rubin & Kelley