Brace yourself for the last great paradigm shift in trial advocacy. It’s the year 2051 when trial lawyer Jerry Glas takes the stage to deliver his closing argument to jurors who have access to trial transcripts, courtroom video, and court-approved artificial intelligence. This innovative session will explore how trial advocacy may change when jury interrogatories become open-book exams, rather than tests of the jury’s short-term memory, and how trial lawyers must adapt or die.

Can a manufacturer be sued not because its product is defective, but because it failed to develop an even better one? Using the Gilead Tenofovir litigation as a case study, this presentation will explore the “duty to innovate” theory, its potential impact on post-sale obligations, and the implications for product liability defense and corporate risk management.

When an employee leaves a company, the protections defense counsel rely on for depositions largely evaporate, leaving the company exposed to what that employee may say as a witness under oath. This presentation will examine the rules governing opposing counsel’s contact with former employees, privilege and conflict-of-interest challenges, and practical strategies for preparing and defending these potentially high-risk depositions.

Companies often focus on defending claims, but affirmative litigation can be a powerful tool for recovering losses and advancing business objectives. This panel will examine how legal departments can identify recovery opportunities, build scalable affirmative-litigation programs, and partner with business leaders and outside counsel to maximize value.

Third-party litigation funding has gone mainstream, with major law firms and corporate plaintiffs alike using it routinely and strategically—but accelerating legislative backlash could reshape the industry. This presentation will examine proposed state bans and federal tax measures, the competing interests driving the debate, and what the evolving landscape could mean for litigants, funders, and law firms.

More and more companies are installing telematics systems to track company vehicles, but the same technology that can prove a driver did nothing wrong can also be used as powerful evidence of liability. In this session, Lee Hollis will draw on his experience defending telematics cases to explore the technology’s capabilities, benefits, and pitfalls, as well as legal implications companies should consider before implementation.

In-house legal departments play a vital role in any business but are increasingly expected to demonstrate the value they create for the business, in addition to providing high-quality legal services. This breakout will explore practical strategies for transforming a legal department from a cost center to a valuable revenue generator that contributes to a business’s success beyond the courtroom.

The Canton Mill project in North Carolina proved that even a carefully structured risk-transfer transaction can take unexpected turns that lead to litigation—and still become a resilient community asset. Using the project as a case study, this breakout will explore the critical role of insurance, regulatory complexities involved in historic operations, and the role of public investment in redevelopment projects.

Requests to work from home, modify office space, or utilize alternative schedules remain common under the ADA and FMLA, but more novel requests—like those for alternative communication and supervision styles, exemptions from key performance metrics, and “micro-leaves”—challenge employers to balance individual needs with legitimate business requirements. This breakout will explore how employers can respond fairly and consistently to employee requests while applying undue-hardship principles.

The best trial themes do what the best brands have done for decades: tell a memorable story, create an emotional connection, and reinforce a message through repetition. Using Buc-ee’s—the “Disney of gas stations”—as a case study, this presentation will break down the success of the company in and outside of the courtroom, including the parallels between brand marketing and trial advocacy, and identify practical ways for lawyers to develop more compelling trial themes.

The evidence lawyers need to preserve and produce is changing rapidly, creating new ethical challenges. This presentation will explore emerging discovery issues, including the newly proposed FRE 707, discovery of AI prompts, hyperlinked content, employee cell phones, and instant messaging, with particular attention on in-house counsel’s obligations to preserve this evidence.

Tariffs, sanctions, export controls, and geopolitical instability are increasingly disrupting contracts, supply chains, financing, and investment decisions, cultivating fertile ground for commercial disputes. This presentation will examine the types of litigation that may result from these developments and how various doctrines may apply, with a focus on causation, forum selection, expert evidence, mitigation, and damages.

In high-profile litigation, the battle is often fought both in the courtroom and in the court of public opinion. Using Lively v. Baldoni as a case study, this interactive panel will examine what can happen when those two strategies collide. From communications with PR professionals and efforts to influence public perception to discovery, evidentiary, and ethical concerns, panelists will explore the risks lawyers and clients should consider when managing a public-facing dispute—and how counsel can work effectively with crisis communications professionals without creating new problems for the case.

Workforce reductions have become increasingly complex as employers navigate a patchwork of state and federal requirements. This presentation will examine the explosive growth of state “mini-WARN” Acts, how they diverge from federal requirements, the resulting litigation opportunities and defense landmines, and practical tools to minimize litigation risk during a reduction in force.

Prediction markets have exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry operating in a legal gray zone, with federal courts split over whether event contracts are federally regulated derivatives or state-regulated gambling—a question heading toward the Supreme Court. This session will examine the evolving landscape and its practical implications for in-house counsel, including state compliance, insider-trading policies, and the emerging threat of consumer class actions.

Why do sophisticated companies sometimes lose high-stakes commercial disputes against much smaller adversaries, despite superior resources, experienced executives, and strong legal teams? Drawing on recent trials involving Boeing and Walmart, this breakout will identify common mistakes in case assessment, witness preparation, trial themes, and jury communication, and consider strategies for addressing those risks before they become unfavorable verdicts.

Many clients are rapidly adopting artificial intelligence tools, redefining the practice of law and changing the way in-house and outside counsel interact. This breakout will explore how in-house teams are using AI, its impact on client expectations, and what law firms need to do to remain effective and valuable partners.

Every critical litigation decision—from case strategy and settlement to witness preparation and jury persuasion—is made under pressure, which fundamentally changes how we process information. Blending behavioral science, courtroom experience, and trial examples, this engaging breakout will reveal the impact of stress on attention, certainty, and judgment, while providing practical strategies attorneys can implement to improve communication, decision-making, and trial outcomes.