Speaking Engagement

Mediating Like an Athlete—How Teamwork, Preparation, and Sportsmanship Generate Game Day Results in a Mediation Setting

Blank Rome partner Seth D. Lamden, a former chair of TIPS’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, will serve as a panelist at the American Bar Association (“ABA”) Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section’s (“TIPS”) 32nd Annual Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Mid-Year Program, being held February 22 through 24, 2024, in San Diego, California.

The CLE program, held in collaboration with the TIPS Property and Life, Health & Disability Insurance Law Committees, will explore the latest developments in insurance coverage law and present a panoramic view of the current legal landscape, offering attendees knowledge and strategies to navigate this ever-changing field.

Seth’s session, “Mediating Like an Athlete—How Teamwork, Preparation, and Sportsmanship Generate Game Day Results in a Mediation Setting,” will take place on Friday, February 23, from 9:45 to 11:00 a.m.

ABOUT THE SESSION

The panel will discuss the benefits of pre-mediation teamwork between claims adjusters, coverage counsel for the carrier and policyholder, and defense counsel when preparing for and appearing at mediation. How can each member successfully contribute to pre-mediation preparation by evaluating demands, coverage issues, timing, the mediator, supplementing the reservation of rights letter, and negotiating interim funding agreements? The panel will explore how each of the team members functions as utility players when communicating with the mediator and plaintiff, including how to communicate uncovered damages, insurance coverage issues, and re-anchoring damages. What contributes to the ability to successfully make game day adjustments in real time? How can the parties take home a “win” even when a claim does not settle? Finally, the panel will cover the importance of good “sportsmanlike” attorney conduct on and off the “mediation court.”

Panelists:

• Moderator: Michael L. Young, Partner, Reichardt Noce & Young LLC, St. Louis, MO
• Catherine Naltsas, Partner, Lynberg & Watkins, Los Angeles, CA
• Sarah Bishop, Senior Litigation Specialist, SECURA Insurance, Denver, CO
• Seth Lamden, Partner, Blank Rome LLP, Chicago, IL
• Courtney Hylton, Partner, Hylton & Associates, Irvine, CA

To register or for more information, please visit the event webpage.