About the Program
Blank Rome partner Seth D. Lamden will serve as a panel moderator for the Illinois Defense Counsel’s Defense Practice Series: Insurance Law Seminar, being held Wednesday, February 18, 2026, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
This timely insurance law program will addressing two issues front and center for today’s defense and claims professionals: ethical boundaries in mediation and handling claims that exceed policy limits. The program will feature a distinguished faculty of mediators, a retired judge, claims leaders, and coverage counsel who will share practical guidance, real-world insight, and candid discussion on navigating ethical pitfalls, recent American Bar Association (“ABA”) guidance, and the evolving risks surrounding excess exposure in high-stakes claims.
Seth’s session, “The Ethical Negotiator: Pitfalls, Traps, and Tips from Within Your Mediation,” will take place from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
About the Session
The panel will discuss ethical issues for lawyers and neutrals in mediation. Specifically, they will discuss the significance of the recent ABA Formal Opinion 518 and why attorneys are allowed to posture and engage in puffery during settlement discussions, while the attorney-mediator has an ethical duty to play it straight. Formal Opinion 518 is significant and the panel will discuss its impact, including whether mediators can ethically make mediator’s proposals. The panel will also discuss ethical issues confronting attorney advocates and handling scenarios involving potential ethical issues.
Panelists:
- Moderator: Seth Lamden, Blank Rome LLP
- Hon. Anna Demacopoulos (Ret.), JAMS
- Jeff Kichaven, Jeff Kichaven Commercial Mediation
- Steve Schulwolf, Schulwolf Mediation
For more information and to register, please visit the event webpage.