Hon. Suzanne Segal (Ret.) is our latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Hon. Suzanne H. Segal (Ret.) from Signature Resolution!

Judge Segal is speaking at our upcoming 20th Annual Federal Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program on April 30 & May 2, 2024. She will be a part of an amazing panel for this program, which will walk you through your case in Federal Court from start to finish. You’ll learn the rules and tasks, strategies and tactics, and the skills and techniques you must have to become a more effective and successful litigator in Federal Court and to be a more effective and successful litigator in general. Judge Segal previously spoke at our 19th Annual Federal Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) program last year, and has also spoken at our Federal Court Boot Camps in 2019, 2020, and 2022.

During her tenure on the federal bench, Judge Segal presided over numerous trials, evidentiary hearings, motions, and discovery conferences involving diverse subject matter. Judge Segal served as the settlement judge in hundreds of cases, settling business and insurance disputes; patent, trademark, and copyright actions; and employment, civil rights, and tort cases. Judge Segal handled a wide range of motions and settlements arising out of class actions, particularly in the wage and hour context.

Judge Segal has broad experience in securities litigation, including matters brought by private investors and the SEC. In addition, Judge Segal has extensive experience in matters involving the False Claims Act and related actions involving the healthcare industry.

Judge Segal has served as a special master or discovery referee in cases involving the False Claims Act, mass tort and insurance claims, patent litigation, and product liability claims.

Before her appointment to the bench, Judge Segal served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s Office for 12 years. As an AUSA, Judge Segal handled a variety of cases, including contract, employment, civil rights, Medicare reimbursement, and tort claims. She also brought consumer and civil rights actions on behalf of the Department of Justice. From 1999 to 2002, she served as the Chief of Civil Appeals for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prior to serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Judge Segal was a civil litigator at Dewey, Ballantine and Adams, Duque and Hazeltine.

Judge Segal has also served as a lecturer in Law at UCLA School of Law and Loyola Law School. Judge Segal is known for her work ethic and persistent dedication to reach a positive result for the parties.

We are excited to have her join us again!

Ricardo Echeverria is our latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Ricardo Echeverria from Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP!

Ricardo is speaking at our upcoming Bad Faith Insurance Litigation in CA program on April 16 & 18, 2024. Ricardo previously spoke at our Insurance Solutions for Covid-19 Business Losses and Claims program, and our 1st Party Property Insurance Bad Faith Cases From Start to Finish program. Ricardo will be a part of a stellar panel for this program, which will cover critical 2024 hot topics – the latest issues, cases, new rules and common problems associated with Bad Faith Insurance cases in a variety of settings that apply to business clients or individual clients.

Ricardo Echeverria is a trial attorney with Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP handling insurance bad faith and catastrophic personal injury cases. Mr. Echeverria is a past-president of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) the nation’s largest local association of plaintiffs’ attorneys. He was recognized as one of the Top 30 Plaintiff Lawyers in California in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, and was named one of the Top 100 Attorneys in California in 2017, 2018 and 2023 by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He was honored by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association as the 2021 Top Gun Trial Lawyer of the Year. In 2019, he was honored with the Lifetime Legal Achievement Award from Consumer Watchdog. In 2023, Ricardo was recently inducted into The Inner Circle of Advocates, known as the 100 best plaintiff lawyers in the U.S. The Inner Circle of Advocates is an exclusive, invitation-only group of the best plaintiff lawyers in the United States.

Mr. Echeverria was named 2019 Trial Lawyer of the Year by Consumer Attorneys of Inland Empire and was also named the 2010 Trial Lawyer of the Year by CAALA after having been nominated for the award from 2006 through 2009. He has also been a finalist for the Consumer Attorneys of California’s Consumer Attorney of the Year in 2007, 2009, 2018 and 2020. He was also a finalist for the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association 2019 Trial Lawyer of the Year. Mr. Echeverria was presented the 2011 – 2012 Jennifer Brooks Lawyer of the Year Award by the Western San Bernardino County Bar Association. In 2012, he received an Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. He has been named a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers Magazine every year since 2005. He has been named a “Best Lawyer” by the Best Lawyers in America publication every year since 2014.

We are excited to have him with us!

Susan Koehler Sullivan is our latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Susan Koehler Sullivan from Clyde & Co LLP!

Susan is speaking at our upcoming Bad Faith Insurance Litigation in CA program on April 16 & 18, 2024. Susan will be a part of a wonderful panel for this program, which will cover critical 2024 hot topics – the latest issues, cases, new rules and common problems associated with Bad Faith Insurance cases in a variety of settings that apply to business clients or individual clients.

Susan Koehler Sullivan has over 30 years of experience as a commercial litigator, focusing her practice on corporate insurance matters. She handles insurance coverage investigations and disputes (including through trial or arbitration) under all types of policies, including fidelity, directors and officers, employment, professional, property, excess and general liability policies.

Susan employs a 360-degree approach to every matter, where fully analyzing factual and legal issues are just the beginning. She evaluates and considers each party’s interests and motivations to determine the best strategy forward and enjoys working closely with her clients to achieve their goals.

Susan was listed as one of the “45 Most Influential Women Lawyers” by the LA Business Journal in 2017. She was also named to the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal’s list of “Top Women Lawyers 2017.”

We are excited to have her with us!

Harry Chamberlain is our latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Harry Chamberlain from Buchalter!

Harry first spoke for us back in 2012, and has spoken every year since then at our appellate and insurance related programs.

Harry is next speaking at our upcoming Bad Faith Insurance Litigation in CA program on April 16 & 18, 2024. Harry is a joy to work with and attendees love his presentations. He is one of our regular faculty members, most recently speaking at our 9th Annual Advanced Appellate Practice programExam Prep: Appellate Law Certified Legal Specialist Exam (Civil), and our 8th Annual Advanced Appellate Practice (CA).

Thank you for joining us again, Harry! We know it is a lot of work to prepare a good presentation and materials and we appreciate you coming back over and over again!

Harry Chamberlain is a Shareholder of Buchalter, an Am Law 150 firm, with 11 offices across the Western U.S. For over 40 years, he has served as trial and appellate counsel on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, and a variety of public and private sector clients in complex litigation matters. He is certified as an Appellate Specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, handling hundreds of appeals around the country, including numerous cases before the California Supreme Court and the highest courts of other states.

Before joining Buchalter, Harry was general counsel for California based professional liability insurers and managed the law department of a national group of commercial insurance and financial service companies. He is past president of California Defense Counsel and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, preeminent associations of civil defense trial and appellate lawyers. He writes and lectures widely on topics regarding complex litigation and insurance law.

We are excited to have him with us!

Michael Bidart is our latest Featured Speaker!

Our latest featured speaker is Michael Bidart from Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP!

Michael previously spoke at our 1st Party Property Insurance Bad Faith Cases From Start to Finish (CA) back in 2021 to rave reviews, and he will speak at our upcoming Bad Faith Insurance Litigation in CA programThis webinar will be held on April 16 & 18, 2024.

Thank you for joining us again, Michael! We are excited to have you speak again!

As a preeminent consumer attorney, Michael J. Bidart has made a major impact on our healthcare system. Mr. Bidart is the Managing Partner for Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP, and he leads the firm’s HMO Litigation and Property/Casualty Departments.

Since bringing his expertise to the firm in 1986, Mr. Bidart has developed the firm’s health insurance practice by successfully prosecuting bad faith disputes against insurers and HMOs.

His inexhaustible efforts were showcased in 1999 with a landmark $120.5 million verdict against Aetna over its refusal to pay for care recommended by the health plan’s own physicians (Goodrich v. Aetna).

Mr. Bidart’s dedication and expertise are also exemplified by many earlier landmark decisions. In State Farm v. Superior Court (1996) he helped establish conclusively that Business & Professions Code §17200 unfair business practice liability applies to insurance companies in California. For victims of the 1994 Northridge earthquake he won more than $300 million.

He was a key player in the California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s decision to expand its health care benefits for women with breast cancer, and he led the firm’s effort to ensure that prostate cancer patients statewide receive proton beam therapy as a covered benefit under their insurance policies.

Mr. Bidart has been named a Super Lawyer by Law & Politics Magazine every year since 2004, has been a Super Lawyer Top 100 Attorney every year since 2004 and Top 10 from 2018 to 2023. In 2019, he was named a Top Healthcare Attorney in California by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He has been profiled in the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and California Lawyer Magazine, which have recognized him as one of California’s most influential lawyers. The Wall Street Journal has also noted that Mr. Bidart’s success in healthcare litigation helped to reignite the debate in Congress over whether patients should have the right to sue their health plans.

A well-known lecturer and keynote speaker on HMO litigation and bad faith insurance practices, Mr. Bidart has been a featured speaker for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Consumer Attorneys of California, American Conference Institute, The Rutter Group, Pincus Professional Education, the California Judges Association and many others.

Mr. Bidart has served on the Board of Governors of Consumer Attorneys of California and Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, on the Board of Regents of Loyola Marymount University.

Mr. Bidart graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (B.S., 1971) and Pepperdine University School of Law (J.D., 1974) and has been the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award of both universities.

We are excited to have him with us!

Ian Samson and Paul Traina are our latest Featured Speakers!

Our latest Featured Speakers are Ian Samson and Paul Traina of Stalwart Law Group!

Ian Samson is an experienced litigator and trial lawyer who will speak at our upcoming Mastering the Deposition seminar in Los Angeles, on February 23rd, 2018.

Ian first spoke for us back in 2016 for Federal Court Boot Camp and has been a repeat speaker for both federal and superior court boot camps since. Seminar attendees rave about his insight, clear examples, and knowledgeability.

Ian represents clients in catastrophic injury matters, whistleblower litigation, class actions, professional liability cases, and commercial litigation. Innovative, tireless, and always willing to go the extra mile for his clients, he has gone toe-to-toe with some of the most highly-regarded law firms in the nation.

Equally comfortable arguing a specific point of law to a federal court judge as he is explaining the big picture to a state court jury, he uses every aspect of his experience to get the best possible result for his clients. Ian is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Consumer Attorneys of California, and Public Justice.

And Paul Traina, an experienced, fiercely competitive litigator and trial lawyer, will also speak at our upcoming Mastering the Deposition seminar.

Paul first spoke for us a while back at our Wage & Hour Class Action seminar, and has returned to speak at many of our litigation related seminars year after year, due to his great evaluations.

Paul has practiced law for the past 25 years. He spent his first five years representing automobile manufacturers and insurance companies, and the last twenty years representing consumers on a pure contingency basis. Paul has obtained verdicts and recoveries for his clients totaling over 3 billion dollars. He has, and continues to represent clients in matters involving catastrophic injuries, defective products, whistleblower litigation, class actions, professional liability cases, and business/commercial litigation.

Paul is a frequent guest lecturer at Loyola Law School’s Trial Advocacy Class. He has lectured around the country about class actions, conflicts of interest, opening and closing arguments, and direct and cross examinations of both lay and expert witnesses. Paul is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and Consumer Attorneys of California.

Zach B. Shelomith is the latest Featured Speaker!

Zach B. Shelomith is the latest Featured Speaker!

Zach is a founding shareholder at Leiderman Sheolomith, P.A. and focuses his practice on personal bankruptcy matters, corporate bankruptcy matters, assignments for the benefit of creditors and bankruptcy litigation.

Zach has spoken for us on the topic of bankruptcy and brings a wealth of experience and insight to his presentations. He will be speaking at our upcoming program focusing on chapter 11 on December 1st in Ft. Lauderdale.

Karen P. Kimmey is our latest Featured Speaker

Karen P. Kimmey of Farella Braun + Martel LLP is our latest Featured Speaker!

Karen is a trial lawyer and partner with Farella Braun + Martel’s Business Litigation, Insurance Converage and Intellectual Property Litigation Groups.  She hass successfully handled nine bench and jury trials and arbitrations and has spent over 400 hours in the courtroom trying cases.  Karen also has experience in all aspects of intellectual property litigation representing clients in the biotechnology, software, hardware and entertainment industries.

Karen will be speaking at our upcoming Superior Court Boot Camp on October 14th in San Francisco.  As you can see she is the perfect person to teach this subject!  You won’t want to miss hearing from her.  In addition to her impressive credentials Karen is always a fantastic teacher and presenter – we couldn’t do this program without her!  Past attendees describe Karen as “Very clear and consise” and “Very engaged and enthusiatic.”

Bethany Woodard Kristovich is our newest Featured Speaker

Bethany Woodard Kristovich of Munger Tolles & Olson LLP is our newest Featured Speaker!

Bethany is a litigation partner at her firm’s Los Angeles office.  Bethany focuses her practice on complex litigation with a particular emphasis in trial work.

Bethany will be sharing her insight and experience at our 11th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp this October 21st in Los Angeles.  If you or someone you know if new to superior court you won’t want to miss hearing from Bethany or the rest of our top-notch panel.  This will be Bethany’s third time speaking at our Superior Court Boot Camp, and for good reason.  Bethany always gets top reviews from our attendees and provides valuable insights.