The DRI Center for Law and Public Policy

The DRI Center for Law and Public Policy (the Center) has accomplished a lot this year! Check out our many successes in our newly released newsletter: https://bit.ly/3VORk2d. The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels.   #DRILawyer #DRICommunity #PublicPolicy #Legislation #Advocacy #DRICenter  

The Center for Law and Public Policy's Social Inflation Task Force is working on a comprehensive tracking system to analyze litigation outcomes in light of pretrial demands and offers. This data will inform defendants in litigation about the risks and benefits of trying cases in certain venues despite the rise in settlement demand amounts. To help, please complete this brief form: https://bit.ly/3JtFowb. #DRICommunity #DRILawyer #DRITheCenter #PublicPolicy #Legislation #Advocacy #Law The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels.

The DRI Center for Law and Public Policy recently joined, at the request of its affiliated state defense organizations, two amicus curiae briefs: one to the Supreme Court of Missouri and one to the Supreme Court of Illinois. In Lange v. GMT Auto Sales, Inc., the Center joined the brief of the Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers (MODL) in support of the respondent’s position that the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, erroneously held that defendant waived its right to arbitration by filing a motion to dismiss, arguing that pursuing a motion to dismiss before moving to compel arbitration not only does not waive arbitration rights, but also serves judicial economy and the interests of the parties by resolving certain threshold questions before arbitration. In Piasa Armory LLC v. Raoul, the Center joined the brief of the Illinois Defense Counsel (IDC) in support of the continued viability of the intrastate forum non conveniens doctrine, which is fundamental to the rights of defendants and the handling of lawsuits in Illinois, and that abandoning that doctrine would result in a concentration of cases in a select few Illinois counties, overwhelming those courts and burdening local juries with deciding controversies that have little, if any, practical connection to those counties. The Center was pleased to lend its support in these important matters. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4fDcBUF. #DRICommunity #DRILawyer #DRITheCenter #PublicPolicy #Legislation #Advocacy #Law The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels.

Joining the Center’s Social Inflation Task Force are Linda Fulop-Slaughter and Kathrin Hashemi. Linda, Assistant Vice President, Claims Counsel, at Sompo International in Florham Park, New Jersey, has been a member of DRI since 2006 and is an active member of the DRI Medical Liability and Health Care Law Committee. Kathrin, a director of KCIC in Washington, D.C., has been a DRI member since 2004 and currently holds leadership positions in both the DRI Asbestos Litigation Committee (Marketing Vice Chair) and the DRI Medical Liability and Health Care Law Committee (Networking Chair). Read more here: https://bit.ly/4fDcBUF. #DRICommunity #DRILawyer #DRITheCenter #PublicPolicy #Legislation #Advocacy #Law The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels. 

DRI Center for Law and Public Policy leader Laura Clark Fey, PLS (IAPP), FIP, CIPP-E/US, CIPM (IAPP), AIGP recently spoke with Litigation Daily regarding the influence of the plaintiffs’ bar in enforcing judicial privacy laws. Fey, the chair of the Center’s Data Privacy and Protection Working Group, spoke to the source specifically about New Jersey’s Daniel’s Law, commenting on the dangers of the law’s provisions allowing the assignment of claims and more. Read the full article on Litigation Daily: https://bit.ly/3OiGE82. #DRICommunity #DRILawyer #DRITheCenter #PublicPolicy #Legislation #Advocacy #Law  The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels. 

Newly appointed to the Center’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force are Sean Griffin and Jay M. Mattappally. Sean, a partner of Robinson+Cole in Washington, D.C., is an experienced litigator who has accumulated a keen knowledge of addressing clients’ complex legal issues. Jay is a partner of Irwin Fritchie Urquhart Moore & Daniels LLC in New Orleans, where he focuses his practice on defending product manufacturers in individual and mass-tort actions, including in the medical device, pharmaceutical, chemical, and consumer-product industries. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4fDcBUF. #DRICommunity #DRILawyer #DRITheCenter #PublicPolicy #Legislation #Advocacy #Law The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels. 

The DRI Center for Law and Public Policy is deeply indebted to its outgoing chair, Larry Ebner, for his tremendous leadership. “Under Larry’s guidance, the Center has experienced an unprecedented period of growth and productivity,” said Center Director Jay Ludlam. “It has been an honor to collaborate closely with him and I look forward to doing so in other capacities.” In addition to his ongoing service as a member of the Center’s Amicus Committee, Larry—who is both Executive Vice President & General Counsel of the Atlantic Legal Foundation and Founding Member of Capital Appellate Advocacy PLLC in Washington, D.C.—will also be stepping into a new leadership role as the Center Advisory Council Liaison. In acknowledgement of his service, Larry was presented with a Leadership Award by then-DRI President Pat Sweeney at the Center’s business meeting during the 2024 DRI Annual Meeting in Seattle. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4fDcBUF. #DRICommunity #DRILawyer #DRITheCenter #PublicPolicy #Legislation #Advocacy #Law The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels. 

DRI is pleased to announce that John Guttmann has become Chair of the Center for Law and Public Policy. A principal of Beveridge & Diamond PC in Washington, D.C., John represents companies in complex, high-stakes toxic tort, product liability, and environmental litigation. He has served in leading roles in litigation matters with potential damages/awards in the billions of dollars and has secured dismissal or reduction of claims in numerous matters. “The Center for Law & Policy is central to DRI’s mission. It focuses on issues that are important to DRI’s members and their clients and questions that are critical to preserving a fair and balanced civil justice system,” said John. “I am excited to continue to play a part in the Center’s work.” “John Guttmann is a nationally recognized environmental litigator and longtime DRI leader,” said DRI President Anne Talcott. “As president, I cannot think of a more qualified person to chair the DRI Center for Law and Public Policy and am excited to work with John in the coming year on issues affecting the defense bar and our business clients.” Read more here: https://bit.ly/4fDcBUF. #DRICommunity #DRILawyer #DRITheCenter #PublicPolicy #Legislation #Advocacy #Law The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels. 

On Wednesday, November 20, former DRI Center for Law and Public Policy Chair Larry Ebner, Center Director Jay Ludlam, and Social Inflation Task Force member Lisa M. Bellino attended the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform’s 2024 Summit.  #DRICommunity #DRILawyer #DRITheCenter #PublicPolicy #Legislation #Advocacy #Law  The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels.

The Center for Law and Public Policy's Social Inflation Task Force is working on a comprehensive tracking system to analyze litigation outcomes in light of pretrial demands and offers. This data will inform defendants in litigation about the risks and benefits of trying cases in certain venues despite the rise in settlement demand amounts. To help, please complete this brief form: https://bit.ly/3JtFowb. #DRICommunity #DRILawyer #DRITheCenter #PublicPolicy #Legislation #Advocacy #Law The Center provides the most effective voice for the defense bar in the discussion of substantive law, judicial process, constitutional issues, and the integrity of the civil justice system at both the national and state levels.