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23 October 20244 minute read

Product Liability Symposium

Hosted by DLA Piper’s Product Liability Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Thank you for joining us for our third annual Product Liability Symposium at the firm’s Philadelphia office on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.

Hosted by DLA Piper's Product Liability Diversity & Inclusion Committee, our topics and speakers, whose backgrounds span life sciences, consulting, and government, discussed a wide range of topics that can be seen below.

CLE credit was offered for this event.

Agenda and CLE materials

12:00 pm – Registration and lunch

1:00 pm – Introductory remarks

Presenters:

  • Angela Agrusa and Chris Campbell

Program emcee:

  • Cara Edwards

1:10 pm – Navigating the Global Landscape of Product Liability Litigation and Class Action Claims

Moderator:

  • Sarah Carrier

Panelists:

  • Raquel Frisardi (Novo Nordisk)
  • Brennan Torregrossa (GlaxoSmithKline)
  • Matt Goldberg
  • Scott Murray

CLE materials: Navigating the global landscape of product liability litigation and class action claims

2:00 pm – Quick Hit: From Class Actions to Mass Claims: Exploring the Mass Arbitration Phenomenon

Presenter:

  • Marie Bussey-Garza

CLE materials: From class actions to mass claims: Exploring the mass arbitration phenomenon

2:10 pm – Exploring the Ripple Effects of the 2024 Election

Moderator:

  • Simeon Poles

Panelists:

  • Megan Ortiz (Cohen Group)
  • Ilana Eisenstein
  • Senator Richard Burr
  • Governor James Blanchard
  • Congressman Charlie Dent

CLE materials: 

3:00 pm – Quick Hit: Pulling the Curtain Back on Third-Party Funding

Presenter: 

  • Andrew Andrzejewski

CLE materials: Quick hit: Pulling the curtain back on third-party funding

3:10 pm – Break

3:25 pm – Quick Hit: Redefining Products in the Digital Age: Software and Social Media Liability Risks

Presenter:

  • Kelsey Taveres

CLE materials: Redefining "products" in the digital age: Software and social media liability risks

3:35 pm – Understanding Verdict Inflation for Product Liability Defense Strategies

Moderator:

  • Rachel Horton

Panelists:

  • Connie Matteo (Pfizer)
  • Jed Winer (BASF)
  • Melissa Gomez (IMS Legal Strategies)
  • Rob Hoffman
  • Buffy Mims

CLE materials:

4:25 pm – Quick Hit: Cracking the Code of Neurological Causation in Product Liability Litigation

  • Chris Gismondi

CLE materials: Cracking the code of neurological causation in product liability litigation

4:35 pm – Inclusive Innovation: Integrating Diversity into Product Development

Moderator:

  • Alex Giraldo

Panelists:

  • Rachael Fones (IQVIA)
  • Cecily Williams Henson (Eli Lilly)
  • Sam Tyner-Monroe, Ph.D
  • Jarred Reiling
  • Kirsten Axelsen

CLE materials: 

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm:Cocktail reception

Speakers

Rachael Fones

Government & Public Affairs Director and Strategic Advisor, Diversity in Clinical Trials at IQVIA
Speaker bio

Raquel Frisardi

Associate General Counsel at Novo Nordisk
Speaker bio

Melissa Gomez

Senior Jury Consultant Advisor at IMS Legal Strategies
Speaker bio

Cecily Williams Henson

Associate Vice President, Assistant General Counsel at Eli Lilly and Company
Speaker bio

Connie Matteo

Assistant General Counsel at Pfizer
Speaker bio

Megan Ortiz

President at The Cohen Group
Speaker bio

Jed Winer

Assistant General Counsel at BASF
Speaker bio

Brennan Torregrossa

Senior Vice President, Litigation, Investigations, Digital, and Privacy at GlaxoSmithKline.
Speaker bio

DLA Piper speakers

Videos

Our innovative, diverse product liability and class action team members share their perspectives on how we combat emerging issues and the strategies they leverage on behalf of clients to minimize risks to their business and deliver solutions. See the video highlights sharing their perspectives.
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