HB Partner Webinars on the West LegalEdcenter
Take these CLE webinars on the West LegalEdcenter platform. Each program features leading litigators in their respective fields on emerging subjects. Speakers and topics are handpicked by HB. Your organization may have already subscribed to the platform, but each session is also available for individual purpose. For questions or if you wish to propose a webinar, write to us at: Webinars@LitigationConferences.com.
The Texas Two-Step: Testing Bankruptcy Law and Jury Rights with Adam Silverstein
Can financially healthy companies use bankruptcy to resolve billions of dollars in mass tort claims? Plaintiff lawyer Adam Silverstein of Otterbourg examines the Texas two-step, Johnson & Johnson’s unsuccessful talc bankruptcy attempts, the impact of the Supreme Court’s Purdue decision, and the tension between Chapter 11 and plaintiffs’ jury trial rights.
The Hidden Danger of Carbon Monoxide: Proving Exposure, Brain Injury & Liability with Sam Cannon
Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause devastating injuries while leaving victims and attorneys with difficult questions about exposure, causation, and liability. Attorney Sam Cannon of Cannon Law discusses how carbon monoxide cases are investigated, how brain injuries are proven, and why deferred maintenance, expert testimony, and multiple responsible parties can become critical to the litigation.
War Risk Insurance and Exclusion | Webinar for CLE Credit
War risk exclusions can determine whether a multimillion-dollar loss is covered or excluded. This CLE webinar examines the legal principles governing war risk insurance, political risk coverage, terrorism exclusions, cyber war claims, and the landmark cases that continue to shape insurance recovery. Featuring Robert M. Horkovich of Anderson Kill and Rich Boone of Wilson Elser, the program provides practical guidance for evaluating policy language, analyzing exclusion defenses, and developing effective recovery strategies in an evolving geopolitical and cyber risk environment.
AI and the Law: A Year-End Retrospective 2025 and Beyond | Webinar for CLE Credit
Artificial intelligence continues to reshape the legal landscape, bringing new litigation risks, evolving regulatory obligations, and complex governance challenges. In this CLE webinar, Abigail Damsky, Jamie O'Neill, and Seán McCabe of Anderson Kill examine the legal developments that continue to influence AI-related litigation and compliance, including privacy and biometric claims, copyright disputes, AI washing, algorithmic discrimination, product liability, antitrust concerns, and the expanding global regulatory framework. Gain practical insights into the cases, trends, and governance considerations that remain highly relevant for legal professionals advising clients on AI risk.
HIPAA Meets Social Media Marketing with Liz Heddleston and Leah Stiegler
Healthcare providers increasingly use social media, patient testimonials, influencer partnerships, and AI-assisted content to engage patients and build their brands. But as recent OCR enforcement actions demonstrate, these marketing efforts can create significant HIPAA risks when protected health information is disclosed without proper authorization. In this episode, Liz Heddleston and Leah Stiegler discuss the Cadia Healthcare settlement, emerging compliance challenges, and what healthcare organizations need to know to navigate the intersection of privacy, marketing, and regulatory enforcement.
Medicare Set-Asides in Catastrophic Injury Cases: What Plaintiff Lawyers Get Wrong—and How It Costs Their Clients Millions | Webinar for CLE Credit GalleryMedicare Set-Asides in Catastrophic Injury Cases: What Plaintiff Lawyers Get Wrong—and How It Costs Their Clients Millions | Webinar for CLE Credit
Medicare Set-Asides in Catastrophic Injury Cases: What Plaintiff Lawyers Get Wrong—and How It Costs Their Clients Millions | Webinar for CLE Credit
Medicare issues can significantly affect the value and outcome of catastrophic injury settlements. In this webinar, Brett Newman and Franklin Solomon examine Medicare reimbursement claims, Medicare Set-Asides, the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, and settlement planning strategies that help plaintiff attorneys protect client recoveries while avoiding unnecessary compliance burdens and costly mistakes.
Bridge Funding for Injured Plaintiffs with Milestone Foundation’s Rachel McCarthy
How do injured plaintiffs cover basic living expenses while waiting for their cases to resolve? In this episode, Rachel McCarthy of the Milestone Foundation discusses the role of plaintiff funding, the differences between nonprofit and traditional funding models, and the access-to-justice challenges that arise when financial hardship influences litigation outcomes.
What Has Happened to Law Firms with Mark Zauderer
How did law firms evolve from professional partnerships into large business enterprises? In this episode, Mark C. Zauderer reflects on five decades of change in the legal industry, examining the rise of centralized management, the decline of mentorship, growing profitability pressures, and the influence of political and social forces on modern law firms.
Why a Big-Law Litigator Went “Fractional”: Jonathan Sablone on Building Sablone Advisory
n this article based on a recent Emerging Litigation Podcast conversation, Tom Hagy explores why veteran litigator Jonathan Sablone left Big Law to launch a fractional legal services practice. The discussion examines litigation management, alternative fee arrangements, and the growing demand for experienced legal counsel on a flexible basis.
How Product Brands Navigate Today’s Dupe Economy with Tiffany Gehrke and Alexa Spitz
The rise of the “dupe economy” is changing how brands approach intellectual property enforcement. In this episode, Tiffany D. Gehrke and Alexa Spitz discuss how trademark law, trade dress, platform takedowns, and e-commerce enforcement strategies are evolving as copycat products spread rapidly across online marketplaces and social media.
Why a Big-Law Litigator Went Fractional with Jonathan Sablone
The traditional path from outside counsel to full-time in-house lawyer is evolving. In this episode, Jonathan Sablone discusses his transition from Big Law litigator to fractional general counsel, and how companies are leveraging flexible, senior legal talent to manage disputes, risk, and strategy without building a full internal legal department.
Getting Digital Evidence Right with Tim Conlon
Digital evidence is central to modern litigation, yet it is often misunderstood or underused. In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, Tim Conlon explains how litigators can more effectively authenticate, preserve, and challenge electronic evidence—from texts and social media to cloud data and email systems—using practical forensic techniques that expose manipulation, concealment, and gaps in the record.
Johnson & Johnson Advances $6.5B Texas Two‑Step Talc Settlement Plan
Read about Johnson & Johnson’s renewed $6.5 billion talc settlement effort through the “Texas Two-Step” bankruptcy strategy, and how the case may reshape mass-tort bankruptcy law, MDL practice, and corporate liability risk management. The article looks beyond the settlement amount to the deeper legal question of whether a solvent parent company can use Chapter 11 to centralize and cap tort exposure.
Using AI to Strengthen Law Firm Content Development—Without Losing Judgment or Voice | In-Depth Webinar
In this webinar, Tom Hagy and Paul Ryplewski share a practical, editorially grounded approach to using AI in law firm content development. Drawing on legal and marketing expertise, they explain how firms can generate stronger ideas, improve clarity, and repurpose existing content—while maintaining accuracy, judgment, and authentic voice. The session offers actionable strategies for integrating AI into legal marketing workflows without sacrificing credibility or control.
One Size Fits None in Modern Employment Law with Jerry Maatman
In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, Tom Hagy speaks with employment law expert Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. about how remote work, ADA compliance, workforce reductions, arbitration, DEI policies, and AI are reshaping modern employment law. The conversation highlights practical strategies for managing risk, ensuring compliance, and building defensible workplace policies in a rapidly evolving legal landscape.
We Can’t Drive High, But Can We Own a Gun High? Supreme Court to Decide.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear United States v. Hemani, a case that could redefine the how gun rights and drug policy peacefully co-exist. At issue is whether 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3)—which prohibits firearm possession by anyone who “is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance”—violates the Second Amendment as applied to cannabis users. Read about this precedents, counter positions, and a bit of history.
Cyber Risk Management & Insurance Part 2: Advanced Level Webinar
In this advanced-level webinar, Joshua Gold, Luma Al-Shibib, and Miranda Jannuzzi examine how evolving cyber threats, artificial intelligence risks, and expanding privacy laws are reshaping cyber insurance coverage and claims. The program explores emerging exposures—including pixel tracking litigation, system damage, and business interruption—while providing practical guidance on navigating underwriting, coverage disputes, and regulatory scrutiny in an increasingly adversarial cyber insurance landscape.
From AI Principles to Proof: What DOJ Scrutiny Means for Corporate Governance
In this article, Tom Hagy and Reed Smith partner Adria Perez examine how the Department of Justice’s new AI Litigation Task Force is shifting corporate expectations from AI principles to proof. Drawing on insights from The Emerging Litigation Podcast, they discuss how regulators now expect companies to demonstrate real oversight, documented controls, and defensible governance as AI becomes embedded in compliance, investigations, and corporate decision-making.
SCOTUS Rejects Contractor Immunity Sought by Prison Company
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court held in The GEO Group, Inc. v. Menocal that private government contractors cannot claim “derivative sovereign immunity” to avoid suit. Writing for the Court, Justice Kagan clarified that the Yearsley doctrine provides only a defense to liability—not immunity from litigation—and never shields unlawful conduct. The ruling ensures that claims alleging forced labor at a privately operated immigration detention facility will proceed on the merits and reinforces that sovereign immunity belongs to the government alone.
DOJ’s AI Litigation Task Force and What It Signals for Corporate AI Governance with Adria Perez
In this episode, host Tom Hagy speaks with Reed Smith partner Adria Perez about the DOJ’s AI Litigation Task Force and what it signals for corporate AI governance. They examine how regulators are shifting from high-level AI principles to demanding documented controls, audit trails, and defensible oversight—and what legal departments must do to meet rising enforcement and board-level expectations.
Summary Judgment and Sham Affidavits: Protecting Your Motion from Contradictory Testimony
In this article, Cat Gavrilidis of Swift Currie examines how inconsistent testimony can undermine summary judgment and how courts apply the sham affidavit rule when affidavits contradict prior deposition statements. She explores jurisdictional differences and outlines practical steps attorneys can take to prevent contradictions, correct the record, and protect a well-founded motion before trial.
Habeas Corpus in Real Time: Minnesota’s Detention Docket Dusts Off Ancient But Foundational Remedy
A surge of emergency habeas corpus petitions in Minnesota is reshaping immigration detention litigation. Federal judges are issuing expedited orders, blocking detainee transfers, and demanding immediate statutory justification for custody. With cases such as Hassan v. Bondi, Astudillo Laica v. Bondi, and U.H.A. v. Bondi, courts are treating habeas review as urgent injunctive relief while confronting jurisdictional risks and mandatory-versus-discretionary detention disputes. As practitioners like E. Michelle Drake of Berger Montague navigate a rapidly expanding docket, Minnesota has emerged as a focal point in a nationwide rise in detention challenges—highlighting the continuing power of habeas corpus as a real-time check on executive detention authority.
FTC Warns Law Firms About Diversity Certifications – This Time Alluding to Antitrust
The FTC has warned major U.S. law firms that participation in diversity certification programs could raise antitrust concerns, framing coordinated diversity efforts as a potential labor-market competition issue. This article examines the Commission’s cautionary letters regarding the Mansfield Certification program, the broader pattern of executive branch pressure on law firms and media organizations, and recent court decisions addressing discrimination claims and government retaliation. It also explores how antitrust enforcement, free speech concerns, and regulatory scrutiny are converging to reshape the legal and media landscapes. As political pressure and enforcement intensify, firms must reassess collaborative initiatives while preserving independence and competitive integrity.
FTC Warns Law Firms: Rethink Your Diversity Collaborations — Listen Now!
The FTC has warned dozens of major U.S. law firms that participation in diversity certification programs could raise antitrust concerns. This episode examines the agency’s cautionary letters regarding the Mansfield Certification program, the potential for coordinated diversity efforts to be viewed as labor-market collusion, and the broader regulatory pressure facing law firms and media organizations. It also explores recent court decisions, executive branch enforcement trends, and the growing intersection of antitrust law, free speech, and diversity initiatives. As scrutiny intensifies, firms must navigate evolving legal risks while maintaining independence and competitive integrity.
Using AI to Strengthen Law Firm Content Development – JD Supra ‘Office Hours’ with Tom Hagy
In a JD Supra Office Hours session, legal content strategist Tom Hagy shared practical guidance on how law firm marketers can use AI to strengthen — not replace — their content development process. Framing AI as an editorial assistant rather than an author, Hagy explained how marketers can use the technology to generate better ideas, improve structure, translate legal complexity for business audiences, and repurpose existing firm content more effectively. He also emphasized that human judgment remains essential for accuracy, voice, and credibility. The discussion offers a clear, practical roadmap for integrating AI into law firm marketing workflows while maintaining editorial standards and client trust.