A thought-provoking look at the fundamental role insurance plays in helping individuals and businesses navigate an uncertain world. Led by the University of Cincinnati’s Great American Insurance Group Endowed Chair and Academic Director of the Lindner Center for Insurance and Risk Management, this session steps back from the day-to-day to examine why insurance exists, the value it creates, and the principles of sound risk management. Attendees will leave with a renewed appreciation for the bigger picture behind the work they do.
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Annette Hofmann, PhD
Director, University of Cincinnati Lindner Center for Insurance and Risk Management
A candid conversation with senior insurance industry executives sharing the challenges that worry them most—from fraud and the rise of artificial intelligence to nuclear verdicts and a rapidly shifting risk landscape. This panel offers a rare, unfiltered look at how the industry’s decision-makers are thinking about the road ahead.
Moderator
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Erica Mecler CaronPartner
Columbus, OH
Panelists
A leading jury research expert explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the way cases are prepared, tried, and won. This session examines the practical applications of AI to trial strategy and tactics, from jury selection to case theme development. Attendees will gain a forward-looking perspective on the tools reshaping courtroom outcomes.
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Dr. Philip K. Anthony
Managing Partner, The CoreGroup
This session will explore practical strategies for litigating bad faith cases which require litigation strategies that differ meaningfully from ordinary coverage or liability disputes. This presentation will address techniques for narrowing and defending bad faith claims through bifurcation, targeted discovery, deposition practice, expert challenges, and dispositive-motion practice.
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Christopher (Chris) G. JohnsonPartner
Louisville, KY
With U.S. fraud losses projected to exceed $308 billion annually and global losses approaching an estimated $1 trillion, winning fraud cases has never mattered more. This session shows how to use the civil rules aggressively—like a plaintiff’s attorney—through spoliation challenges, electronic discovery, 30(b)(6) depositions, summary judgment on the core fraud issue, attorneys as witnesses, policy conditions, and more. Attendees will leave with a practical toolkit for building and proving fraud cases.
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Christopher S. BurnsidePartner
Louisville, KY
In the ever-evolving world of insurance fraud, the schemes keep getting bigger, bolder, and more creative. From staged trucking accidents in Louisiana’s “asphalt Bermuda triangle” to predatory towing rings out West and AI-powered deepfakes anywhere with a smartphone, no corner of the country is immune. Part cautionary tale and part roadmap, this session examines both the ingenuity of today’s schemes and the increasingly coordinated efforts to shut them down—a timely reminder that novelty has never been a defense.
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Michele L. LevinsonPartner
Los Angeles, CA
A fast-paced rundown of the year’s ten most consequential coverage decisions and what they mean for claims professionals. This session breaks down the holdings, the trends behind them, and the practical implications for handling claims and coverage disputes.
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David W. WalulikPartner
Cincinnati, OH
Many of the issues that decide an appeal are won or lost long before the notice of appeal is filed—often in the heat of trial, when preservation and record-building are easy to overlook. Drawing on years of appellate experience, this session highlights the recurring mistakes that quietly narrow or foreclose strong appellate arguments, and shows why involving appellate counsel before and during trial can make all the difference. Attendees will see firsthand what an appellate lawyer notices in real time—and how that perspective can protect the record, preserve key issues, and keep every option open down the road.
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Griffin Terry SumnerPartner
Louisville, KY
Drawing on recent jury research, a national expert reveals how juror attitudes toward insurance have evolved—and why today’s jurors may be more sympathetic to insurers than they were a decade ago. As headlines about wildfires, hurricanes, and coverage gaps reshape public awareness, jurors increasingly understand the realities insurers face. Attendees will learn how these shifting perspectives can inform trial strategy and messaging.
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Dr. Philip K. Anthony
Managing Partner, The CoreGroup
When multiple layers of coverage are in play, the questions of who pays, when, and for what can quickly become contentious. This session untangles the relationship between primary and excess policies, including duties to defend, vertical and horizontal exhaustion between towers of insurance, the continuing duty of good faith, drop down issues, and allocation of responsibility. Attendees will gain clarity on how to manage these complex multi-layered claims and avoid common pitfalls.
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Erica Mecler Caron
Partner
Columbus, OH
State court isn’t always friendly territory, and getting to federal court can change the trajectory of a case. This session explores practical and cutting-edge removal strategies, including ways to address seemingly non-diverse co-parties, establishing the amount in controversy, and special exceptions related to timing of service. Attendees will learn how to spot removal opportunities early and execute them effectively.
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J. Kendrick Wells IVPartner
Louisville, KY
