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Enron Mail |
Meeting of Insurance Law Section
Four Seasons Hotel - Austin Room: San Jacinto West June 14, 2001 The Insurance Law Section would like to personally invite you to attend the Insurance Law Section meeting and the free CLE which will be presented next Thursday, June 14, 2001 at the State Bar convention in Austin. On June 14, 2001, the Insurance Law Section will hold its annual meeting and sponsor its annual 3 hour CLE program at the Four Season's Hotel. As usual, Council members and Committee chairs will be elected by the Section members at the annual meeting. The schedule for the meeting and the CLE program is set out below. We hope that you can attend the annual meeting and the CLE presentations. 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM - - annual section meeting and election of Council members 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM FREE CLE program 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. Insurance Declaratory Judgment Actions Topic: This panel will consider declaratory judgment actions regarding insurance coverage. When should they be filed? Who should file them? What discovery is necessary and appropriate? Can they usually be resolved by summary judgment? How should these cases be tried? What is the proper role of the expert? What is the proper role of the jury? What are the appellate twists? Comment: The Supreme Court of Texas has repeatedly suggested that insurers and insureds alike put this procedural device to more use. Panelists: Mike Huddleston Karen Keltz Rusty McMains Claudia Volaire Beth Bradley Stephen Walraven 3 p.m.- 4 p.m. When Negligence Blindly Assists Deliberateness Topic: Suppose Mr. Sleeze Ball sets out to kill his business partner, Cheese Square. Suppose further that Mrs. Ball helps Sleeze in various ways which turn out to be necessary. Suppose further that Mrs. Ball does not realize what Sleeze is up to and does not foresee the consequences of her actions. Finally, suppose Sleeze is convicted of murder and then a wrongful death action is brought by Cheesey's family (Swiss, Cheddar, and the rest) against both Mr. and Mrs. Ball, and their dog Astral. Naturally the Balls have homeowner's coverage and Mrs. Ball wants a defense. Question: Should she get it? Comment: This is a burning issue in contemporary liability insurance law, and a great deal turns on it. Plaintiff's personal injuries lawyers take note. Debaters: Michael Sean Quinn - Affirmative Christopher Martin - Negative 4 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Insurance Defense Guidelines Topic: Many liability insurers have attempted to issue guidelines and rules to govern the ways in which defense lawyers may conduct defenses. Often, if the activities of defense counsel do not conform to these guidelines defense counsel do not get paid. Recently the Texas legislature outlawed these guidelines, or at least some of them. Is this law a good idea, or a bad one? Will it be effective? Will it be enforced? Is it really in the interest of insureds who are defendants in law suits or is it designed to help lawyers? Panelists: Charles Levy Roland Leon Clark Richards Format: Audience participation on all of these topics is welcomed. It is positively encouraged, not that it could be stopped anyway. We hope to see you there next week. James L. Cornell tel: 713 547 2231 fax: 713 236 5583 cornellj@haynesboone.com
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