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2026 PRODUCT LIABILITY ROUNDTABLE FILING INFORMATION
Approximately 5.5 hours of general CLE credit in 60-minute states and 6.6 hours of general CLE credit in 50-minute states has been requested for accreditation from all mandatory continuing legal education jurisdictions where we had registrants as of August 28. Opening Remarks, Closing Remarks, and Networking Breaks are not available for CLE credit.
How to Obtain CLE Credit:
*You must sign-in on the attendance sheet onsite at the meeting.*
Shortly after the program, you will receive an email from CEU Institute with a link to enter your state bar information and the programs you attended. Once complete, you will receive a Certificate of Attendance with this information and instructions on the reporting requirements for the state(s) where you are licensed. The online form does include a place to enter information regarding teaching credits, etc.
IMPORTANT
The link/portal will stay open for 2 WEEKS. You MUST complete the online form by October 6th to have your credits reported.
For any follow-up questions on CLE credits, please email the CEU Institute at [email protected].
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Tuesday, September 22, 2026
10:10 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. (60 General CLE Minutes)
Reading the Jury Room: Defense Tactics That Win Cases
11:25 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. (60 General CLE Minutes)
The “Black Box” of AI: No Longer A Legal Shield for Product Manufacturers
1:25 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. (45 Ethics/Professional Responsibility CLE Minutes)
They Did What?!?!?!? The Latest in Plaintiffs’ Bar Tactics
2:10 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. (45 General CLE Minutes)
Beyond the Point of Sale: Emerging Risks and Evolving Duties in the Modern Product Lifecycle
3:10 p.m. – 4:10 p.m. (60 General CLE Minutes)
Rulemaking on the Edge: Trends in a New Era of Federal Regulation
4:10 p.m. – 5:10 p.m. (60 General CLE Minutes)
What’s Next? How In-House Counsel Are Reacting to Developments in Product Liability Litigation
2026 PRODUCT LIABILITY ROUNDTABLE CLE MATERIALS
Below you will find the CLE schedule with materials for the 2026 Product Liability Roundtable.
Under each CLE program description, CLE materials are listed. Please click each hyperlink to access that specific CLE material. If you have any issues accessing these materials, please contact Jennifer Aron, Professional Development Manager, at [email protected] or Ashley Hatfield, Director of Communications, at [email protected].
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Registration
10:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.
Welcome and Introductions
Mark D. Hansen, IADC President, GROWMARK, Inc., Peoria, IL USA
Edward Dumoulin, Program Co-Chair, Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP, Chicago, IL USA
Daniel Higginbotham, Program Co-Chair, Thomas Combs & Spann PLLC, Charleston, WV USA
10:10 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. (60 General CLE Minutes)
Reading the Jury Room: Defense Tactics That Win Cases
Today’s jurors bring new expectations, new skepticisms, and new ways of evaluating risk and responsibility. Those shifts—alongside the continued rise in outsized verdicts—require defense teams to be even more deliberate and data-driven than ever. This panel unpacks current trends in juror mindsets and shows how research-based insights can shape themes, witnesses, and strategy. Attendees will learn practical ways to read the jury room, counter the nuclear-verdict playbook, and position their cases to win at trial.
Moderator: Mollie Benedict, Tucker Ellis LLP, Los Angeles, CA USA
Speakers: Stephanie Laws, MASLON LLP, Minneapolis, MN USA; Jill M. Leibold, PhD, IMS Legal Strategies, Los Angeles, CA USA; Eric L. Probst, Schindler Elevator Corporation (U.S.), Morristown, NJ USA
Materials:
11:10 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.
Networking Break
11:25 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. (60 General CLE Minutes)
The “Black Box” of AI: No Longer A Legal Shield for Product Manufacturers
With the EU’s AI Act and new Product Liability Directive demanding accountability for AI, together with the proposed US AI LEAD Act, 2026 marks a pivotal year for AI as the legal framework governing its risks continues shifting from voluntary guidelines to hard liability. This panel will analyze the updated EU Product Liability Directive which formally classifies AI as a “product,” alongside the proposed US AI LEAD Act which seeks to do the same. This panel will then examine the collision of technological innovation with legal responsibility, focusing on how AI is used throughout the product life cycle—from design, to manufacture, to warnings—and how product manufacturers can prepare for a more litigious, heavily regulated AI landscape.
Moderator: Katie Maechler, MASLON LLP, Minneapolis, MN USA
Speakers: Lisa DeBord, Bayer U.S., St. Louis, MO USA; Phil Goldberg, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, Washington, DC USA; Michael Malterer, Dentons, Munich, Germany; Danielle Mindlin, Pfizer Inc., New York, NY USA
Materials:
12:25 p.m. – 1:25 p.m.
Networking Lunch
1:25 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. (45 Ethics/Professional Responsibility CLE Minutes)
They Did What?!?!?!? The Latest in Plaintiffs’ Bar Tactics
Recent books, articles, and judicial opinions have spotlighted the tactics currently being used by plaintiffs’ attorneys and third-party service providers in mass tort litigation. Allegations range from false representations about the timeliness of major categories of claims to improperly using consultants that used to work for the defendants. These are not just “war stories.” These are tactics that are currently being utilized in litigation and how courts are responding. This panel will discuss recent judicial decisions, how defendants can respond to similar actions in the future, and how the present will impact the future.
Moderator: Mark K. Silver, Schenck Price Smith & King, LLP, Florham Park, NJ USA
Speakers: Nancy M. Erfle, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP, Portland, OR USA; Mark A. Prost, Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard P.C., St. Louis, MO USA; Peter J. Rotolo, Chaffe McCall, L.L.P., New Orleans, LA USA
Materials:
2:10 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. (45 General CLE Minutes)
Beyond the Point of Sale: Emerging Risks and Evolving Duties in the Modern Product Lifecycle
This session will examine the rapidly evolving landscape of post-sale products liability law, with emphasis on the expanding regulatory, standards-driven, and common-law obligations manufacturers face long after a product enters the marketplace. As agencies, courts, and international standards bodies increase focus on the full product lifecycle, companies must navigate complex expectations involving post-sale recalls, refurbished and remanufactured products returning to commerce, and ongoing duties to warn or update consumers.
Moderator: Carolyn E. Riggs, FBT Gibbons, Indianapolis, IN USA
Speakers: Dana Baiocco, White & Williams LLP, Washington, DC USA; Jay Spears, Continental Tire the Americas, LLC, Fort Mill, SC USA; Sarah K. Wolfe, AUMOVIO, Charlotte, NC USA
Materials:
2:55 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.
Networking Break
3:10 p.m. – 4:10 p.m. (60 General CLE Minutes)
Rulemaking on the Edge: Trends in a New Era of Federal Regulation
With government agencies changing regulations with less rigor, executive orders being issued which impact agency actions, and the plaintiffs’ bar or those in alignment with their interests becoming more involved in shaping public policy, companies face uncertain regulatory control. This can be seen in the EPA, FDA, HHS, and USDA, among other agencies. This is most apparent in changes to environmental regulations, food safety initiatives, and pharmaceutical governance. We will discuss what is driving these changes and how companies have been impacted by them, along with how they can best make decisions in a time of regulatory uncertainty, including litigation strategy.
Moderator: Sharon L. Caffrey, Duane Morris LLP, Philadelphia, PA USA
Speakers: Mike Gentine, Arnold & Porter, Washington, DC USA; Christiana Jacxsens, B. Braun Medical Inc., Atlanta, GA USA; Roy Prather, Beveridge & Diamond PC, Baltimore, MD USA
Materials:
4:10 p.m. – 5:10 p.m. (60 General CLE Minutes)
What’s Next? How In-House Counsel Are Reacting to Developments in Product Liability Litigation
This experienced and varied panel of in-house counsel will offer insights on how they are adapting to some of the latest trends and developments addressed during the 2026 Product Liability Roundtable. They will discuss changes in juror attitudes, the defense bar’s response to plaintiff bar-led regulatory changes, and AI liability exposure and regulation. These in-house strategy drivers will offer advice for how external counsel can help them successfully navigate a shifting legal and regulatory landscape.
Moderator: Allyson Miller Julien, Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP, Chicago, IL USA
Speakers: Larissa Eustice, Bayer Corporation, Whippany, NJ USA; Lisa M. Floro, Coloplast Corp., Minneapolis, MN USA; Shaniqua L. Singleton, Mercedes-Benz USA, Atlanta, GA USA
Materials:
5:10 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Edward Dumoulin, Program Co-Chair, Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP, Chicago, IL USA
5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Cocktail Reception