LCJ Fall 2026 Member Meeting Schedule
9/25/26 – Panel topics and speakers are in development
All events are at The Westin New York Times Square
270 West 43rd Street, New York City, NY
Wednesday, December 2nd
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. LCJ Executive Committee Meeting
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Fall Meeting Welcome Reception, New York Room, 9th Floor
LCJ President Chris Guth, Bayer US, welcomes you. Following the reception, please enjoy New York’s restaurants and nightlife.
Thursday, December 3rd
7:00 a.m. Registration Opens
7:50 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast for Members and Guests
MORNING SESSION Majestic Ballroom, 5th Floor
9:00 a.m. Welcome
Meeting co-chairs, Jay Mattappally, Irwin Fritchie Urquhart Moore & Daniels, LLC, and Caroline Power, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, kick off our meeting.
9:15 – 9:50 a.m. Advancing the Agenda: LCJ’s Rules Reform Priorities and the Work Ahead
LCJ’s rule reform agenda has never been more active—or more consequential. LCJ General Counsel Alex Dahl brings members up to speed on our most critical advocacy priorities and the progress we’re making together. At the forefront: advancing mandatory disclosure of third-party litigation funding agreements and shaping the potential new evidence rules governing AI-generated evidence in federal courts. We’re also pushing forward on discovery cost-sharing reforms, class action superiority standards, and the need for updated rules governing confidentiality and cybersecurity. And in our most forward-looking effort, LCJ’s “skunk works” project is investigating possible FRCP changes that may be needed as artificial intelligence reshapes how discovery is conducted. This session is both a progress report and a call to action: learn where we are, where we’re headed, and where your engagement can make the greatest difference.
9:50 – 10:10 Networking Break
10:10 – 11:00 a.m. Reshaping the Judiciary: Trump Judicial Appointments and Their Impact
As White House Counsel during President Trump’s first term, Don McGahn (invited) was the principal architect of one of the most consequential judicial appointment strategies in modern history. McGahn shares his insider perspective on how the judges he helped place on the federal bench are reshaping the law—particularly in administrative law, where the rollback of Chevron deference and related doctrines is fundamentally changing the relationship between federal agencies and the courts. Looking ahead, McGahn offers his insights into how judicial nominations will unfold in the new Congress, which judges are likely to shape the next chapter of federal jurisprudence, and what the evolving judiciary means for businesses and litigators navigating a judicial landscape in transition.
11:00 – 12:00 p.m. AI in Discovery: Exploring Uncharted Territory
Artificial intelligence is not only transforming how companies operate, it’s also changing how they and their adversaries conduct discovery. As AI becomes embedded in business processes, it is creating vast new categories of potentially discoverable information, novel questions about search and review obligations, and fresh opportunities for litigation opponents to exploit procedural rules for tactical advantage. LCJ’s new AI in Discovery Subcommittee is on the cutting edge of these developments, investigating novel questions and brainstorming possible rule reform ideas that could protect companies from overreach—while also anticipating the amendments plaintiff-side interests might push to gain unfair advantage. This panel presents an LCJ “skunk works” project in action: our forward-thinking members sharing new ideas, the thorniest problems, and most promising solutions.
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Attendees lunch on your own
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. LCJ Board of Directors Meeting
AFTERNOON SESSION Majestic Ballroom, 5th Floor
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. From the Grocery Aisle to the Courtroom: Litigation Strategies for Food, Beverage, and Packaged Goods Companies
Ultra-processed foods, misunderstood ingredients, “zero sugar” labeling claims—the food, beverage, and packaged goods industry is facing a wave of litigation that is growing in sophistication and ambition. Plaintiffs' lawyers are borrowing time-tested strategies from tobacco and other mass tort playbooks while developing new theories And with HHS and FDA leadership focused on "Make America Healthy Again," the regulatory environment is adding new pressure and new ammunition for plaintiffs' lawyers. This panel of in-house counsel from leading food, beverage, and packaged goods companies shares how they are navigating active MDL proceedings, ingredient suits, and labeling litigation—and what lessons they are drawing from similar battles. The discussion will also include how LCJ’s proposed amendment to Rule 23—which would allow judges to consider voluntary company actions, such as reformulations and labeling changes, when assessing the “superiority” test at class certification—could provide meaningful relief.
2:30 – 2:50 p.m. Networking Break
2:50 – 3:50 p.m. Inside the Judiciary: Priorities, Challenges, and the Need for Institutional Strength
What are the federal judiciary’s most urgent priorities? Judge Robert J. Conrad, Director of the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, is joined by Judge Jennifer Elrod, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit for a candid conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing the federal courts. From pressing resource needs —IT modernization, courthouse security, and judicial compensation—to pending legislation that would transfer control of courthouse facilities from the General Services Administration to the courts, this panel offers a rare window into the decisions and debates shaping the future of the federal judiciary. It will also address the critical issues of judicial safety and the steps being taken to protect judges in an era of heightened threats, as well as the judiciary’s efforts to strengthen public understanding and confidence in the courts at a time of unprecedented scrutiny.
3:50 – 5:00 p.m. LCJ Shark Tank Season 5 – Shark Hunt!
The tank is open for business – and our rule sharks are hungry. Back by popular demand, LCJ members take their boldest and most creative ideas for civil procedure and evidence rule reform to a panel of seasoned litigation sharks on the hunt for LCJ’s next advocacy initiatives. From solutions to discovery nightmares to fixes for broken trial procedures, our rule entrepreneurs will make their case – and our sharks will probe, challenge, and debate. The audience has a crucial role too: evaluate the proposals and cast your vote for the idea with the most potential to change the litigation landscape. The best idea wins!
THURSDAY EVENING Room to be Announced
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Pre-Broadway Cocktail Reception
Join us for conversation and refreshments before a show or dinner out. All attendees are welcome.
7:00 PM Catch an Award-Winning Broadway Show.
Join colleagues and friends for two acclaimed Broadway shows. Step into the wonderfully whimsical world of Schmigadoon!, a hilarious musical comedy that celebrates the Golden Age of Broadway, or experience the Roaring Twenties with The Great Gatsby, the Broadway musical inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel. (Discounted tickets available for purchase. Limited ticket availability.)
Friday, December 4th
MORNING MEETINGS Rooms to Be Announced
7:50 a.m. Corporate Counsel Breakfast Meeting
In-house counsel attendees meet to share ideas about LCJ’s current and future initiatives and emerging litigation issues. All in-house counsel members and guests are welcome.
7:50 a.m. Law Firm Leaders Breakfast Meeting
Law firm attendees meet to discuss engagement in current LCJ projects and share ideas for future initiatives. All firm lawyer attendees are welcome.
MORNING SESSION Majestic Ballroom, 5th Floor
9:10 a.m. Recognizing LCJ’s Outstanding Contributors
LCJ President Chris Guth and LCJ General Counsel Alex Dahl recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to LCJ’s advocacy in 2026.
9:30-10:30 a.m. General Counsel Roundtable: Today’s Litigation Realities and Tomorrow’s Challenges
What are the smartest general counsels watching right now? Our panel of leading corporate general counsels – including Citigroup Chief Legal Officer Brent McIntosh and ExxonMobil General Counsel Jeff Taylor – share the litigation and regulatory trends that are reshaping how they think, plan, and allocate resources. From emerging plaintiff tactics and risk management imperatives to new regulatory challenges and enforcement patterns and, this candid roundtable offers strategic intelligence for lawyers managing high-stakes litigation. Whether it's threats on the horizon, lessons from recent battles, or predictions about where litigation is headed, this discussion will include insights that will help both in-house counsel and their outside litigators stay ahead of the curve.
10:30-10:45 a.m. Networking Break
10:45 -11:45 a.m. A Conversation with Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate
What are the Civil Division’s top priorities—and how does the Department of Justice think about changes to the FRCP? Brett Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, joins LCJ’s Josh Gardner for a candid Q&A on the issues shaping the Division’s work, from high-stakes civil litigation and enforcement priorities to the government’s role in the federal rulemaking process.
11:50 a.m. Wrap Up
Save the Date: LCJ’s Spring Meeting is May 5-7 at the Mayflower Hotel n Washington, D.C.