LCJ Fall 2026 Member Meeting Schedule
11/2/26 DRAFT – Additional speakers to be announced. Meeting rooms are subject to change.
Updates will be available at www.lfcj.com
All events are at The Westin New York at 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. – 7:00 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. We get 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.
Alex Dahl, General Counsel, Lawyers for Civil Justice
9:50 a.m. – 10:40 a.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:
we discuss new ideas, the thorniest problems, and most promising solutions.
Laura Hunt, Associate General Counsel, eDiscovery and Information Governance, Meta Platforms, Inc.
Robert Keeling, Partner, Redgrave LLP
John Rosenthal, Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP
Mike Trinh, Associate General Counsel, OpenAI (Moderator)
10:40 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Networking Break
11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Disclosure of TPLF Agreements: A Discussion with Members of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules
Members of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules join us as we tackle the “why” and “how” of a potential rule requiring disclosure of
third-party litigation funding. How should a disclosure rule operate? What information do courts and parties need? How would LCJ’s
proposed rule change courts’ focus from “discovery” to “disclosure” of TPLF?
U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman (S.D.N.Y.), TPLF Subcommittee Committee Chair, Advisory Committee on Civil Rules
David C. Wright, III, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A., Advisory Committee on Civil Rules
Members of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules (invited)
Jim Moran, Partner, McGuireWoods LLP, Advisory Committee on Civil Rules
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, and “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.
Farzin Firooznia, Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer, Chief Counsel for IT, U.S. Litigation, Food Safety and Regulatory, PepsiCo
Megan Frient, Director and Assistant General Counsel, Global Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Procter and Gamble
Brooke Tassoni, Vice President, Global Practice Team Lead, Litigation and Privileged Investigations, Cargill
Caroline Teichner, Associate General Counsel, Litigation and Legal Operations, The Kraft Heinz Company
Michelle Ramirez, Partner, Sidley & Austin (invited)
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? Two prominent leaders of the federal judiciary join us 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.
Judge Robert Conrad, Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
Judge Jennifer Elrod, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Hon. Peter D. Keisler, Steering Committee, Washington Litigation Group (moderator)
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
our vote for the idea with the most potential to change the litigation landscape. The best idea wins!
Our Sharks:
Amy Fischer, Shareholder, Foliart, Huff, Ottaway & Bottom
Melissa Geist, Partner, Reed Smith LLP
Mike Weston, Member, Lederer Weston Craig, PLC
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 an acclaimed Broadway show. 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. 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 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.
Brent McIntosh, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Citigroup
Jeff Taylor, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, ExxonMobil
Bob Christie, Member, BAker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC (Moderator)
10:30-10:45 a.m. Networking Break
10:45 -11:45 a.m. The U.S. DOJ’s Civil Division Priorities: A Conversation
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.
Hon. Brett Shumate, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Josh Gardner, Partner, DLA Piper, Outside Counsel, Lawyers for Civil Justice
11:50 a.m. Wrap Up
Save the Date: LCJ’s Spring Meeting is May 5-7, 2027, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.