CE/CLE eligible
Directors & officers of publicly traded companies have never faced more uncertain times than they do today. Emerging exposures, disruptions to traditional business models, ever-changing regulations, and #MeToo continue to make this big world smaller and smaller. The panel will look closely at new and trending exposures - from both traditional and new sources globally and review which D&O claims are most surprising and most anticipated in today’s landscape. Subjects including new exposures, claims, jurisdiction, case law, coverage triggers, potential claims issues, along with new coverage enhancements, will be covered.

Moderator: Kevin M. LaCroix, RPLU
Executive Vice President, RT Specialty

Panelists:
Nora McGee
Vice President, AIG
Cathy Padalino
Senior Vice President, Aon

CE/CLE eligible
Artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics and predictive modeling are methods long used to underwrite life insurance and other personal lines. Their use is becoming more mainstream in commercial lines underwriting. This panel will discuss the latest trends in this area, particularly as they are being developed for use in the underwriting of Management and Professional Lines, and may provide “live” examples of these tools (depending on panelists, final panel agenda and site logistics).

Moderator: Ayesha West
U.S. Retail Cyber & Technology, The Navigators Group, Inc.

Panelists:
Day Bishop
Director, Insurance Consulting & Technology, Willis Towers Watson
Ashley Hunter
President, HM Risk Group
Shiraz Saeed
Practice Leader - Cyber Risk, Starr Companies - Global Insurance

The Beach Boys sang "catch a wave and you are sitting on top of the world". The Beach Boys did not know how deadly a wave could be. The next wave of the opioid epidemic is going to kill more people than the first wave did. This presentation will give attendees an understanding of what caused the first wave and how our efforts to stop the first wave caused the second wave. It will also explain what can be done to help mitigate the losses. Many more will die before the final wave calms down.

Speaker: William Zachry
Senior Fellow, Sedgwick Institute

Bitcoin. Blockchain. How many times have you heard these terms on the news or in conversations and pretended to know what they were? No need to pretend any longer! Jeremy Kerman of Walker Wilcox Matousek LLP, will illustrate the basics of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and explain how blockchain technology works. We will also briefly cover the potential applications and impact of blockchain technology in the insurance world. Even if you don't have a tech background, you will leave this session being able to explain how Bitcoin and blockchain work to your friends back home!

Speaker: Jeremy Kerman
Partner, Walker Wilcox Matousek LLP

CE/CLE eligible
This panel will discuss the latest trends and challenges – both foreign and domestic – regarding the placement of R&W insurance. This discussion will cover notable developments in this fast-paced and growing market from the broker’s initial submission to the underwriting and issuance of the policy and the claims process. We will discuss changes in the initial quote process, the increasing (or not) insurability of difficult risks, the challenges posed by cross-border deals, the role of R&W insurance in auctions, and the potential broadening of seller reps to a buyer.

Moderator: Ai Tajima
Counsel, Goodwin Procter LLP

Panelists:
Jeff Cowhey
President, Ambridge Partners
Leo Flindall, ACII
Co-Head UK Transactional Risk, Senior Vice President, Marsh
Emily Maier
Group Leader M&A Insurance, Woodruff Sawyer
Michael Turnbull
Americas M&A Manager, AIG
Christine Wartella
Senior Vice President, Berkley Transactional

CE/CLE eligible
The high-energy and interactive session will focus on Employment Practices Liability. This sector of coverage has been in the news quite a bit of late, from religious objections, the #MeToo movement, support animals, marijuana legalization, the opioid crisis and workplace substance abuse policies, and much more. Industry experts will weigh in on how claims are trending, the ways in which underwriting must evolve, and what’s next in this exciting and constantly-evolving sector of insurance.

Moderator: Claudia A. Costa, Esq.
Partner, Gordon & Rees, Scully, Mansukhani LLP

Panelists:
Marchelle (Marci) M. Houston, Esq.
Senior Vice President, Claim, Bond & Specialty Insurance, Travelers
Carrie Kurzon
National EPL Product Leader, The Hartford
Thomas Lookstein
Vice President - Financial Lines & Professional Liability Claims, Starr Companies
Laura Zaroski, Esq.
Senior Vice President, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Moderator:
Sara B. Brody, Esq., Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Speakers:
Mike Rider
Vice President & General Counsel, Americas at ResMed

Susan A. Stone
General Counsel, Marsh & McLennan Companies

This will be a fast-moving conversation that addresses the questions that are most important to professional liability underwriters, risk managers and attorneys who are interested in successfully navigating the cannabis insurance market. Topics will include an insurance carrier's obligation to follow federal cannabis-related guidelines, underwriting best practices, practical observations on mitigating professional liability risks presented by medical and adult use cannabis, claim trends and new insurance products.

Speaker: Ian A. Stewart
Partner, Chair of National Cannabis Law Practice Team, Wilson Elser

The number of autonomous vehicles on the roads is on the rise, yet few understand the full implications for the insurance industry. So make a pit stop for this short SPARK session, which will explore anticipated I emerging trends in liability and the impact on professional liability (and other) insurance.

Speaker: Jamison Narbaitz
Senior Counsel, Clyde & Co US LLP

CE/CLE eligible
There have been a number of large verdicts and settlements in medical professional liability in recent years. In 2017, there were many of these verdicts/settlements over $10M, with 7 cases of over $40M; perhaps the most ever at that level. This panel will discuss the data concerning these verdicts, the reasons why more of these verdicts are being seen despite overall low claim frequency in MPL, and review common threads in these claims. We hope to identify reasons why these very large verdicts are occurring and formulate claims and underwriting strategies to address the risk of these claims.

Moderator: Paul Greve,
Senior Director, Healthcare Risk Solutions, Markel Assurance

Panelists:
Peter Cridland
Assistant Vice President, Transatlantic Re
Matthew Donnelly
Deputy Chief Legal Officer, Cleveland Clinic
Joseph Farchione, Esq.
Partner, Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell LLP

CE/CLE eligible
The only constant with Cyber Insurance is change. This panel will help us get up to speed on all the most recent changes with Cyber Insurance. Topics to be discussed will include: the latest coverage innovations, recent claims/litigation trends, and new underwriting strategies.

Moderator: Tracey Vispoli
President, Berkley Cyber Risk Solutions

Panelists:
Tim Marlin
Head of Cyber & Professional Liability, The Hartford
Matthew Prevost
Cyber Product Manager, NA, Chubb
Shawn Ram
Head of Insurance, Coalition
Robert H. Rosenzweig, RPLU
Senior Vice President & National Cyber Risk Practice Leader, Risk Strategies

The media is awash with headlines of corporate efforts to improve efforts of inclusion in the workplace. How does this play out in the insurance industry? This panel will engage in a candid conversation on the challenges and opportunities for the current and next generation workforce and discuss the role companies and individuals play in advancing a new era of inclusion to recruit, retain and advance talent in ways one might not readily expect.

Moderator: Kristin Hibler, Ph.D.
KornFerry Hay Group

Panelists:
Jordan Cassidy
Senior Underwriter, Philadelphia Insurance Companies

Noelle Codispoti, CPCU, ARM
Chief Executive Officer, Gamma Iota Sigma

Imran Qureshi
Region Leader, U.S. Midwest and Chair of the North American Inclusion & Diversity Council, Willis Towers Watson

Ronald Reeves
Head, Diversity & Inclusion – U.S., Canada, Latin America & Caribbean, AIG

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ("UAVs" or "drones") are becoming more commonplace in the commercial sector. Although their use has been largely limited to the military or recreational arenas, a variety of industries are increasingly relying on drones to more quickly and effectively perform myriad functions. For instance, project engineers now use UAVs to survey construction sites; farmers use them to inspect crop progress; companies like Amazon use them to deliver products to your doorstep; and communication and utility companies use them to inspect cell towers and electrical lines. With this increased use comes increased risks, ranging from liability for bodily injury or property damage, privacy violations and other personal injuries, and contribution to professional negligence. This session will seek to spark discussion about: the various uses of and regulations governing UA Vs; potential risks for companies wishing to utilize drones in various capacities; potential underwriting issues insurance companies may want to consider when issuing policies to insureds who use UAVs in the scope of the work for which they are seeking coverage; and potential coverage issues from a claims perspective.

Speaker: Brandon Almond
Attorney, Troutman Sanders

As social justice movements such as #MeToo and Time's Up strive for positive change through a variety of industries, unanticipated results can follow. For example, the trial and conviction of Dr. Larry Nassar brought into question Judge Janice Cunningham's professional conduct and the policies and procedures of Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee. "The Hidden Risks of Social Movements" will touch on the unanticipated countereffects professional firms and industries might see as they pursue equality and diversity initiatives. Topics will include, but are not limited to, legal malpractice risks and potential liability exposures. After attending the session, participants will be able to:

• Assess insurance exposures related to current social events
• Identify areas where potential countereffects to equality and diversity initiatives may occur
• Increase awareness of the hidden risks of social movements with clients and customers in various lines of business

CE/CLE eligible
This panel will discuss the current claim trends in insurance agents and broker professional liability, the use of innovative risk migration technics and adjusting practices and their impact on the underwriting of the product as well as the claims handling and outcome. Further the panel will discuss the vicarious liability of the carrier through the captive agent model and discuss additional measures that can and should be employed to decrease liability.

Moderator: Tom Jensen, Esq.
Attorney, Lind Jensen Sullivan & Peterson, P.A.

Panelists:
J. Patrick Carley, III
Partner, Traub Lieberman Strauss & Shrewsberry LLP
Michelle Girardin Freimuth
Vice President, E&O Division; IAE&O Practice Leader, Allied World
Javier Gonzalez
Partner/Exec VP of Sales, Axis Insurance Services, LLC/PL Risk Advisors, Inc.
Kiera Goral
AVP, Specialty Claims, QBE

CE/CLE eligible
Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are more than a trend. In the last few years, companies have raised over $10B selling digital coins or tokens through ICOs and the phenomenon has attracted a deluge of attention from regulators, investors, entrepreneurs, and even some mature companies looking to crowdfund off of the digital craze. For the D&O industry, ICOs present new challenges in terms of coverage, pricing and risk. In this session, the panelists will discuss the current state of ICOs, the regulatory environment, coverage trends and what’s next.

Moderator: Shanda Davis
D&O Product Manager, Travelers

Panelists:
Scott Diamond
Managing Partner, Chicago Digital Asset Network
Claudette Kellner
National Product Leader Public D&O, CNA
Garrett Koehn
Regional Director, Western U.S., CRC Insurance Services Inc.
Brian Mukherjee
Counsel, Goodwin Procter, LLP

Professional networks are like muscles: use them or lose them. Join Future PLUS Chair Marty Toth for 5 tried-and-true strategies to WORK your professional network and unlock its full potential. Topics covered include making introductions, working a room, maximizing your association memberships, building referral relationships, and volunteering. Developed by Future PLUS

Speakers:
Marty Toth
Assistant Vice President, Aspen Insurance

Ed Talarico
Senior Vice President, RSUI Group, Inc.

When must a business allow service animals on their premises? How is a service animal different than an emotional support pet under the ADA and state law? Join us for live skits featuring service dogs and their trainers from Canine Companions for Independence. Meet CCI puppies and their trainers too!

Speaker: Louie Castoria
Co-Chair, Professional Liability Practice Group, Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck, LLP

CE/CLE eligible
With the Me Too environment creating hysteria in the boardroom, companies are paying closer attention to sexual conduct issues and using extreme measures to enforce a non-hostile environment. As a result of this movement, new legislation may be enacted, extending limitation periods and creating additional duties on companies and the executives. This presentation will discuss loss controls, how companies mitigate claims and promote inclusiveness among executives as well as employees in the workplace.

Moderator: Dove A. E. Burns
Partner, Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel, LLP

Panelists:
Kristine D'Amato
Director, Executive Risk Claims, Crum & Forster
Tony Galban
SVP, D&O Product Manager, Chubb North American Financial Lines
Eric Sauter, Esq.
Partner, Wilson Elser
Carol Zacharias
Underwriting Counsel, QBE

CE/CLE eligible
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the most important change in data privacy regulation this century. It has had a broad, sweeping impact on organizations around the world. We will identify the ways in which this regulation has impacted risk and risk management practices, the insurability of GDPR related proceedings and fines, and enforcement activity to date.

Moderator: Brent Rieth
Senior Vice President, Aon Risk Solutions

Panelists:
Sian M. Schafle
Partner, Mullen Coughlin LLC
Marcin Weryk
Head of Cyber - West, XL Catlin