Course List

Generative AI is a game-changing technology – but it also comes with ethical risks for attorneys and law firms. Developing an AI policy for your law firm is now crucial and involves addressing ethical considerations and ensuring compliance with legal standards while leveraging the benefits of AI.

This CLE explores the ethical, practical and regulatory implications of integrating artificial intelligence into legal practice. It covers core technologies like machine learning and generative AI, their application in law firms and the ethical responsibilities attorneys under the ABA Model Rules and various state bar ethics opinions. Attorneys will learn how to assess confidentiality risks, ensure transparency in billing, combat AI bias and develop firm-wide AI policies that uphold professional conduct and client trust.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Identify key AI technologies used in legal practice and their core functions.

2. Understand the ethical rules and responsibilities triggered by AI use, including competence, confidentiality, and candor.

3. Evaluate the risks of AI bias, misinformation, and data security breaches.

4. Develop a compliant AI policy aligned with ABA Model Rules and state bar guidance.

5. Communicate transparently with clients about AI use and its implications for fees, privacy, and case strategy.

Desire'e Martinelli is an attorney and the Director of Marketing & Analytics of Esquire Interactive LLC. Jeff Lantz is an attorney, entrepreneur, and the CEO of Esquire Interactive LLC, an interactive digital marketing agency for attorneys and law firms.

Proper billing is critical to the success of your law firm. BUT…. law firm billing can be one of the most repetitive, dreaded & time-consuming parts of any lawyer’s day. And we all love chasing down clients to get paid.

In this program, Josh Andrews will present the best practices for attorney billing & timekeeping and handing issues with nonpaying clients. From essential guidelines for capturing billable hours to the top billing mistakes that attorneys make, Josh will provide you with the tools and strategies you need to run a tight ship. Josh will: examine the best practices for avoiding & resolving fee disputes, present strategies for dealing with nonpaying clients and highlight emerging billing and timekeeping tools for law firms. Additional subjects: understanding your firm codes, capturing your time, nonbillable time, knowing the billing cycles, planning for profit, Model Rules 1.5 & 8.4, putting it in the contract, protecting your rights & preserving your relationship and software is your friend.

Josh Andrews is the managing partner of Gatehouse Law where he focuses his practice on the legal needs of entrepreneurs, business law and complex transactions.

There are many reasons why shareholders fight and small businesses break up – differences in business vision & strategy, disagreements over financial decisions, conflicts of interest & personality clashes are some of the main ones. When shareholders fight, legal advisors must quickly assess available rights, remedies, and the trajectory of any potential resolution or litigation.

In this CLE, Brandon M. Schwartz will mainly explore fiduciary duties owed among shareholders in closely held corporations, detail the types of disputes that frequently arise and highlight the strategies available to resolve them effectively. The program highlights both substantive and procedural fiduciary obligations, including duties of loyalty, candor, and fair dealing. Attendees will also gain insights into majority vs. minority shareholder dynamics, shareholder oppression and deadlock scenarios. Finally, the session focuses on dispute resolution options — from mediation and arbitration to full-scale litigation and the use of Special Litigation Committees (SLCs). By the conclusion of the session, attorneys will be better equipped to advise clients on preventative measures, evaluate risks, and select dispute resolution strategies that protect shareholder rights and preserve business value.

Learning Objectives

- Identify fiduciary duties owed among majority and minority shareholders in closely held corporations.

- Differentiate between common types of shareholder disputes, including deadlock, oppression, and breach of shareholder agreements.

- Analyze risks and consequences of shareholder disputes, including operational, financial, and reputational impacts.

- Evaluate dispute resolution options, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation.

- Understand the role of Special Litigation Committees (SLCs) in resolving shareholder disputes and the standards courts apply to review their decisions.

- Develop strategies for advising clients proactively to minimize disputes and preserve business relationships.

Brandon M. Schwartz, Esq., is a Board-Certified Civil Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association, a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate and Family Trial Law Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has received recognition from peers and clients alike for his thorough, zealous and ethical representation.

Plaintiffs' lawyers now need to write more than ever. Unfortunately, courts are slammed with heavy caseloads and you are competing against other litigants for what little time the judge has to analyze the claims & merit of your case. How can you avoid the dreaded MTD??

Join professional brief writer Jonathan Hilton as he explains how to craft legal briefs that judges will want to read. He will present & explain his top ten tips: five practice points to help the judge spot your best arguments in less time and five practice points on how to make your clients more likable & your clients’ stories more compelling. The ten points: (1) Start with first principles, (2) Create an alternate storyline, (3) Show why you state a claim — don’t just defend, (4) Plant the emotional facts in the Complaint, (5) Dumb Cases Die, (6) Use notice pleading to build your story, (7) Distinguish Civ. R. 8 from Civ. R. 9(b), (8) Use the right theory to hook in the big pockets, (9) Handle SOLs carefully and (10) To amend… or not to amend? Jonathan will round out the hour by looking at resources that will help you become a better brief writer moving forward.

Jonathan Hilton became the youngest-ever Cincinnati Chess Champion at age 15, and he earned the National Master in chess title the following year. At Hilton Parker LLC, Mr. Hilton now advisies other attorneys on how to best navigate through their most difficult cases. As a consultant and brief writer, he designs novel legal theories in courts across the country.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is one of the most consequential, controversial and misunderstood decisions of the 21st century. And it’s also 175 pages long.

If you don’t feel like sifting through 175 pages of incredibly complex legal arguments, you’re in luck – First Amendment & campaign finance attorney Zach Greenberg is here for you. Zach will break down what’s in the decision, what it practically means, the concurrence, the dissent and the key rationales used by both sides. Specific topics covered: The 3 main elements of Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), First Amendment prohibition against the government discriminating based on the speaker, Money = Free Speech, how the First Amendment extends to corporations, what Citizens United is NOT about, Independent Expenditures, express advocacy vs. issuing ads, state vs. federal elections, election season vs. non-election season, Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, McConnell v. Federal Election Comm’n, the 3 pillars of the majority decision, the Anti-Distortion Rationale and the Corruption Rationale.

A native New Yorker, Zach graduated from Binghamton University in 2013 and Syracuse Law in 2016. Zach developed an appreciation for free speech while leading the College Libertarians and the Federalist Society.

A few years ago, the hot copyright case was the "Monkey Selfie" - a battle over a photo of a macaque monkey taking a selfie with a photographer's camera. Copyright protection was denied because of the human authorship requirement.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now the hottest topic of the day. Attorney Scott Sholder will dive into these novel & cutting edge copyright issues of authorship, ownership & protectability of AI generated content when generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used to generate content and works of art. Scott will mainly cover: Copyright Basics, Copyright Registration, Generative AI Basics and Generative AI: Authorship & Copyrightability. Additional topics: ownership of copyright, works made for hire, joint authorship, the blurred Lines Between AI & Human Creation, Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), AI Models & training data, potential input issues, the human authorship requirement, works generated solely in response to user prompts, Copyright Office AI Disclosure Requirements and how to best protect your clients. Cases discussed: Naruto v. Slater (2018), Thaler v. Perlmutter (2022), Zarya of the Dawn (2023) and Jason Allen v. Shira Perlmutter (2024).

Scott J. Sholder, is the Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation group and focuses his practice on litigation, counseling, and dispute resolution in connection with entertainment, media, art, and intellectual property matters.

The BTK killer operated for 25 years before being apprehended. His undoing was in 2005 when he sent a taunting floppy disk to a Wichita TV station. This allowed police to find metadata embedded in a deleted Microsoft Word document that was (unknown to Dennis Rader) still stored on the floppy disk & led police to uncover his identity at the church he worked at.

Twenty years later and the amount of electronic devices has exploded – and so has digital evidence – from Apple watches & cloud data to CPAPs & home security systems. But do you know where to look for it and how to analyze the digital evidence once you get it? Lars Daniel will explain why the field of digital forensics has become essential to attorneys because almost every civil & criminal case now hinges on data and digital evidence generated from electronic devices. Case examples presented: Distracted Driver Case (Cell Phone Forensics), Wearable Technology Forensics (Cyclist & Trucking Accident), Kidnapped!! (Apple Watch & iPhone evidence), Snapshot in time: User Actions, Video Forensics (Arson & Burglary), In-Vehicle Infotainment Forensics, Computer Forensics, Call Detail Records (CDRs): Arson, Lyft driver assault accusation and Audio Forensics (domestic violence & assault). Topics: structured data, semi-structured data, unstructured data, metadata, encrypted data, archival & backup data, system generated data, deleted data and the digital forensics method (Identification, Preservation & Acquisition, Examination & Analysis, Presentation & Reporting).

An expert, author and frequent speaker, Lars Daniel has attended over 300 hours of forensic training and has worked on over 500 cases involving murder, child pornography, terrorism, rape, kidnapping, intellectual property, fraud, wrongful death, employee wrongdoing & international e-discovery collections, among other case types.

Most clients want everything in a contract negotiation. Unfortunately, the other side probably wants everything too. The real question for practitioners is: which clauses are truly worth the fight? The answer, of course, is…. it depends.

In this CLE, Kristi Zentner and Heather Marx — a seasoned transactional attorney & an experienced commercial litigator — share insights drawn from daily practice on both sides of the negotiating table. They explore the most common flashpoints in contract drafting and negotiation, from indemnification and limitation of liability to representations, warranties, and confidentiality provisions. The dynamic duo also provide practical strategies for recognizing which provisions merit aggressive advocacy, show you how to tailor clauses to a client’s risk profile, and drafting the contact with enforceability in mind. Attendees will also gain tools for memorializing the negotiation: ensuring that contracts clearly reflect agreed terms, avoid ambiguities and reduce the risk of costly disputes down the road.

Learning Objectives

* Identify key contract clauses — such as indemnification, limitation of liability, and representations and warranties — that most often become points of contention and potential litigation.

* Evaluate negotiation dynamics, including leverage, market conditions, and counterparty risk, to determine which provisions are worth pressing and which can be compromised.

* Draft clear and enforceable risk-shifting provisions tailored to the transaction, including defining scope, triggers, exceptions, and remedies.

* Recognize common mistakes in contract drafting and negotiation that create ambiguity or weaken enforceability, and implement strategies to avoid them.

* Apply effective review techniques to ensure that contracts accurately memorialize negotiations, reflect agreed business terms, and align with preliminary documents such as term sheets or letters of intent.

* Integrate practical drafting tips—such as consistency of defined terms, clarity of structure, and avoidance of boilerplate legalese—into daily practice to improve contract quality and reduce litigation risk.

Kristi Zentner, Esq., is a transactional attorney who represents clients in general business, supply chain management, as well as tariff, customs, and trade matters. Heather Marx. Esq., applies her experience in the areas of complex business and commercial litigation to represent a variety of clients.

Nathan Osborn frequently works with clients to buy investment properties on the ski slopes of Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Aspen and more. These clients buy these properties as VRBOs (Vacation Rental By Owner) to generate revenue – but what they fail to realize is that one accident on their property could put their personal assets at risk. Nate Osborn often recommends a very practical solution that offers asset protection & tax benefits – the LLC. In this CLE he provides practical guidance on how to draft a real estate limited liability company (LLC) operating agreement. Nate will provide a plethora of practical guidance on: asking the right questions, determining whether an LLC is the appropriate entity for your client, selecting a member or manager managed LLC, maximizing personal asset protection through the LLC, drafting capital contribution provisions, drafting real estate profit distribution provisions, drafting dispute resolution provisions and tax implications & how to maximize tax benefits. Specific topics covered: vacation rentals & investors, understanding the client’s business, the advantages of LLCs in real estate, putting title to real estate into an LLC, potential LLC liability, piercing the corporate veil, structuring capital calls, provisions to share real estate profits, incorporating IRAs, holding strategies & double FICA taxes and utilizing 1031 like-kind exchanges.

Nathan G. Osborn, Esq., focuses on real estate litigation, real estate transactions and commercial litigation. Mr. Osborn effectively uses his significant trial experience to help transactional clients avoid situations that often end up in court.

You're a good speaker for an immigrant. Where are you from really? You're so good at coding – especially since you are a woman. Microaggressions are subtle words and actions that express prejudice and highlight difference in regard to a marginalized and often legally-protected group.

Through a combination of real-world scenarios, interactive discussion and practical strategies, attorney Nicole Sorokolit Croddick will provide tools to identify and address microaggressions & unconscious bias, improve cultural competency and foster a more respectful, inclusive workplace. Attorneys will learn the difference between microassaults, microinsults & microinvalidations, understand their psychological & professional consequences, and explore how these behaviors can affect workplace morale, productivity & create legal risks. By the end of this program, attendees will be better equipped to recognize their own biases, respond to microaggressions thoughtfully, and contribute to a culture of dignity, professionalism, and fairness within their organizations. By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define and differentiate between implicit bias, microaggressions and other forms of subtle discriminatory behavior.

• Identify common types of microaggressions — including microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations — and their legal and emotional impact in a professional setting.

• Understand the cumulative effects of microaggressions on mental health, employee engagement and organizational culture – particularly for individuals in marginalized or protected groups.

• Analyze real-world scenarios to evaluate whether a microaggression has occurred and determine the appropriate strategies for response or intervention.

• Apply proactive tools and communication frameworks to reduce bias, foster inclusion, and create a respectful, equitable environment within legal workplaces.

Nicole Sorokolit Croddick, Esq., is an attorney and experienced bilingual business training facilitator. As a consultant and compliance trainer on employment law issues, Nicole facilitates classes on sexual harassment and discrimination prevention; ethnic sensitivity; workplace ethics; lawful hiring; and employee disciplinary procedures and documentation mechanics.

This CLE program provides attorneys with critical guidance on navigating the increasingly intertwined worlds of legal ethics, malpractice risk & cybersecurity. As law firms become prime targets for cyber threats, ethical responsibilities under the ABA Model Rules demand heightened awareness and action.

Led by attorney Jeff Cunningham — who defends lawyers and firms in malpractice and ethics cases — this course explores the blurred lines between ethics violations and cyber negligence. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, the course offers attorneys actionable methods to build ethical “guardrails” that protect both client data and professional reputations. Topics include vendor due diligence, cyber infrastructure, legal tech trends, client counseling on cyber duties, and enhancing law firm security teams. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of key ethics rules, including Competence (Rule 1.1), Confidentiality (Rule 1.6), Communication (Rule 1.4), and Supervision Responsibilities (Rules 5.1–5.3), as applied in the digital age. Attorneys will walk away with a playbook for proactive compliance — ensuring they meet ethical obligations while mitigating malpractice and cyber liability in a high-risk environment.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and interpret key ethical rules—including ABA Model Rules 1.1, 1.4, 1.6, and 5.1–5.3—as they apply to cybersecurity responsibilities in legal practice.

• Distinguish between ethical violations and legal malpractice in the context of cyber risk, and recognize how blurred boundaries create new areas of liability.

• Develop practical strategies for cyber compliance, including building secure infrastructure, conducting vendor due diligence, and training legal staff and nonlawyer personnel.

• Evaluate their firm's current cyber readiness and implement “ethics guardrails” to proactively reduce exposure to cyber threats and ethics grievances.

• Advise clients effectively on their own cybersecurity obligations, enhancing client service and meeting ethical duties under communication and competence rules.

Jeff Cunningham, Esq., actively defends lawyers and acts as outside General Counsel to small and mid-sized law firms across the United States, while also serving as this firm’s General Counsel. Jeff defends industry professionals in a wide range of professional liability, ethics and professional disciplinary matters. With an emphasis on simple systems of risk management, Jeff brings a holistic approach of protecting our clients before problems occur.

“From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free, Jews for Palestine.” “Let’s take the f*king streets later.” “All Zionists must die tonight at midnight.”

Following the start of the Israel-Hamas War tensions burst wide open on college campuses all over the country following the aftermath of the October 7th attack. By the spring, a wave of pro-Palestinian tent encampments led to massive demonstrations, student takeovers and more than 3,200 people arrested. As tensions escalated, it became very difficult to delineate the line between protected free speech and unprotected harassment & true threats of violence. In this CLE, FIRE attorney Zach Greenberg will give his reasoning why it’s so important to protect the freedom of speech and the freedom of expression on college campuses and the line between protected speech and unprotected threats & harassment. Zach will specifically address: the Looking Glass theory, public vs. private universities, true threats, harassment, the More Speech approach, calls for genocide, encampments, content neutral + time + manner restrictions, disruption & the Heckler’s Veto and creating a culture of free speech.

A native New Yorker, Zach graduated from Binghamton University in 2013 and Syracuse Law in 2016. Zach developed an appreciation for free speech while leading the College Libertarians and the Federalist Society.

Only 28% of law firms – and only 27% of solo & small firm lawyers – have a formal exit strategy. 75% of firm owners regret selling within 1 year due to poor succession planning. And 70% of lawyers who retire without a plan say they wish they would have started preparing 5-10 years earlier.

Whether retirement is 15 years away or imminent, too many lawyers lack a formal succession plan — leading to undervalued sales, client disruption and professional regret. Attorney Alex Gertsburg will explore practical strategies to exit on favorable terms while protecting your clients, legacy and financial well-being. Alex will mainly cover: Building a Succession Plan, Why Exit Planning & Pre-Succession Planning Matters, Deal Logistics, Valuation & Financial Considerations, How to Create a Recurring Revenue Stream for Life and Ethical Requirements. Additional topics: pre-succession planning, the succession plan checklist, types of transitions, 5 reasons transitions fail, pre-sale best practices, how to value your practice, and value & leverage drivers. The program emphasizes the “Merge, Monetize, and Multiply” framework, which helps lawyers create sustainable post-retirement revenue streams, maintain client relationships and utilizing of-counsel agreements.

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate transition options — sale, internal transfer, wind-down, or merger — and determine which approach best fits their financial and personal goals

• Apply valuation methodologies (multiples of earnings, gross revenue, EBITDA) to assess the fair market value of a law practice

• Recognize common pitfalls in practice transitions and adopt proactive strategies to mitigate risk, client attrition, and deal breakdowns

• Navigate ethical rules (ABA Model Rule 1.17 and Rule 1.5(e)) governing the sale of a practice, confidentiality obligations, and fee-sharing

• Leverage professional advisors (intermediaries, M&A counsel, tax and estate planners) to ensure smooth transactions and maximize firm value

Mr. Gertsburg has been a practicing attorney for over twenty years. His early career was spent with two large regional business law firms, where he represented private and publicly- traded companies and non-profit organizations of all sizes, as well as their owners.

“The Lion, the Polygamist and the Biofuel Scam,” was a title of a recent Wired article. An L.A. Aremnian mafia kingpin and a polygamous Mormon engineer joined forces with a crooked Beverly Hills lawyer in a renewable fuel tax credit fraud scheme that bilked taxpayers out of $1 billion dollars in clean-energy tax subsidies.

Tax cheats like this rake in billions at the expense of honest taxpayers – over the last decade there has been a $1 Trillion tax gap in our country. Some of it was underpaid, some was due to non-filing and almost $800 Billion was lost due to under reporting or straight out fraud. In this CLE, Neal Roberts will walk you through submitting a whistleblower claim to the IRS. Main topics covered: the history & background of IRS Whistleblower Law, the legal framework of IRS whistleblower laws and the structure of IRS Form 211. Additional subjects: taxes collected, the voluntary compliance rate, how we get the tax gap, IRS whistleblower award amounts 26 U.S.C. § 7623(b), who must file the Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR), FBAR e-Filing Method, the Swiss Bank UBS Whistleblower Scandal, the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP), transfer pricing (market-based, cost-based & Transactional Net Margin Method), the $3.4 billion GlaxoSmithKline PLC “transfer pricing” tax dispute and filing multiple TCRs.

Neal Roberts, the Managing Partner of ProtectUS Law, is an attorney licensed in California and the District of Columbia with more than 45 years’ experience in various aspects of law.

From Mullets on the Go to the KFC Colonel’s Secret Recipe – and even MLB’s Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud for baseballs– you won’t find a more entertaining CLE. This course features intellectual property attorneys Eric Hanscom and David Branfman, who provide practical guidance for attorneys counseling clients on patent and trade secret protection. Drawing from decades of experience, the presenters explain the distinctions between utility and design patents, the benefits and limitations of provisional applications and the strategic application of trade secrets. Through numerous entertaining case studies and real client stories, this session offers insights into leveraging multiple IP tools effectively. The discussion includes legal requirements, enforcement risks, best practices and how to advise clients based on business goals and budget constraints.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the distinctions between utility, design, and provisional patents.
• Identify when trade secrets are preferable over patent protection.
• Recognize how trademarks, trade dress, and patents can work in tandem.
• Evaluate common IP pitfalls and missteps made by clients.
• Apply legal and strategic considerations to IP planning and protection.
• Develop trade secret protection plans and understand their legal foundations.
• Analyze real-world examples to understand the practical application of IP law.

Patent attorney Eric Hanscom is actively involved in overseeing IP litigation, contract negotiation and customs issues around the globe. David Branfman’s IP practice focuses on entertainment law, including trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, motion pictures & TV and music.

A new roof? A new elevator? If a landlord buys and hangs a giant oil painting of Donald Trump in the lobby can the landlord pass through the cost to tenants? These are just some of the important questions to ask & practical points to consider before signing an office lease.

And while the legal landscape of negotiating commercial office leases is constantly evolving, many of the same issues continue to arise for landlords & tenants. Grant & Todd will share their wisdom gleaned from years of experience in the commercial real estate market and they will mainly cover: the basic provisions of standard triple net office lease, Common Area Maintenance (CAMs) expenses & exclusions and often overlooked contractual & practical aspects of the lease. Additional subjects: SNDA Agreements (subordination, non-disturbance & attornment), BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) & measuring base rents, using CPI language, lease terms, tenants & flexibility, landlords & certainty, defining common areas, exclusions from Common Area costs, work letters & tenant improvements, Force Majeure clauses and issues arising out of assignment & subletting.

A partner at Duane Morris, Grant Puleo, Esq., focuses his practice on a wide variety of real estate, finance and business transactions. Todd Bulich, Esq., is the President of the Todd Bulich Real Estate Company, Inc., which exclusively represents top-tier law firms with respect to their commercial property.

I’m ok. I can work this out for myself. I’m not like a “real” alcoholic anyway. I want help but I don’t want anyone to know. Will I be reported for discipline if I seek assistance?

Does this sound familiar? There is a misconception among lawyers that only people who have “hit bottom” need or ask for help. The statistics say otherwise as recent surveys indicate that the overwhelming majority of attorneys feel that they have suffered negative mental health consequences as a result of their chosen profession. Led by Brian S. Quinn, Esq., this CLE will share strategies that work when you approach someone you feel may be in distress or impaired.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize that 1 in 3 legal professionals will struggle with substance use and/or a mental health disorder at some point in their legal careers.
• Spot the signs of impairment and learn the "Motivational Interventions" approach that yields results and saves lives.
• Differentiate between stress and distress and learn how social isolation negatively affects your well-being.
• Utilize the confidential, free, safe and supportive services that are available through the Lawyers Assistance Programs (LAPs) throughout the United States.
• Identify the barriers that exist that prevent lawyers and judges from asking for help with an alcohol or substance misuse or mental health disorder.
• Learn the parameters of Rule of Professional Conduct 8.3 (c) – and the safe harbor that it provides to protect attorneys working with an approved Lawyers Assistance Program or who contact a lawyers assistance program on behalf of an attorney or judge who is struggling.

Brian S. Quinn, Esquire is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania who currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc., a Lawyers Assistance Program established in 1988 for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges and law students recover from alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health disorders.

It’s been called the greatest wealth transfer in history: nearly $124 trillion in assets is set to change hands through 2048, according to estimates. Much of this wealth will transfer when businesses change ownership.

This CLE course provides attorneys with a comprehensive overview of the critical legal issues involved in business succession planning. Led by attorney Patrick A. Klingborg, the session focuses on planning strategies that address ownership transitions triggered by retirement, disability or death. The course explores both external and internal succession pathways, including the use of Buy-Sell Agreements and succession planning for solo practitioners. Participants will gain insights into ethical considerations, tax implications and practical documentation to minimize disruptions and preserve business value. Real-world examples and relevant statutes are highlighted throughout to ensure attorneys are prepared to advise clients with clarity and legal precision.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and evaluate common triggers and motivations behind business succession planning

• Distinguish between internal and external succession strategies and understand their legal implications

• Draft or assess Buy-Sell Agreements with attention to valuation, funding, and exit structures

• Advise clients on tax, ethical, and operational issues during ownership transitions

• Develop contingency plans for businesses lacking a formal succession strategy

Patrick Klingborg helps clients with starting a business, investing in a business, buying or selling a business (M&A) and a wide variety of major commercial transactions. He received his Bachelor of Arts from UC San Diego and his law degree from University of San Diego School of Law.

Ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft have fundamentally reshaped personal transportation – and has created novel legal challenges in accident litigation, liability allocation and insurance coverage. This program presented by attorney Zachary Pyers will provide attorneys with a comprehensive examination of the rapidly evolving legal issues surrounding ridesharing accidents.

Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of the prevalence of ridesharing, applicable state & federal regulations, and the complex relationships between drivers, companies, and passengers. The course explores negligence claims against drivers, direct and vicarious liability theories against companies, insurance gaps during different ridesharing “periods,” and evolving defenses. The program also addresses high-profile litigation, settlements, and regulatory actions, while highlighting key ethical considerations for attorneys handling ridesharing cases. By combining practical litigation strategies, case law analysis and ethical pitfalls, this CLE equips attorneys to effectively represent plaintiffs or defendants in ridesharing accident cases while maintaining compliance with professional responsibility standards.

Learning Objectives

- Identify the regulatory frameworks governing ridesharing companies, including state-level insurance, licensing and driver requirements.

- Analyze the employment status of drivers and evaluate its impact on liability allocation between drivers and ridesharing companies.

- Assess the applicability of legal theories such as negligence, respondeat superior, joint enterprise liability, and negligent hiring/retention.

- Evaluate insurance coverage during the three distinct ridesharing periods and recognize common coverage gaps for drivers, passengers, and third parties.

- Examine case law involving ridesharing accident claims, arbitration agreements, and regulatory settlements (e.g., Doe v. Uber, Good v. Uber, Meyer v. Uber, Gunter Willim v. Uber).

- Apply ethical rules to ridesharing cases, including duties of competence in technology, confidentiality obligations, conflict of interest assessments, and restrictions on financial assistance.

- Advise clients on emerging ridesharing issues such as data privacy, safety features, and potential common carrier status.

Zachary B. Pyers focuses his practice on civil litigation – including complex and class action litigation, corporate and commercial litigation, professional liability, and catastrophic loss.

The ethical rules regarding conflicts of interest may appear deceptively simple. However, there are numerous situations that may arise where they can be very complicated or deceptive. Or there could be an exception to the conflicts rule or a way to work around it with a well-crafted consent.

In this CLE, ethics expert & Professor of Legal Ethics Cari Sheehan will provide practical guidance on specific ethical situations that arise in your daily practice. Cari will mainly discuss the ethical framework, practical steps to avoid conflicts of interest and specific scenarios where conflicts occur. The steps to conflicts of interest resolution discussed: (1) identifying if it’s a current, former or prospective client, (2) analyzing whether a conflict exists, (3) determining if the conflict is consentable, (4) obtaining informed consent, and (5) remedies if the conflict is not resolved. Specific issues presented: joint representation, the informed disclosure that is required, simultaneous representation in unrelated matters, the material limitation standard, prior work conflicts, informed consent, injunctive relief, disqualification, fee forfeiture, former clients, imputed conflicts, utilizing a firm-wide database and creating ethical walls/screens. Model Rules implicated: 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10 1.11 & 1.13.

With over 15 years of legal experience in civil litigation, conflicts of interest, and professional responsibility, Cari Sheehan serves as the Taft Law’s Assistant General Counsel. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Business Law and Ethics with the IU Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis where she teaches courses in Business Law and Ethics.