Midwest Asbestos Litigation Conference

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast & Registration

Breakfast Sponsored by Pohlman USA Court Reporting

8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Welcome By The Co-Chairs

John A. Barnerd, Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd LLC, Alton, IL
Brenda G. Baum, HeplerBroom LLC, Edwardsville, IL

8:45 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

The Madison County Standing Order

Jeffrey S. Hebrank, HeplerBroom LLC, Edwardsville, IL
Barry Julian, Gori Julian & Associates, P.C., Edwardsville, IL
Judge Barbara Crowder, Illinois 3rd Judicial Circuit Court, Madison County, Edwardsville, IL

9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Low Dose Exposures

• The Low Dose Epidemiologic Studies
  
• Causation: Substantial Factor
  
• Replication
  
• Spontaneous Mesothelioma
  
• Reliability Issue: Size of Study, Bias and More
  
• Application of the Law Relating to Expert Witnesses
  
• A Comment on Peritoneal Mesothelioma
  Bill Kohlburn, Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd LLC, Alton, IL
  Mark G. Zellmer, Husch Blackwell LLP, St. Louis

10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Refreshment Beak

10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Redefining the Landscape: A Road Map to Wisconsin's New Tort Reform Law

• Overview of Key Provisions of the New Law
  
• New 15-Year Statute of Repose
  
• Risk Contribution Theory Curtailed
  
• Heightened Expert Witness Standards Adopted
  
• Punitive Damages Caps
  
• Sanctions for Frivolous Claims
  Nora E. Gierke, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C., Milwaukee, WI
  Kyla Gail Cole, Waters & Kraus LLP, Dallas

11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

MDL 875 - Update on Current Developments & Status

• Midwestern Dockets (Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin)
  
• Discovery Issues
  
• Daubert Challenges
  Nate Mudd, Maune, Raichle, Hartley, French & Mudd, Edwardsville, IL
  Michael W. Drumke, HeplerBroom LLC, Chicago, IL

12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Lunch

1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

St. Clair County - An Emerging Jurisdiction?

• Cases Filed in the Last Year
  
• Plaintiffs' Firms Filing Cases
  
• Disease Mix
  
• How Are Cases Being Handled Procedurally?
  Randy L. Gori, Gori Julian & Associates, P.C., Edwardsville, IL
  William D. Shultz Jr., Kurowski, Bailey & Shultz, Swansea, IL
  Judge Andrew J. Gleeson, Illinois Circuit Court, St. Clair County, Belleville, IL
  

2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.

Refreshment Break

2:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

The Illinois Rules of Evidence - Perspectives from Plaintiff and Defense Counsel

Ted N. Gianaris, Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd LLC, Alton, IL
Edward Casmere, Schiff Hardin LLP, Chicago

3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Recent Developments in Ohio Law

• Bifurcation of Punitive Damages Claims
  
• Discoverability and Admissibility of Bankruptcy Trust Information
  
• Intentional Tort Law
  
• Expert Evidentiary Issues
  John Mismas, The Mismas Law Firm LLC, Willoughby, OH
  Nina I. Webb-Lawton, Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease LLP, Columbus, OH

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Review of Minnesota Law

• Active Jurisdictions
  
• New Developments
  
• Important Decisions
  Michael R. Strom, Sieben Polk Law Firm, Hastings, MN
  David E. Scouton, Foley & Mansfield, PLLP, Minneapolis

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Ethics, Medicare, and Using a 468B QSF to Facilitate an Asbestos Settlement

• Medicare Compliance - Satisfaction of Medicare Reimbursement Obligations
  
• Creation of the 468B QSF
  
• Easier Lien Resolution
  B.J. Etscheid, Brook Hollow Financial, Chicago
  Dan Docherty, Senior Vice President of Commercial, Garretson Resolution Group, Cincinnati

5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Networking Cocktail Reception

Networking Cocktail Reception Sponsored by Brook Hollow