Conference Agenda
Day 1, Wednesday, April 01, 2020
7:45 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast and Registration
Breakfast Sponsored by Priority-One/Veritext
8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Welcome By Co-Chairs
John C. Garde, McCarter & English, Newark, NJ
David Katzenstein, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, Newark, NJ
Christopher M. Placitella, Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., Red Bank, NJ
Joel R. Clark, McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia, P.C., Florham Park, NJ
8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Ethics in Mass Tort Litigation
John C. Garde, McCarter & English, Newark, NJ
Lynne M. Kizis, Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A., Woodbridge, NJ
9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
State of the Docket
Agatha N. Dzikiewicz, Esq., Special Master, New Jersey Superior Court, Middlesex County, New Brunswick, NJ
Joel R. Clark, McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia, P.C., Florham Park, NJ
Christopher M. Placitella, Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., Red Bank, NJ
10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Refreshment Break
10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Mock Trial of a Mass Tort Cross Claims Case: Brief Statement of the Case
• Intro to Jury - Comments by the Jury Consultants and Counsel
• Statement of the Case by the Judge
Presiding Judge:
Hon. Jose L. Linares (Ret.), Former United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey, McCarter & English, LLP, Newark, NJ
Robert F. Bettler, Jr., Ph.D., DecisionQuest, Atlanta
John C. Garde, McCarter & English, Newark, NJ
Christopher M. Placitella, Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., Red Bank, NJ
11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Mock Trial - Opening Statements from the Plaintiff and the Defense
• Case Themes
• Telling the Story
Patricia Henrich, Reilly, McDevitt & Henrich, P.C., Cherry Hill, NJ
Dennis M. Geier, Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., Philadelphia
Donald R. Gosnay, Hill Wallack LLP, Cherry Hill, NJ
12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Lunch
12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Mock Trial – Direct of Plaintiff/Cross Examination
• Case Themes
• Preempting the Opposition
• Telling the Story
Witness: Stephen DeNaro, McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia, P.C., Florham Park, NJ
Richard D. Picini, Caruso Smith Picini, Fairfield, NJ
Dennis M. Geier, Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., Philadelphia
Donald R. Gosnay, Hill Wallack LLP, Cherry Hill, NJ
1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Mock Trial - Direct of Defendant/Cross Examination
• Building the Plaintiffs’ Case/Defending the Defendant’s Case
Witness: Ronald S. Suss, Caruso Smith Picini, Fairfield, NJ
Dennis M. Geier, Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., Philadelphia
Donald R. Gosnay, Hill Wallack LLP, Cherry Hill, NJ
Kevin Hoffman, McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia, P.C., Florham Park, NJ
2:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Refreshment Break
2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Mock Trial – Presenting the Cross Claims
• Focusing on the Cross Claims
• Guiding the Jury to Decision
Kevin Hoffman, McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia, P.C., Florham Park, NJ
Thomas McNulty, McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia, P.C., Florham Park, NJ
Richard D. Picini, Caruso Smith Picini, Fairfield, NJ
Alexandra Caruso, Caruso Smith Picini, Fairfield, NJ
Charles McGivney, McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia, P.C., Florham Park, NJ
3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Mock Trial – Closing/Jury Instructions
Presiding Judge:
Hon. Jose L. Linares (Ret.), Former United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey, McCarter & English, LLP, Newark, NJ
Patricia Henrich, Reilly, McDevitt & Henrich, P.C., Cherry Hill, NJ
Dennis M. Geier, Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C., Philadelphia
Donald R. Gosnay, Hill Wallack LLP, Cherry Hill, NJ
Robert F. Bettler, Jr., Ph.D. , DecisionQuest, Atlanta
4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Mock Trial - Jury Deliberation, Live Video Feed of Discussion
Robert F. Bettler, Jr., Ph.D. , DecisionQuest, Atlanta
4:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Military Presentation
Thomas M. Toman, Jr., Forman Watkins & Krutz LLP, Red Bank, NJ