Chinese Drywall Litigation Conference

7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

Continental Breakfast and Registration

8:15 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Welcome By Co-Chairs

Daniel K. Bryson, Lewis & Roberts, PLLC, Raleigh, NC
Neal A. Sivyer, Sivyer Barlow & Watson, P.A., Tampa, FL
Frederick S. Longer, Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman, Philadelphia

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Status of Insurance Coverage Cases - Pollution Exclusion and Manifestation of Damages

• Making Sense of the Various Coverage Opinions
  
• The Latest on the Pollution Exclusion, Corrosion Exclusion, 'Your Work' Exclusion and Faulty Materials Exclusion
  
• If there is Coverage, What is the Manifestation Date?
  
• Potential Settlements with CGL Carriers
  R. Hugh Lumpkin, Ver Ploeg & Lumpkin, P.A., Miami
  Lee H. Ogburn, Kramon & Graham, P.A., Baltimore
  H. Minor Pipes III, Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, LLC, New Orleans
  Bruce W. Steckler, Baron Budd, P.C., Dallas
  Matthew C. Kotzen, Kotzen, Garcia Paez, P.C., Miami Lakes, FL
  Steve Rawls, Butler Pappas, Tampa, FL

10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Managing Chinese Drywall Litigation: An In-House Perspective

• Scope of Litigation, Including:
  _- MDL, multiple putative class actions, numerous individual actions pending in federal and state courts
  
• Complexity of the underlying actions and parallel coverage considerations_
  
• Strategic Considerations, Including:
  _- Removal: advantages and disadvantages of state versus federal court, diversity, CAFA (Class Action Fairness Act)
  
• Litigating in the MDL
  
• Coordinating Carriers: working effectively as a team despite large number of stakeholders
  
• Policy Language: similar but not uniform across industry, obtaining optimal resolution based on widely used policy language_
  
• Useful Tips for Other Litigation
  Gerald "Kip" P. Dwyer Jr., Robinson & Cole LLP, Hartford, CT
  Jason Kuselias, Assistant Vice President & Counsel, The Hartford Law Department, Hartford, CT
  John B. Mumford Jr., Hancock, Daniel, Johnson & Nagle P.C., Glen Allen, VA

10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Refreshment Beak

10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

The Case Against Taishan/Taihe

• What is the Defect?
  
• Service-Related Issues
  
• Is There Jurisdiction?
  
• What Did They Know and When Did They Know It?
  Leonard A. Davis, Herman, Herman, Katz & Cotlar LLP, New Orleans
  Christopher A. Seeger, Seeger Weiss LLP, New York
  Scott Alan George, Seeger Weiss, New York
  Kenneth F. Hardt, Sinnott Nuckols & Logan P.C., Midlothian, VA

12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Lunch

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Knauf-Pilot Program for Repairs

• Has it Been a Success or Failure?
  
• What Has Been Learned in the Knauf Depositions?
  
• Possibility of a Cash Deal?
  
• Thoughts on Dealing with Foreclosure Issues
  Ervin A. Gonzalez, Colson Hicks Eidson, Coral Gables, FL
  Gregory J. Wallance, Kaye Scholer LLP, New York

2:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Refreshment Break

2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Florida and Other States’ Comparative Fault as it Applies to Supplier, Manufacturer, and Installer Liability

• Important Legal Considerations
  Robert V. Fitzsimmons, Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, Miami
  Robert Brown, Baron & Budd, Dallas

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

Dealing with Condominiums and Other Multi-Family Projects

• Critical Things to Consider in Handling These Cases
  
• Is the Chinese Drywall a Limited or Common Element?
  
• Who Has Standing to Bring the Claim?
  
• Remediation Considerations with High Rise Structures
  
• Lost Rent Considerations
  
• Special Contractual Considerations
  Gary E. Mason, Mason LLP, Washington, D.C.
  Aaron J. Pruss, Becker & Poliakoff, P.A., Fort Myers, FL

5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Networking Cocktail Reception

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

Continental Breakfast

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

INEX and Banner Proposed Class Action Settlements-Objections and Opt-Out Issues

• What You Need to Know
  
• Objections and Opt-Out Issues
  
• The Impact on State Court Litigation
  Mark A. Salky, Greenberg Traurig, Miami
  Valerie B. Greenberg, Akerman Senterfitt, Miami
  Robert V. Fitzsimmons, Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, Miami
  Jeffrey M. Paskert, Mills Paskert Divers P.A., Tampa, FL
  Patrick S. Montoya, Colson Hicks Eidson, Coral Gables, FL

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

Ethical Considerations for Chinese Drywall Litigators

• Propriety of Carrier Providing a Defense if Coverage Has Been Denied, or Indemnity Obligation Has Been Denied
  
• Propriety of Carrier Retained Defense Counsel Discussing Coverage Issues During Settlement Negotiations
  
• Propriety of Defense Counsel Contacting Homeowners Represented by Counsel, i.e. Builders Contacting Owners Regarding Potential Remediation, etc.
  Jordan Chaikin, Parker Waichman Alonso, LLP, Bonita Springs, FL
  Neal A. Sivyer, Sivyer Barlow & Watson, P.A., Tampa, FL

10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Refreshment Break

10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Personal Injury and Chinese Drywall Exposure

• An Overview of the Potential Health Problems Related to H2S Exposure
  
• Analysis of Current Peer-Reviewed Literature
  Ben Gordon, Levin Papantonio Thomas Mitchell Rafferty & Proctor, P.A., Pensacola, FL

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

The Future of Chinese Drywall Litigation: An Interactive Discussion on Where the Litigation is Going

• Latest from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
  Moderator: Daniel K. Bryson, Lewis & Roberts, PLLC, Raleigh, NC
  Panel: Frederick S. Longer, Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman, Philadelphia
  David J. Maldoff, Butler Pappas, Tampa, FL