New York . . . New York . . . Here We Come! The ABA Forum on Construction Law's Annual Meeting is scheduled for May 4-7 in New York City. This meeting will be special for a lot of reasons including:
- The first program focused on the practice of law as in-house counsel. While other aspects will be covered during the program, this is a great opportunity for outside counsel to learn more about their clients and to build new relationships with new in-house counsel who will be in attendance.
- This is the first time back to New York since the Forum used to team up with TIPS for its midwinter meetings. There are a lot of events and receptions planned for the Annual Meeting because it is so exciting to be back in the big apple.
- Very important awards and recognitions will be given out at this meeting. It is also when there is a transfer of Forum leadership. Rob Ruesch from our Steering Committee is nominated for the Governing Committee -- come and support Rob!
- Arlan Lewis, our Forum Chair, is having a gala to celebrate the Forum's 45 year history. This is going to be black-tie and more extended and involved than the typical welcome reception. I don't know if this is a Forum first, but it is new to me so it will be unique to be there.
- Building for Good, a non-profit formed by Forum leaders, is holding its Racing For Good in Central Park on Friday afternoon. Walk, run, and compete for a good cause.
Other excellent reasons to attend for Division 1 include our social event and practicum. Both are on Wednesday, May 4, 2022.
Like the program at large, the practicum is a mini-boot camp for "new" in-house attorneys. But, all are welcome to attend provided there is capacity in the room. This is a unique opportunity for outside counsel to look behind the "in-house" curtain about how they are trained, what issues they face, and how they aspire to select and work with outside legal counsel. Register for the practicum here.
Division 1 and Division 13 are doing our social event together on at 7-9PM on May 4th. It is hosted by George Fink of BRG -- thanks George & BRG! -- and will overlook Times Square (just 3 blocks from our Sheraton Hotel). We will have appetizers, drinks, and good networking just early enough so you can explore around town before the first plenary session on May 5th. Register Here.
On Thursday, April 28, 2022, Division 1 hosted a Toolbox Talk Series about neuroscience and mediation featuring Nancy Greenwald and moderated by David Ponte.
Nancy did a great job walking us through the power of priming in negotiations and mediations. She approached the presentation from a scientific viewpoint and provided dozens of resources for further research on the topic. View the robust materials on Division 1's ABA Communities page. Thanks Nancy and Dan for a great TTS program! If you missed this TTS, we will post the video of it once it is available.
Marissa Downs and I discussed the Division 1 Neutrals Directory. We are going to update the directory to contain more of the information we have gathered from our neutrals, send out an inquiry for updates and additions to the directory, and continue the feature series. Great job Marissa for seeing this initiative through. These posts and the Neutral Page is one of the most visited parts of The Dispute Resolver!
We had our Division 1 monthly meeting on April 11th. We are in a good position for most of the programs/events in 2022 and are actively working to close out the balance. If you missed the meeting, visit (and join if not a member) Division 1's ABA Communities page here where you can see the minutes posted in the Discussion Forum.
In you don't get enough of New York at the Annual Meeting (or you cannot attend for some reason), consider going to the American Bar Association's 2022 Construction Conference also in New York on June 9, 2022. I have been to this before and it is great for all to attend -- in-house counsel, outside counsel, arbitrators, mediators, etc.
The AAA is a good friend to Division 1, including Jen Millender (who serves on our TTS committee) so please consider attending. Register here.
On a personal note, I had a great vacation last month in Europe visiting good friends and tour southern Germany and the Austrian Alps. Of course, I was sporting the Forum gear (Building For Good Shirt) as you can see below having lunch (and a good German beer) at a ski resort midway point.
See you in New York and, as always, if you want to learn more about Division 1 or the Forum, please contact me. Also, if you want some D1 swag (lanyard, waterproof phone case, or umbrella), seek me out and I may have some to give you if you join D1!
rtdunn@pierceatwood.com
401-490-3418
