Message from the Chair: Kelsey Funes (Volume III)

Spring has sprung—at least in Louisiana. The azaleas are blooming, the trees are bursting with bright green leaves, and the crawfish boils have begun. For me, it brings the anticipation of new beginnings and the excitement of fresh starts. I hope all of you will come down South in April to join in on all the best Spring has to offer in New Orleans, including the French Quarter Festival. The Forum’s Annual Meeting will take place in New Orleans on April 11-13, 2024 and it will be one that is a must-attend for the members of Division 1. The theme for the meeting is “The Art & Science of Construction Litigation” and it is co-chaired by two Division 1 members, Brenda Radmacher and Joseph Imperiale. Not only is the meeting packed with informative sessions for anyone whose work involves construction litigation, but you should not miss our Practicum, “The Art of Persuasion: Using Science to Become a More Convincing Advocate.” During the practicum, our speakers will share what neuroscience can teach us about the events and experiences that influence people’s decision-making and how to present your case most persuasively.

A similar Spring is also coming in the Forum. The upcoming Annual Meeting marks the changing of the guard for the Forum Chair. John Cook will mark the end of his term and Keith Bergeron will be sworn in and take the reins. Starting in the Fall, Keith’s meetings will focus on the trilogy that exists in construction projects:  the designer, the contractor and the owner. The Fall meeting also marks the beginning of Division 1’s three-part Practicum series on discovery in construction cases. The Fall meeting will take place on October 23-25, 2024 in Pittsburgh and focus on the designer’s role in construction projects. Division 1 will start the Practicum discovery series with a deep dive into document discovery and best practices on managing the voluminous documents involved in most construction cases.

Later this month, I will host the first of what I hope will be a regular schedule of “Get to Know D1” calls. The purpose of these calls is to give those who are new to Division 1, or those who want to get more acquainted with D1, a tutorial on all the activities happening within D1 and more information to help them build relationships and get involved. 

The first “Get to Know D1” call will be on Thursday, March 28 at 1:00 om EST via Zoom. The access credentials for this call are below:

https://phelps.zoom.us/j/3094394839?pwd=dXlfqOQvZgsrmbEwdijtUwwuQ1ECdh.1&omn=83350878778

Meeting ID: 309 439 4839

Password: Forum

Finally, in addition to our programming at the national meetings, be sure to check out the fantastic material regularly posted to the Dispute Resolver Blog and our upcoming Toolbox Talks:

• April 4 – Noon EST - Rule 26(f) Conferences: E-Discovery Protocols (preparation before meeting with opposing counsel to frame discovery, and rounding up information about your data); Speakers: Steve Swart, Corporate Counsel, Rand Construction Corporation; Julian Ackert Managing Director, iDiscovery Solutions https://americanbar.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpdeygrjIvHNISS-lFi-5KgPjPvPUCU6Ny

• April 25 – Noon EST - Preserving Evidence after Façade Failure; Speaker: David Schnerch, Principal, Building Science Specialist, RDH Building Science Inc. https://americanbar.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctce6uqT8iHdNkSojIItzo3Fa7dmdmdKpp

• May 23 – Noon EST - Maximizing Profits While Experiencing Changes; Speakers: John Wolf, Peritia Partners, and Jose Pienknagura, Gallagher https://americanbar.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqdeitrjspHNIft01zNQ21L2Aw96dm56jr

Hope to see you in New Orleans!

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Editor-in-Chief Marissa L. Downs is a construction attorney in Chicago, Illinois where she has been practicing law since 2009. Marissa is a partner at Laurie & Brennan, LLP and represents owners, general contractors, and subcontractors in all phases of project procurement, claim administration, litigation, and arbitration/trial. Marissa can be contacted at mdowns@lauriebrennan.com.