the brochure - Association of Defense Trial Attorneys

74th
Annual M eeting
April 22 - 26, 2015
Registration Brochure
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
PONTE VEDRA BEACH 2015 - AN INVITATION
Dear ADTA Members, Spouses, and Guests:
Remember what it felt like when, as a youngster, you looked forward to a special holiday? Time slowed.
Anticipation grew. Excitement built.
That’s exactly how Susan and I feel about the upcoming reunion of the ADTA nation in Ponte Vedra, Florida
at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club April 22-26, 2015! Our Annual Meeting Committee Chair, Jamie Hood, his Vice
Chair, Tim Agajanian, and all the members of that important committee have worked hard to make this experience
everything you’ve dreamed about and more!
Our Annual Meeting hosts, Ed and Ceci Birk, can’t wait to share all that the Inn & Club along with the cities
of Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, and Jacksonville have to offer to entertain you and your family. In addition, we
have previewed the venue for our world famous Hospitality Suite and can attest that it, too, will be truly special!
Special events, in addition to all that the beach offers, will include golf and tennis tournaments, fishing,
kayaking, enjoying a world-class spa, touring, feasting, and a black tie dinner dance.
President-Elect Matt Bailey has assembled an exciting and “masterful” lineup of speakers for our CLE
presentations which will highlight sessions led by experts on picking juries, the art of conversation, professionalism,
reptile tactics, and spoliation. We will also hear about what playing golf with your adversary will tell you about
her and be entertained with first-hand experiences about a war crimes trial.
We know you and your family will have a great and memorable time and we cannot wait to share it with you!
We genuinely hope to see you there!
Dan and Susan Balmert
ADTA President and First Lady
and
Ed and Ceci Birk
ADTA 2015 Annual Meeting Hosts
SATURDAY SPEAKER
Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney, USAF (Ret.), continues to dedicate his life to
serving our Nation. From earning his commission as a second lieutenant in 1959 until
his retirement from the Air Force, and continuing today, he works to ensure the United
States has the best and most prepared armed forces on earth.
He will join us as our keynote speaker on Saturday, April 25, 2015. A highly decorated
Air Force officer, he was not only witness to history, he helped shape history during the
Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War. Even today, he is active in our
Nation’s defense as we enter this New World Order of terror states and public beheadings.
What awaits our future in these troubling times of terrorism and fundamentalism? Get to
Ponte Vedra Beach for the ADTA 2015 Annual Meeting and find out.
ADTA
2015
MEETING AND EVENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, April 22 , 2015
Executive Council Meeting
Registration
Hospitality
New Member Reception
(Invitation only please)
President’s Welcome Reception
Entertainment
9:15 am - 3:00 pm
12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Noon - Midnight
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Tarpon I & II
Conference Center Lobby
Florida Room
Ocean Courtyard
Surf Club Patio
Thursday, April 23, 2015
7:00 am - 8:15 am
Member Breakfast
7:30 am - 8:00 am
Committee Chair Meeting
8:00 am - 12:15 pm
CLE Sessions
8:00 am - 8:30 am
Opening Remarks; Introduction of Past Presidents; New
Members/First Time Members and Sister Organizations
F. Daniel Balmert, ADTA President
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, Akron, OH
8:30 am - 9:30 am
Picking Juries and the Art of Conversation
Douglas M. McIntosh
McIntosh, Sawran & Cartaya, P.A., Ft. Lauderdale, FL
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Professionalism (Ethics)
Brian L. Coody, Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio,
Clements & Shaddock, LLP, Lake Charles, LA
10:30 am - 10:45 am
Coffee and Refreshments
10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Reptile Tactics:
A Defense Counsel’s Guide to the Reptile Strategy
Jill Bechtold, Marks Gray, LLP, Jacksonville, FL
Matthew G. Moffett
Gray, Rust, St. Amand, Moffett & Brieske, LLP, Atlanta, GA
7:30 am - 9:30 am
Welcome “Voucher” Breakfast
for Spouses/Guests
Noon - Midnight
Hospitality
Conference Center Lobby
Ballroom I
Mural Room
Florida Room
Optional Activities:
12:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Inshore Fishing (Transportation Provided)
12:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Tennis Tournament
Tim M. Agajanian, Tennis Chair
Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley, Los Angeles, CA
Beach Time
6:30 pm - 11:00 pm Cocktails/Dinner/Dance
Entertainment
(Transportation Provided)
Resort Tennis Courts
Tournament Players Club
Friday, April 24, 2015
7:00 am - 8:30 am 7:30 am - 8:00 am
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
8:00 am - 8:20 am
Member Breakfast
State and Province Chair Meeting
CLE Sessions
Opening Remarks
ADTA
Conference Center Lobby
Ballroom I
2015
MEETING AND EVENT SCHEDULE
8:20 am - 9:20 am
Spoliation Law Update: Legal Aspects
of the Destruction or Alteration of Evidence
Adam I. Cohen, Ernst & Young, LLP,
Forensic Technologies & Discovery Services
New York, NY
9:20 am - 10:50 am
War Stories from a War Crimes Trial: The Trial and Appeal
of Croatian General Markac at the United Nations
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
Tomislav Kuzmanovic
Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP, Milwaukee, WI
10:50 am - 11:05 am
Coffee and Refreshments
11:05 am - 12:05 am
Playing Eighteen Holes of Golf Will Teach You More
About Your Adversary Than Dealing With Him In and Out
of a Courtroom for 18 Years (Ethics)
Jeffrey F. Kinsel, Jr.
Cantey & Hanger, LLP., Fort Worth, TX
8:30 am - 10:00 am
Spouse/Guest Breakfast
Program: Fashion Show
Noon - 2:00 pm
Past President’s Meeting Noon - Midnight
Hospitality Optional Activities:
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Golf Tournament
Dick Collins, Golf Chair
Collins & Truett, LLC, Tallahassee, FL
12:30 pm - 5:30 pm
St. Augustine Experience
(Transportation Provided)
Beach Time
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Diversity Cocktail Reception
7:30 pm -
Dine Around
Seahorse Grille
Board Room
Florida Room
Ocean Course
Florida Room
Saturday, April 25, 2015
8:00 am - 9:30 am
Breakfast Members, Spouses
and Guests
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Lt. General Thomas McInerney, USAF (RET)
(everyone welcome)
10:30 am - Noon
Business Meeting
Election of New Executive Council Members and
Officers; Comments by Outgoing and Incoming
Presidents; Report by Gino Marchetti on Nashville, 2017;
We Prefer To Refer Award; Closing Remarks
Noon - midnight
Hospitality Room
Optional Activities:
12:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Kayaking and/or Hiking
Guana Tolomato Matanzas
National Estuarine Research Reserve
(Transportation Provided)
Beach Time
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Cocktail Reception 7:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Black Tie Dinner/Dance Entertainment
Ballrooms I & II
Florida Room
Conference Center Lobby
Ballrooms I & II
Sunday, April 26, 2015
6:00 am - 7:30 am
7:30 am - 10:00 am
Coffee and Pastries for Early Departures
Farewell Breakfast
ADTA
Conference Center Lobby
Golf Club Dining Room
2015
aDTA 2015 optional events
Inshore Fishing Mayport Marina
Thursday, April 23, 2015 • 12:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Venture into the bays, backwater creeks,
and tidal rivers to find some of Northeast
Florida’s finest fish. Black Bass, Snapper,
Trout, Flounder, and other excellent fish will
keep fishermen to a test to see who can catch
the Big One! Look at these 12 and 15 lb.
fish that ADTA members Melissa and Matt
Bailey, our advanced team, caught during
their November fishing excursion ! You can do the same!
Price includes: transportation, charter fee, boxed lunches and coolers
of drinks.
Tennis Tournament
Thursday, April 23, 2015 • 12:30 pm - 5:00 pm
The Ponte Vedra’s Racquet
Club holds the honored status
as the “Official Tennis Club
of the ATP World Tour.” The
16 Har-True clay courts at the
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club are rated as “one of the best adult tennis camps
in the nation” by Tennis Magazine. Experience play on courts that many
aspire to hear the word “Game!”
Price includes: Court fees, water and prizes.
Golf Tournament
Friday, April 24, 2015 • 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The Ocean Course at Ponte Vedra Club
was designed in 1928 by British architect
Herbert Bertram Strong and represents the
area’s first resort golf experience. It is a par72, 6,811-yard Ocean Course. The course was
selected in 1939 to host the prestigious Ryder
Cup Match, an event that was unfortunately
cancelled due to the onset of World War II. Since then the course has proudly
served five times as the site for the U. S. Open qualifying round. Don’t let
your opportunity to play this beautiful course pass by!
Price includes: Cart and green fees, boxed lunch, beverage and prizes.
St. Augustine Experience
Nation’s Oldest City Tour
Friday, April 24, 2015 • 12:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Enjoy an afternoon in the Nation’s Oldest
City! The various architectural styles, narrow
brick streets, and European flavors combine for a
unique escape.
A professional
tour escort
will guide you
through many major historical attractions
or you are welcome to shop and explore
the historic district on your own including the pedestrian mall of St.
George Street. Price includes: transportation, boxed lunches, coolers of
drinks and tour guides.
ADTA
Kayaking and Hiking
Guana Tolomato Matanzas National
Estuarine Research Reserve
Saturday, April 25, 2015
You can sign up for both tours!
12:30 pm - 5:00 pm • Each activity is 1 1/2 hour
The coastal estuary offers incredible views of lush vegetation, nesting
bald eagles, and possible encounters with the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin
and the West Indian manatee. Most of all, this area provides a glimpse into
what real Florida has to offer; shear beauty nestled between civilization
to the north and south.
Kayaking - What a way
to spend the afternoon!
The Coastal Master
Naturalist and Kayaking
Guide will include safety
and paddling discussion,
education, as well as all
necessary equipment for
the kayaking ecotours.
There are a limited number
of kayaking reservations
available. You won’t forget this activity for a long time, if ever!
Hiking - Florida is more than beaches and sunshine. Walk with a Coastal
Master Naturalist and Guide through a beautiful coastal maritime forest.
A Scavenger Hunt involving flora and fauna to include animal footprint
identification will be included.
Stretch those legs and enjoy the
beauty of Florida and a view that
many never see. Children are
welcome.
Price includes: transportation,
boxed lunches and coolers of
drinks.
NOTE: Kayaking spots are limited.
All ecotours will be lead by the professional staff. All individuals will
be designated as part of a group in walking and/or kayaking ecotours with
each individual responsible for signing a waiver explaining the risks and
hazards. Each ecotour will include instruction. equipment overview and
safety. All individuals and groups will be expected to follow the proper
safety and instruction.
Attire: Dress according to the weather. Temperature could be anywhere
from 60 - 80 degrees at this time of the year. Closed toe shoes are
recommended for both activities, layered clothing, sunscreen, possibly
a hat and sunglasses.
Weather will dictate the capacity of all the ecotours and with full
authority to cancel ecotours as a result of inclement weather. A partial
refund may be possible and will be determined after the ADTA meeting
and discussions with the activity provider.
Price includes: transportation, fees, boxed lunches and coolers of drinks.
2015
book review and other activities
Book Review
Amy Bozarth, Spouse Committee Chair and
Dedi Walker, Vice Chair, are planning morning
activities for spouses and guests. Bring your
walking shoes and exercise clothing because you
are sure to need such attire to enjoy the outdoor
walking and exercise programs they will have
planned for you each morning. You can join in or
sleep in. Your choice.
Ceci Birk, Meeting Host has chosen the
infamous To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
for this year’s Spouses Book Review Club. The book was the winner of
the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Literature, Fiction. The film starring the late
Gregory Peck ranks 34 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100
Greatest American Films. To Kill a Mockingbird is simply one of the
finest family-oriented dramas ever made.
Author Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama, where
she attended local schools and the University of Alabama. She has been
awarded the Pulitzer Prize, three honorary degrees, and many other
literary awards.
Lawyer Atticus Finch defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s
classic —a black man charged with the rape of a white woman. Through
the eyes of Atticus’s children, Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores
with rich humor and honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race
and class in the Deep South of the 1930’s. Though he is obviously innocent,
the outcome of his trial is such a foregone conclusion that no lawyer will
step forward to defend him - except Finch, the town’s most distinguished
citizen. His compassionate defense costs him many friendships but earns
him the respect and admiration of his two motherless children.
Join other spouses and guests on Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m.
Pick up your copy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or any of the
leading books supply retail stores or online services and be ready to join
the group for some good discussion.
Other Activities
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club’s Spa
The region’s largest spa
with 30,000 square feet,
this state-of-the-art facility
has been meticulously
designed to blend opulence
and grandeur with the latest
in technologies and therapies. Style, Vogue, Oprah and various spa
authorities have only added to its tony reputation.
ADTA guests are offered a 15% discount at the spa. When calling to
make your reservation refer to your attendance to the ADTA meeting and
then request your discount. Call: 904-273-9018 for reservations.
Kids Activities at the Ponte Vedra Inn
What’s to say when all of these
beautiful pictures tell the story—
beach, pool, bikes, sail boats, kayaks,
water slide, kids’ camp. There are too
many choices right here at the Ponte
Vedra Inn and Club without leaving the
property.
•
•
•
•
•
Four heated swimming pools
Oceanfront fitness center with steam, sauna and Jacuzzi
More than 100 fitness classes every week
Beach Rentals-kayaks, paddleboards, cycling, boating, fishing, sailing
Children’s playground and nursery
Riding Stables (www.rideourhorses.com)
Adult and children schedules
available
World Golf Village (www.worldgolfvillage.com)
World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida. is home
to the World Golf Hall of Fame and features toprated accommodations, championship golf courses,
the PGA TOUR Golf Academy, golf-themed dining
and much more.
ADTA
Cummer Museum and Gardens
(www.cummermuseum.org)
The Cummer Museum of Art
& Gardens, located in historic
Riverside section of Jacksonville,
just minutes from Interstate 95,
overlooks the 2.5 acres of historic
gardens on banks of the St. Johns
River. Immerse yourself in living
art of the Cummer Gardens, historic riverfront gardens bear the mark of
notable landscape designers and horticulturists, including Ossian Cole
Simonds, Ellen Biddle Shipman, Thomas Meehan and Sons, and the
fabled Olmsted firm.
Historic Fernandina Beach
(www.fbfl.us)
Fernandina Beach is a Preserve America Community which was
originally the site of the town
of Fernandina. Old Town has
the unique distinction of being
the last Spanish city platted
in the Western Hemisphere.
Retaining the 1811 plat, as
well as the historic homes in the area, is of special importance.
Shopping, of Course!
St. Johns Town Center (www.simon.
com/mall/st-johns-town-center)
West Elm, Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton,
Michael Kors, Apple, Microsoft, Tiffany
& Co., Coach, Tervis, Art of Shaving,
Lululemon, Ted’s Montana Grill, and
more Starbuck’s than Seattle. . . .
Times Union Performing Arts Center (jacksonville.broadway.com)
2015
REGISTRATION
Registration FORM
Form
th
ADTA
74 ANNUAL MEETING
Ponte vedra Inn and Club
Ponte vedra, florida
April 22 - 26, 2015
NAME _________________________________________________ (BADGE NAME) ________________________________________
SPOUSE/GUEST____________________________________________(BADGE NAME)______________________________________
SPOUSE EMAIL (need for Spouse communication)________________________________________________________________________
CHILDREN ATTENDING MEETING (INCLUDE NAME & AGES)_____________________________________________________________
FIRM _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS _____________________________________________ CITY___________________________STATE_____ZIP __________
BUS. TEL _________________________________EMAIL_______________________________________________________________
EMERGENCY CONTACT NAME/NUMBER ________________________________________________________ _________________
□ FIRST TIME ATTENDEE
□ NEW MEMBER
□ STATE CHAIR
□ REGIONAL CHAIR
□ PAST PRESIDENT
ACCOMMODATION PREFERENCE
Historic Inn/Island House $249 _____ Deluxe Oceanside Guest Rooms ($279) ____ Suites (limited) ($339) _____
All ocean side rooms have ocean views or fronts. Reserve early as rooms will sell out quickly. ADTA reserves ALL rooms.
Hotel reservations for rooms reserved by the ADTA, at the ADTA special room rate, will be automatically cancelled unless the
ADTA receives registration payment for attendance at the Annual Meeting within ten days of receipt of this Registration. If this
Registration is received by the ADTA ten days or less prior to the event date, payment must be received by April 17. Maximum
room occupancy without additional charge is five people. Check out the Ponte Vedra Inn rooms at www.pontevedra.com.
● Listed room rates do not include 6% sales tax and daily $20 Resort Fee
Arrival Date_______________ Departure Date_________________
Cardholder______________________________________Card Number____________________________Exp.________
ADTA now offers the ability to register and pay online through our website.
Visit www.adtalaw.com and enter the Member Area to locate the Registration Brochure.
Your credit card number is collected to reserve your room at The Ponte Vedra Inn as ADTA will make your room reservation.
You will then receive a room confirmation number. Your credit card number is only used to hold room reservations. Check
payments and online credit card payments are only for the meeting registration and optional events.
Resort Fee includes:
All gratuities for doormen, bellmen and housekeepers; Wireless access in guest rooms; local telephone calls; Premium coffee & tea products in room;
Morning newspaper; use of gym and all fitness classes; Business Center access; parking; local transportation (up to 2 miles) to shopping and dining.
RESPONSIBILITY – ADTA and/or their agent representatives, and suppliers of service assume no responsibility for injury, death, damage, loss,
or delay incurred by any person in connection with the Annual Meeting and all related events and functions, or loss occasioned by neglect,
default, strikes, wars, hostilities, terrorism, civil disturbances or resulting directly or indirectly from acts of God. The ADTA reserves the right to
withdraw any or all events at any time, to refuse to accept or retain any person(s) as program participant(s), to alter or cancel the itinerary
whenever the ADTA deems it necessary for the comfort, convenience or safety of the members or guests. The itinerary and price may be affected by alterations, local conditions, or by other causes. The right is reserved to cancel the Annual Meeting. In such case, full refund of all
payments will constitute full settlement with the registered party. Any and/or all transportation companies herein mentioned shall have or
incur no responsibility or liability to any traveler aside from their liability as common carriers.
ADTA
ADTA
2015
REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDES: President’s Welcome Reception, Cocktails and Dinner at the Tournament
Players Club, Diversity Cocktail Reception, Reception and Black Tie Dinner/Dance, Breakfast Daily, Farewell Brunch on Sunday, daily Hospitality Suite, all meeting materials and coffee breaks. Spouse/
registered guest registrations include all of the above except meeting related items, and include a
Welcome Breakfast “Voucher” for Thursday and a Spouse/Guest Breakfast with a fashion show on
Friday.
REGISTRATION FEES (each person)
Member
Spouse Attorney (also member)
Non-Member Attorney*
Spouse/Guest/Children over 18**
Emeritus
Emeritus’ Spouse/Guest
(Spouse/Children over 18)
BEFORE 2/10
$ 1,750
$ 550
$ 1,750
$ 550
$ 1,450
$ 450
AFTER 2/10
$ 1,850
$ 650
$ 1,850
$ 650
$ 1,550
$ 550
TOTAL
$_____________
$_____________
$_____________
$_____________
$_____________
$_____________
Optional Events
Registration fees and optional events are payable to ADTA.
____Inshore Fishing (Lunch Included)
Thursday, April 23, 2015
____Tennis Tournament
Thursday, April 23, 2015
____Golf Tournament (Lunch Included)
Friday, April 24, 2015
____St. Augustine Experience
Friday, April 24, 2015 (Lunch Included)
____Kayaking (Lunch Included)
Saturday, April 25, 2015
____Hiking (Lunch Included)
Saturday, April 25, 2015
____self
____spouse/guest x $281
$____________
____self
____spouse/guest x $42
$____________
____self
____spouse/guest x $265
$____________
____self
____spouse/guest x $104
$____________
____self
____spouse/guest x $148
$____________
____self
____spouse/guest x $108
$____________
TOTAL AMOUNT OF CHECK TO ADTA
All fees are payable in U. S. Currency.
$_______________
* Non-Member Attorney is an attending member spouse who is seeking CLE credit
** Children’s Meals: 13-18 pay half price on regular meals; 12 and under free
CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: The ADTA registration fee is fully refundable, less a $100 handling fee for each
registration, provided that written notice of cancellation is received by Peggy Schultz, Executive Director, on or
before Friday, March 21, 2015, after which time it is nonrefundable.
“Optional” events are refundable up to 15 days prior to the meeting if vendor permits.
Be sure to make a copy
of the front and back of
the Registration Form
for your records.
Questions? Call 727-859-0350 or email [email protected]
Make check payable to ADTA and mail to:
Peggy Schultz, Executive Director, ADTA, 4135 Topsail Trail, New Port Richey, FL 34652
FAX: 727-236-3811
ADTA
ADTA
2015
2015