Mark Your Calendar!


May 19, 2023
OACTA Coffee Chat
via Zoom

May 31, 2023
OACTA Webinar
"Conducting Effective Depositions in an Unpredictable World"
Noon-1:00 p.m.
Sponsored by Lexitas



August 2023
OACTA Litigation & Trial Skills Workshop
Date & Location TBD
More information coming soon!

September 5, 2023
OACTA Foundation Golf Outing
Pinnacle Golf Club
Grove City, OH
Save the Date!

November 9-10, 2023
OACTA Annual Meeting
Hyatt Regency Columbus
Columbus, OH
Save the Date!
Spring 2023 Insurance Coverage Update
Message from the Insurance Coverage Committee Chair, Michael M. Neltner

The following cases represent the more relevant insurance coverage cases decided by the Sixth Circuit, Ohio Federal District Courts, and Ohio Supreme and state appellate courts applying Ohio law in the calendar year 2022. Many thanks to the following members of our outstanding Insurance Coverage Committee who volunteered to summarize these cases and make this edition possible: Kelli J. Amador of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP; Kurt D. Anderson of Collins, Roche, Utley & Garner, LLC; Patrick Cannell of Weston Hurd LLP; Adam E. Carr of Carr Law Office, LLC; David C. Comstock, Jr. of Bonezzi, Switzer, Polito & Hupp Co., LPA; Christine M. Duraney of The Cincinnati Insurance Company; Eric K. Grinnell of Carr Law Office, LLC; Arthur O. Kostendt of Bonezzi, Switzer, Polito & Hupp Co., LPA; Lynne Longtin of The Cincinnati Insurance Company; Robert Mitchell of Freund Freeze & Arnold LPA; and Trent Thacker of Curry Roby, LLC. These summaries are provided simply for the reading pleasure of the audience and the content herein is not necessarily a reflection of the views or opinions of OACTA or any of the other writers.



Welcome New OACTA Members Since December!
Margo Brandenburg, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP
Karen Burke, Westfield Insurance
Dustin Calhoun, Encova Insurance
Vincent Cononico, Marshall Dennehey
John Huffman, Roetzel & Andress, LPA
Diana L. Jacobs, Bowles Rice LLP
Catherine Darcy Jalandoni, Porter Wright Morris and Arthur LLP
Robin Miller, Stites & Harbison
Elizabeth Norton, AmeriTrust Group, Inc.
Marlon A. Primes, Brennan Manna Diamond
Joshua Quarles, Central Mutual Insurance
Lucy Richman, Tucker Ellis LLP
C. Ashley Saferight, Tucker Ellis LLP
Mitchell Tobias, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP
Roger Williams, Vineyard Mediation LLC
Justin Withrow, Flannery | Georgalis
2023 Hilary S. Taylor Law Student Inclusion & Equity Scholarship Announcement
The Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys (OACTA) Law Student Inclusion & Equity, Scholarship program is open to the following incoming second and third-year law students who are enrolled in an Ohio law school or are a permanent Ohio resident: Minority law students; LGBTQ (Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Questioning) law students, regardless of race or ethnicity; Female law students, regardless of race or ethnicity; or, Law students from economically impoverished families/backgrounds, regardless of race or ethnicity. The criteria include academic achievements; service to the community and to the cause of inclusion and equity; and experience or interest in a civil defense practice.
 
Up to three (3) scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each will be awarded to successful applicants. Applicants are required to submit an application, law school transcript and a cover letter addressing the following: academic, personal and professional accomplishments, and why they should be selected as a recipient of the scholarship. Applicants must also submit at least one letter of recommendation but may submit a total of three. Applications must be submitted online with a cover letter. Transcripts and letter of recommendation may be mailed to the OACTA office.
 
The completed application and all other requested material must be received by May 10, 2023. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Scholarship recipients will be announced in June and recognized at the OACTA Annual Meeting in November. Funding is provided by the OACTA Foundation.
 
OACTA believes that a diverse membership makes a stronger organization. OACTA encourages inclusion and equity in all aspects of its activities and is committed to nurturing a culture that supports and promotes it.
 
For more information or to complete an application, visit www.oacta.org.
OACTA Insurance Coverage Seminar Wrap-up
We were pleased to return to Grange Insurance on April 14 for the Insurance Coverage Seminar. There was a fantastic line-up of speakers, covering timely topics such as as a presentation on professionalism by Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy.

This was also the first event for which OACTA utilized an app for materials and attendee lists as well as sponsor and exhibitor information.

The seminar offered up to 5.5 CLE credits, including 1.0 hr of APC/ethics credit and was open to Attorneys and Non-attorney Insurance Claims Professionals.


Chief Justice Kennedy
Thank you to our Insurance Coverage Seminar Sponsors!
OACTA Coffee Chat
Join your peers at an OACTA Coffee Chat via Zoom! The next coffee chat will be held on Friday, May 19 at 8:30 a.m. The topic of discussion will be Expert Witnesses

Save the date!
Upcoming OACTA Lunch & Learn Webinar
Conducting Effective Depositions in an Unpredictable World
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM
This webinar is sponsored by Lexitas and FREE to OACTA members.

As we all know, COVID indelibly changed the legal work environment. Now that we’re on the other side of the learning curve, it’s important to consider what the future holds for depositions. In this comprehensive one-hour CLE course, learn how to facilitate logistics, incorporate best practices, and utilize technology to inform your litigation strategy for remote, in person and hybrid depositions.
 
This session will also cover preparation tactics and exhibit-handling.


Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Ohio's First African American Lawyers and Judges: John Mercer Langston, Daisy Perkins and Judge John Patterson Green
By Stu Harris of Nationwide Insurance

In 1803, Congress recognized Ohio as the 17th state to join the Nation. In Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, the author J. Clay Smith, traces the accomplishments of African American lawyers from every state. The history of Ohio and of this Nation share John Mercer Langston, the first African American to win multiple elective offices and be accepted into the bar of Ohio in 1854. In 1919, Daisy D. Perkins became the first African American woman admitted to the Ohio bar.


OACTA's 2023 Strategic Plan
The OACTA Board of Directors is committed to the mission of OACTA: The Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys promotes fairness, excellence, and integrity in the civil justice system by providing resources and education to attorneys and others dedicated to the defense of civil actions. The OACTA Strategic Plan, developed by the OACTA Board of Directors, is reviewed annually and monitored on an ongoing basis, to ensure progress toward identified goals and objectives. The OACTA Board of Directors is committed to providing quality services and value to the membership. CLICK HERE to review the plan.
Adventures in Azerbaijan - Baku Briefing

By Thomas F. Glassman, Esq., Bonezzi Switzer Polito & Hupp
 
In the latter part of February, I began telling clients and colleagues that I’d be out of the country for two weeks in March but will still be reachable. I explained I would be teaching at Baku State University in Azerbaijan on a Fulbright Grant.

The next question nearly always was: where is Azerbaijan? Azerbaijan is located in the Caucasus Mountains and borders Russia, Iran, Armenia and Georgia. It sits on the far west coast of the Caspian Sea. It has a population of slightly more than 10 million people, most of whom live in Baku, the capital. Azerbaijan was part of the Ottoman Empire, Russian Empire and Soviet Union. It achieved independence when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Since then, Azerbaijan has increased its international presence. Every year a major Formula One race winds its way through the streets of Baku and along the Caspian coast. Azerbaijan hosted the UEFA Europa League Finals in soccer several years ago. 

OACTA Can Help You...
OACTA has a webpage with links to many resources - NEWS AND INFORMATION REGARDING COVID-19. If you have resources to share, please send them to [email protected].
 
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Join OACTA on FacebookTwitterLinkedIn and OACTA’s LinkedIn Private Group Page where you can share information and resources among your colleagues.

Earn CLE credits...
OACTA’s Online CLE Library allows OACTA members the opportunity to earn continuing legal education credit from the comfort and safety of your home. Visit the Online CLE Library today to view our on-demand programs and the OACTA Website for a listing of our Live Webinars!
OACTA requests that authors who republish articles that were originally published in an OACTA publication, reflect that the article first appeared in the OACTA publication.