ASCDC Hosts 18th Annual Santa Barbara Seminar

Civil defense attorneys, judges and insurance industry leaders throughout Southern California will come together to discuss a variety of industry-wide issues at the upcoming 18th Annual Santa Barbara Seminar hosted by The Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC). The two-day event will take place Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2005 at the Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort in Santa Barbara.

The seminar and networking forum brings together professionals from throughout the Southland for presentations from the courts, the plaintiffs’ and defendants’ bar and experts in related fields. Its purpose is to provide an environment to advance knowledge, experience and professionalism in these ever-changing and challenging fields.

Day one of the event will include a wine tasting tour in the Santa Ynez Valley tracing the steps of the stars in the recently Academy Award-nominated movie, “Sideways,” followed by a hospitality reception and cocktail party. Day two will feature the three-hour seminar from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by a buffet luncheon.

This year’s seminar topics and panel speakers include:

“Recent Developments in California Law” presented by Michael Brady, ESQ., a partner with Ropers Majesky, Kohn, Bentley, Wagner & Kane in Redwood City. Brady is in charge of the firm’s Appellate and Insurance Coverage Departments. He is a past president of the Association of Defense Counsel, Northern California.

“How to Handle the Medical Board and the Difficult Physician” presented by Elizabeth Becker, L.C.S.W., a clinical instructor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at UCSD and an instructor for the PACE Professional Boundaries Program; William Norcross, M.D., a certified family medicine physician and the director of the UCSD Physician Assessment and Clinical Education (PACE) Program; and Peter Osinoff, ESQ., who is the moderator of the event and a shareholder with Bonne, Bridges, Mueller, O’Keefe and Nichols. His area of expertise is the representation of health care providers in actions brought before the Medical Board of California.
“What Juries Look For in Witnesses and Lawyers” presented by Wendy Pluta, Ph.D., a senior trial consultant for Jury Research Institute. Dr. Pluta is a nationally recognized expert in witness preparation.

Established in 1960, the ASCDC was organized by a small group of Los Angeles insurance defense attorneys who felt it was essential for their professional interest to be represented. The ASCDC has since grown to become a regional defense organization. It encompasses a diverse group of more than 2,200 men and women of all ages, races and religions, who practice throughout the Southland.

Additionally, the State Bar of California has approved the upcoming seminar for Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credits in the amount of three hours.

For more information about ASCDC or the seminar, visit www.ascdc.org or call (213) 683-3050.