Attorney Joseph Fortner will moderate a panel at ALFA’s virtual International Client Seminar, which is scheduled this year for March 2 through 4. This Wednesday, March 3rd, at 4:15 Eastern time, he will lead the panel: “Making Lemonade: Using Tools Forged During the Pandemic to Augment Complex Cases (and Your Daily Practice Too!).” Outside counsel from international renowned companies and other ALFA counsel will explore how the imposition of virtual communications has affected the daily business practices of counsel, discovery, ADR, and trials. They will explore how they and their companies have adapted to using such tools as Zoom, Teams, and other platforms, as well as the pros and cons of these remote connections. Segueing from corporate life, the panel will discuss whether and how to proceed with depositions and discovery where you may not be able to sit across from the witness. Finally, drawing upon actual experience, they will discuss virtual trials and mediations, offer specific suggestions regarding how to conduct a virtual trial, and offer reasons why, in fact, the tools learned during the pandemic can actually enhance and broaden the available trial options.
ALFA International is the premier network of independent law firms. Founded in 1980, ALFA International was originally formed as a small network of trial counsel. Today, ALFA International has 150 member firms throughout the world, and continues to be one of the largest and strongest legal networks. Their firms are composed of lawyers who have tried hundreds of cases, often serving as state or federal prosecutors, district attorneys, public defenders, or administrative agency counsel. In addition to trial work, the majority of their member firms have developed broad-based general practices that handle commercial, corporate, regulatory, and transactional matters.
Joe Fortner is co-chair of the Commercial Litigation Practice Group at Halloran Sage, chair emeritus of ALFA International’s Business Litigation Practice Group, and a member of ALFA ICS Committee. He is an experienced business litigator and trial lawyer in a wide range of business, intellectual property and related commercial matters in state and federal courts, ranging from trade secret claims, contract disputes, business fraud and other commercial torts, technology-related matters, trade regulation, unfair trade practices, employee termination, and product-related commercial disputes. Joe represents clients in trademark and trade dress, copyright, patent, cyber defamation, domain name, licensing and other intellectual property matters.