Tort Reform Summit
William Large
Dan Cook
Association members, masked and socially-distanced, gathered for the FTA Tort Reform Summit (officially rebranded on-site as the Lawsuit Abuse Summit) in January, more than one year after our last event. Safety protocols were in place from both FTA and the Omni Jacksonville hotel, to ensure a healthy and productive meeting. Thanks to title sponsor Thermo King and additional event sponsors, 925 partners, Emerald Transportation and U.S. Legal Services, attendees enjoyed expertlevel panels from national leaders in law, politics, insurance and risk management. Featured speakers included a keynote regarding the Florida Supreme Court’s recent ruling on summary judgment and the role FTA played in the process by Edward Guedes, Partner and Chair of Appellate Practice Group, Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman, P.L. John Liberatore, Founder and President of Primacy Risk Services provided best practices and tips to 8 | SPRING 2021
FLORIDA TRUCK NEWS
manage trucking lawsuits in “Are you Managing Your Cases Right?” J. Daniel Cook, President and Practices Leader of TrueNorth provided insight into what truck insurers think of Florida; William Large, President of Florida Justice Reform Institute, educated members on current legislation expected to be debated in the 2021 Legislative Session; and Jennifer Hall, General Counsel and Executive Vice President of American Trucking Associations, joined Mark Delegal of Delegal Aubuchon and Ken Armstrong in a lively discussion on lawsuit abuse and finding resources to help. Chris Dudley led a Zoom discussion with Senator Jeff Brandes, Representative Daniel Perez and Senator Jim Boyd to provide insight into their perspectives on lawsuit abuse and how constituents can advance goals. Based on that discussion, Alix Miller moderated a panel with Ken Armstrong, Chris Dudley and William Large on FTA’s key legislative priorities and strategies for the year.
Featured guest speakers:
Senator Jim Boyd, CEO of Boyd Insurance and Investment Services, has a long history of public service. He was first elected to the Palmetto City Council in 1989 and went on to serve as the city’s mayor and vice-mayor. He also served as fire commissioner for the North River Fire District and a volunteer firefighter/EMT. Senator Jeff Brandes has made a name for himself as a pragmatic leader who embraces innovative technology and brings creative solutions to the problems facing Tampa Bay. With a particular interest in transportation, Jeff sponsored the bill bringing Google’s autonomous vehicle technology to Florida, where it is currently being tested. Among other committee assignments, Senator Brandes is serving as Chair of the Judiciary Committee. J. Daniel Cook joined the TrueNorth team in 2013. Previously holding executive
