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 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

positions with an insurance company, multiple insurance agencies and a national broker, he brings a wealth of perspective. Dan is an avid student of insurance and finance and is deeply involved in the operational aspects of his clients’ businesses. Dan is currently Chair of the NAFC M&A Task Force and is a champion for litigation reform. A Fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and ranked by Chambers USA in appellate law, Ed Guedes is widely known for his representation of business and government clients in high-stakes appeals. His in-depth knowledge and experience were further recognized when he was nominated in 2008 to fill a vacancy on the Florida Supreme Court. Ed is also Board Certified in Appellate Practice by the Florida Bar. He has litigated dozens of appeals before the Florida Supreme Court, Florida’s district courts of appeal and the U.S. Courts of Appeals. Jennifer Hall is the general counsel and executive vice president for legal affairs for the American Trucking Associations, the nation’s leading organization representing the interests of the trucking industry. As general counsel, Hall is responsible for ATA’s legal affairs, including the ATA Litigation Center. Prior to coming to ATA, Hall spent a decade as a professional staff member at the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, most recently as general counsel and deputy staff director. William W. Large is a passionate advocate for legal reform and an experienced attorney who led Gov. Jeb Bush’s fight to reform medical malpractice rules to cap damage awards. Prior to serving as president of FJRI, William served as Governor Bush’s deputy chief of staff and was responsible for coordinating and advancing Governor Bush’s vision from the governor’s executive office to several state agencies. John Liberatore has worked in the risk and claim management areas since 1979. He has held various risk management positions as employee and consultant. He has developed and continues to refine an efficient and effective claim mitigation model which, at its core, is highly adept at cost-effectively challenging unrelated injury claims presented by liberal physicians and enterprising plaintiff attorneys. Liberatore has proven through benchmarking that Primacy’s model, when applied consistently, reduces both frequency and severity over 40% in liability and workers’ compensation. From the time he was 6 years old, Representative Daniel Perez has called his Westchester neighborhood home. Today, as a successful attorney and as a dedicated member of that community, Daniel is committed to serving and protecting the residents and families of District 116 in Tallahassee. Rep. Perez is currently serving as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee.