31st Annual Product Liability Conference

Learn from experienced product safety management professionals, consulting engineers, defense and plaintiff attorneys along with a range of other professionals including state and federal judges, scientists, and information technology experts. More than a dozen presentations will be available.

Who should attend?

Product safety management and risk management professionals from industrial and commercial equipment manufacturers along with insurance providers will benefit the most. Past attendees who have stated they received great information include:

• Product safety management managers
• Risk management managers
• Product development managers
• Design engineers
• Technical writers
• Product liability underwriters
• In-house attorneys who deal with product liability

Day 1

A Holistic Approach to Product Safety Management
Karine Narr, Senior Property and Casualty Risk Engineer, Chubb Insurance
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Leveraging her 25 years of experience and formal education as an industrial engineer, Ms. Narr will present the elements, necessity, and benefits of having a holistic product safety management process.

When Products Think for Themselves
Patricia A. Robinson, PhD, Coronado Consulting Services, LLC
Sonoita, Arizona

Doctor Robinson will present and engage conference attendees exploring the topic of how warnings and instructions apply to products that operate autonomously. Questions include: if a product operates on its own, what information goes in the manual; when the internet connects everything, what do you warn about?

Successfully Navigating the 3^rd Era of Warnings
Charles Burhans, Senior Consultant, Applied Safety and Ergonomics
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Mr. Burhans will briefly review historic approaches to failure-to-warn claims and the technical analysis of defect and causation, and how warnings claims and the role of experts on both sides have changed in the decades since the initial surge in warnings claims.

This presentation will assist in understanding emerging tactics in claims involving warnings and responding to new issues being raised.

Product Liability – A Plaintiff Attorney’s Perspective
Corey G. Lorenz, Shareholder, Habush Habush & Rottier S.C.
Madison, Wisconsin

Ms. Lorenz will share her insights on the role of a plaintiff’s attorney when a product causes harm or damage. Ms. Lorenz will address how companies need to put safety in the forefront for product design and warnings.

Rooting Out the Root Cause: Relating Failure to a Safer Product
Robert R. Scheibe, PhD, PE, Senior Engineering Manager, Exponent
Bellevue, Washington

Doctor Scheibe will explain that the term “root cause” is overused, and that the real causes of accidents and failures often go deeper than what others claim as the root cause. Dr. Scheibe will introduce the system safety methodology that looks at failures from more than a “product” or “component” safety point of view, and in turn, may provide a better perspective on how to avoid failures, accidents, and liability in the future.

Day 2

The Internet of Things: An Update on Emerging Risks and Regulatory Developments
H. Michael O’Brien, Attorney at Law, Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP
White Plains, New York

Mr. O’Brien will provide an in-depth overview of the internet of things (IoT) and industrial internet of things (IIoT) and why manufacturers and users should be reviewing their products’ hardware and software security protocols, documentation and update procedures.  Recent regulatory developments will be presented.

Using Analytics to Better Assess Legal Claims
Jonathan Judge, Partner, Schiff Hardin LLP
Chicago, Illinois

Risk management personnel are expected to provide numeric estimates of exposure for different claims.  Although it is impossible to predict any particular outcome, companies can still harness the power of analytics to improve those estimates. Mr. Judge will present how human estimates can fail, why limited information can still be useful, and how Monte Carlo simulation can make exposure estimates more consistent and probably more accurate.

Reducing Legal Risk When Commercializing IoT Products
Linda C. Emery, Partner, Quarles & Brady, LLP
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Warnings and Instructions For Domestic and Global Markets
Angela Lambert, Director of Standards Compliance at Clarion Safety Systems
Milford, Pennsylvania

“Failure to warn” and “inadequate warnings” top product liability allegations. Angela Lambert will present key considerations on creating effective warnings for both domestic and export markets. The latest warnings technology as defined by the ANSI Z535.4 and ISO 3864-2 standards—including new safety label formats recently adopted by ISO—as well as international safety labeling requirements such as the Machinery Directive will be discussed.

It’s Out of My Hands: A Manufacturer’s Post-Sale Duties and How to Comply
Carly W. Stephani, Partner, Bowman and Brooke LLP
Minneapolis, Minnesota

A manufacturer’s product-safety obligations do not end once the product leaves the manufacturer’s hands. Ms. Stephani will discuss the post-sale duties imposed on manufacturers by regulators and the law, how post-sale issues can create a constellation of problems for manufacturers, and best practices for complying with these duties and defending against claims involving the manufacturer’s post-sale conduct.

Safety in the Product Development Process: Evolutionary and Revolutionary Approaches
Steven Hall, Senior Consultant, Applied Safety and Ergonomics
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Mr. Hall will provide an overview of two paradigms of product development, and their implications for how best to approach product safety. He will present how strategies for hazard analysis and risk assessment differ for evolutionary and revolutionary paradigms, and provide examples of the special issues related to revolutionary product development.

Day 3

Views from the Bench
Judge Stephen Crocker, District Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

As magistrate judge for the Western District of Wisconsin, Judge Crocker will offer his perspectives on contemporary juries, the role of courts in dispute resolution—from discovery to trial—witnesses, and the role of corporate representatives and experts.

A Proactive Defense is the Best Defense – Expect the Unexpected
Natalie Eschbach, Attorney, Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP
Chicago, Illinois

A proactive defense is much more effective than a reactive defense. Although there are many processes that can aid a manufacturer in the event of a product liability lawsuit, Ms. Eschbach will share several key activities that help support favorable case outcomes.

Hot Topics in Product Liability
Cal Burnton, Partner, Steptoe Johnson
Chicago, Illinois

Mr. Burnton will review the legal impact of recently decided cases and topics that manufacturers should be reviewing to assure they are keeping their users safe and avoiding liability.

Patricia Robinson
President PhD

Dr. Robinson brings more than 35 years of experience to consulting and training in product safety, particularly in the area of warnings and instructions. She is the author of Writing and Designing Manuals and Warnings (4th edition), as well as other books and articles. Dr. Robinson has helped more than one hundred national and international companies improve their warnings and instructions, addressing safety issues in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products ranging from infant car seats to high- wall coal-mining machines.

Dr. Robinson brings a unique blend of skills and experience to her consulting. She began her work in instructions and warnings while serving on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering. In addition to developing curriculum and teaching technical communication courses, Dr. Robinson helped develop and served as the first Director of the Technical Communication Certificate program and served as Program Director for continuing education courses in technical communication, including product documentation. She continues to teach regularly at product safety conferences and seminars.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Cal Burnton
Attorney

Cal R. Burnton is a partner in the Litigation Department at Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Mr. Burnton has tried and won numerous complex toxic tort and product liability cases, earning a national reputation for his ability to coordinate, manage, and defend mass toxic tort and complex product liability cases with a special emphasis on high-risk matters involving novel legal, scientific, and environmental theories. His clients have included leading manufacturers and sellers of products such as chemicals, health care appliances, medical devices, electrical equipment, firearms, printing presses, industrial machinery, and power tools. Mr. Burnton is a trusted counselor to his clients, advising them on issues regarding, product liability, government regulations, product safety, and related matters. Throughout the years, he has represented corporate clients in both federal and state courts in almost every state across the country. Mr. Burnton is a frequent lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has presented seminars on liability issues in Japan and the University of Warwick in England. Additionally, he has been an instructor at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy since 1999. Mr. Burnton has also been involved in law firm professional standards and ethics counseling for many years.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Robert Scheibe
Senior Managing Engineer PDD, PE, PhD

For over 37 years, Dr. Scheibe has used his mechanical engineering background to investigate, reconstruct, analyze, and determine the cause for accidents, component failures, and fires involving industrial machinery, vehicles, heavy equipment, tools, appliances, recreational equipment, and consumer products. He specializes in the engineering analysis of product safety and performance from the standpoint of design, operation, manufacture, assembly, maintenance, instruction, guarding, and warning. He has evaluated machinery operation in numerous industries including power generation, transportation, agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, chemical processing, marine, and mining, for concerns that include machine design, hydraulics, lubrication, vibration, power transmission, materials handling, and occupational safety.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Charles Burhans
Senior Consultant

Charles Burhans is a Senior Consultant at Applied Safety and Ergonomics, a consulting service that has been providing valuable analysis, insight, answers, training, data, and problem-solving strategies in consultation and expert witness capacities to help clients make informed decisions since 1994. Recent professional activities include development and evaluation of warnings, instructions, and product literature, analysis of standards, accident investigation and the development of safety training materials and product safety/integrity documentation. Mr. Burhans is a member of the ANSI Z536.6 subcommittee on Product Safety Information in Product Manuals, Instructions, and Other Collateral Materials.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

H. Michael O'Brien
Attorney at Law

Michael O’Brien is a partner in the New York Metropolitan offices of the national law firm Wilson Elser. Michael is co-chair of the Wilson Elser Product Liability, Prevention & Government Compliance practice. He is also the leader of the firm’s Internet of Things (IoT) practice. Michael’s practice is heavily focused on emerging disruptive technologies which include IoT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), 3D manufacturing, robotics, autonomous vehicles, drones, augmented reality and nanotechnology. These emerging disruptive technologies share common vulnerabilities by virtue of their connectivity with the internet. These vulnerabilities include potential software, hardware and senor defects. There are as well serious privacy and security vulnerabilities which potentially can lead to denial of service attacks (DDoS), theft and/or destruction of personal or propriety data and even property damage, bodily injury and business interruption. These vulnerabilities can occur from both design and manufacturing defects or as a result of the deliberate action of 3rd party actors. As a result, these technologies present more complex product and cyber liability exposures that span an enormous ecosystem as the traditional lines of demarcation between business sectors and industries begin to blur and bleed over.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Angela Lambert
Director of Standards Compliance

In her role as head of standards compliance at Clarion Safety Systems, Angela Lambert is actively involved in the ANSI and ISO standards related to visual safety communication. Together with contributing to committee work, she acts as a liaison between these bodies and Clarion Safety, bringing standards-informed expertise to clients to keep their warnings up-to-date. For nearly fifteen years, she has collaborated with Clarion’s product manufacturing and facility safety customers – as well as industry partners and advocates – on label and sign systems that can help reduce risk and protect people. In addition to designing and producing best practice labels and signs, Clarion Safety specializes in guiding its clients through a streamlined process to implement cutting-edge visual safety communication systems in line with today’s leading safety standards. The company is a member of the ANSI Z535 Committee for Safety Signs and Colors, the U.S. ANSI TAG to ISO/TC 145 and the U.S. ANSI TAG to ISO/TC 283.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Karine Narr
Senior Property & Casualty Risk Engineer CSP

Karine Narr has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry as a Property & Casualty Risk Engineer. Her specialty is evaluating products liability exposures and controls across all industries, assisting clients in developing product liability risk management programs, and providing education and training to clients. She has also developed internal training programs to further promote product liability skills among the Risk Engineering department.

Ms. Narr has a degree in Industrial Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison and has completed post graduate work in ergonomics at University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She also has a master’s degree in Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management.

Ms. Narr is a member of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Steven Hall
Senior Consultant CPSM, MSE

Mr. Hall is a Senior Consultant who also serves as Director of Hazard Communication Consultations and Director of Research and Development. His professional activities include design and evaluation of hazard communications, analyzing and reconstructing product and occupational accidents, analysis of standards and regulations, and providing general safety and human factors engineering consultation.

Mr. Hall serves as the Chair for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z535.4 Subcommittee on Product Safety Signs and Labels. He was Vice-Chair for ANSI Z535.6 when this standard for safety information in manuals and instructions was developed. Mr. Hall represents Applied Safety and Ergonomics, Inc. on the ANSI Z535 committee, and is a member of the ANSI Z535.5

Mr. Hall holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics and a master’s degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Linda Emery
Partner

Linda Emery is the National Chair of Quarles & Brady’s Data Privacy and Security Industry Team and focuses her practice in the areas of information technology, data privacy and security, the Internet of Things (IoT) and trademarks. She has experience working with consumer product, service, technology, and communications companies.

Ms. Emery has spent substantial time advising companies developing, selling, and deploying smart and IoT devices. She has counseled clients on data privacy and security laws related to cyber attacks, product liability claims, intellectual property risks, and the Federal Trade Commission's Guidance on the IoT.

Ms. Emery earned a BA from Northwestern University and law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Natalie Eschbach
Attorney

Natalie J. Eschbach is an attorney at Swanson, Martin, & Bell, LLP’s Chicago office, and is a member of the firm’s product liability practice group. She also serves as the Vice Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group. Ms. Eschbach has litigated and tried numerous complex, high exposure matters in state and federal courts across the country. Her clients have included manufacturers and sellers of products involving industrial machinery, power tools, firearms, automotive products, and juvenile products. Ms. Eschbach also provides risk management services to her clients, advising them on issues relating to updates in product liability law, government regulations, product safety and other related matters. In addition to her law practice, Ms. Eschbach is an adjunct professor at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and is a moot court coach for one of Loyola’s national competition teams. Ms. Eschbach is also a member of the Defense Research Institute (DRI) and serves on the Young Lawyers Committee.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Stephen Crocker
United States Magistrate Judge

Judge Stephen Crocker has served as the Western District of Wisconsin’s only magistrate judge since 1992, after having served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Honors Program, an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago, a federal judicial law clerk, and stopping for a cup of coffee at Michael Best & Friedrich while George H.W. Bush was president.

Judge Crocker earned his J.D. from Northwestern and a B.A. from Wesleyan University, with various honors from each school. He has been an editor for Moore’s Fed. Crim. Practice (3 Ed.) a consultant and writer for the National Conference of Bar Examiners, and routinely provides input to state and federal practitioners and judges on federal civil procedure, ESI, Daubert principles, and the Western District’s arcane precepts and practices.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Jonathan Judge
Mead Witter Foundation Consolidated Papers Professor of Controls Engineering

Jonathan Judge is a trial lawyer who believes analytics are an important part of cutting-edge legal advice. When defending clients, Mr. Judge draws upon his own technical knowledge as well as the expertise of engineers and others from the manufacturing industry.

Mr. Judge has extensive experience defending client interests during Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) investigations, and he helps product manufacturers and importers comply with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

Mr. Judge earned B.A. and B. Mus. degrees from Lawrence University and law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Corey Lorenz
Attorney

Corey Lorenz represents plaintiffs in personal injury, medical malpractice, and products liability cases. She has a strong background pursuing complex product liability matters against large corporations, and has been involved in numerous federal multi-district litigation.

Ms. Lorenz was elected to the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Wisconsin. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and law degree from DePaul University College of Law.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

Carly Stephani
Partner

Carly W. Stephani is a partner in Bowman and Brooke LLP’s Minneapolis office. Ms. Stephani specializes in defending product manufacturers in lawsuits and claims involving personal injuries, wrongful death, and property damage. Her clients include the manufacturers of automobiles, off-road recreational vehicles, consumer products, industrial equipment, and medical devices. Ms. Stephani also defends product manufacturers in actions and investigations brought by federal regulators, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Food and Drug Administration.

Teaching in courses starting: 09/24/2019

By participating in this course you will earn:

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