The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) will host a one-day product liability seminar Feb 5, 2004, at the Westin O'Hare in Chicago IL, the day after the conclusion of the association's annual product safety seminar.
“How to Be a Good Client” is the theme of the seminar. Its goal is to help equipment manufacturers learn to be model clients for their legal teams by familiarizing themselves with the product defense process, the type of information an effective defense requires them to provide, and how and when that information should be gathered.
Attorneys from two firms specializing in product defense will moderate the seminar, providing a primer that will include sessions on the legal paperwork manufacturers can expect to encounter, depositions, preparations and trials, as well as alternative dispute resolution. These sessions will familiarize participants with the process of defending their products as well as with the level of time, commitment, and planning it requires.
The seminar is geared for AEM's small and medium-size members that may not have the resources to dedicate full-time in-house personnel to this function, as well as large companies with new employees working in product liability investigation and management and companies whose product safety personnel get involved in litigation. The seminar is designed to help equipment manufacturers become more proactive by giving them information on four key areas: product liability law, discovery issues, practices and procedures, and trial preparation.
For more information, phone AEM's Russ Hutchison at 414-298-4118, e-mail him at [email protected], or visit www.aem.org.