First-ever Primerus Defense Institute Convocation a "huge success."

When 20 national corporate clients of Primerus firms came to the first annual Convocation of the Primerus Defense Institute, they liked what they found: attorneys who matched their high standards. The Convocation was held at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo FL, March 9 to 11.

"Best of the Best"

"I personally accepted the invitation with the objective of meeting, on a personal level, a group of attorneys that I felt would have the best interest of my company in mind," commented Harry Kimball, Director of Safety and Litigation for Freymiller, Inc. "Jack Buchanan addressed the issue at the beginning of the session when he spoke about the Six Pillars… The sincerity in his statements thoroughly convinced me that the Primerus group of attorneys were the 'Best of the Best.'"

The Primerus Defense Institute ("PDI") Convocation brought together 50 Primerus lawyers with clients from 20 medium to Fortune 500-sized corporations. These client's industries included: manufacturing, service, health care, transportation, communications, energy and insurance. Members and clients alike praised the event.

"The comments we've received to date, from both the clients and our members, have been fabulous," notes Primerus Vice President of Membership, Ruth Martin.

The clients were especially struck by the ideals and philosophy of Primerus.

The Primerus concept "an excellent idea"

Thursday's opening session led by Primerus President, Jack Buchanan, introduced the client attendees to Primerus and our national network of excellent law firms, the Six Pillars, and the screening process each firm undergoes. The clients found the Primerus concept especially appealing for its assurance of quality in both work product and in personal ethics.

"An excellent idea" commented Harry Kimball. Lillian Macia, the Assistant General Counsel for Jacuzzi Brands, Inc. was especially taken with the dedication to community service: "I was very impressed with your passel of lawyers, not only because of their credentials, but because of the vast services they provide to the public and their communities."

Solid content was the key to success

The CLE-qualified seminars, which were attended during the morning sessions of the Convocation, touched on a number of key issues of common concern to defense lawyers and their clients: Antitrust, Employment Law, interpreting jury research, and courtroom technology. "I thought (the Convocation) was excellent," praised one guest. Lillian Macia commented, "I found the program to be interesting…. You all did a wonderful job. (It was) very informative."

Leisure activities further cemented relationships

It was not all work. With two championship golf courses to choose from, many attendees played them both: The Dolphin course on Thursday, the Harbor on Friday. Non-golfers played on the water, deep sea fishing or flats fishing. And noted one client attendee, Thursday night's Sunset cruise aboard the 120' yacht Sir Winston was "a blast." Friday night, the Convocation closed with a celebratory "Key West" dinner in the Ocean Room at Ocean Reef, followed by a highly informative talk, "Lessons learned from Racing" by Dr. Stephen Olvey, former Medical Director of Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. (CART) and the Indianapolis 500.

Stronger Relationships

The two and a half day Convocation not only cemented existing client relationships for Primerus members, but opened the door - as the clients themselves mentioned.

Harry Kimball added "There is no better working relationship than one bonded with respect and friendship. Not only do your clients need to know their attorneys on a personal level, but the attorneys also need to be able to see out of the eyes of their clients."

He continued; "I have already chosen several of the attorneys to represent my company in the regions they cover."

Colleen Taylor, who works in Claims Administration for Werner Co. commented "Without the seminar, we wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet so many people we may now possibly use to represent our company. We probably would not have considered Primerus firms without the background information we now have."

Summarizes Duncan Manley (Christian & Small, Birmingham AL), " I think a lot of members saw that this was an outstanding way to improve their client base and to get access to clients that they would not be otherwise exposed to."

Better advice

One of the most exciting developments for many was the formation of the PDI Client Advisory Board. This exclusive group of representative clients will participate in planning future PDI Convocations, as well as advising Primerus defense firms on how they can better serve their clients.

The first member of the Client Advisory Board is Harry Kimball, Director of Safety and Litigation, for Freymiller, Inc. Speaking about Primerus, he comments, "This elite group of attorneys is a welcome breath of fresh air."

Planning now for 2006

Building on the enthusiasm that began at the 2005 PDI Convocation, plans are already underway for a second Convocation, which will take place May 4-7, 2006, at the Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa in Carefree, AZ. (http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/PHXTB/main.wnt). The PDI Planning Committee is anticipating even greater participation from the membership of the Defense Litigation Practice Group at the 2006 Convocation, with as many as 40 clients in attendance.

In short, the Chair of the Practice Group, Duncan Manley said, "the Convocation was a huge success." Adds Jim Foland (Foland, Wickens, Eisfelder, Roper & Hofer, Kansas City), "it is clear to me (Primerus) is an organization on its way up."

Side bar 1:

What did they talk about at the Ocean Reef Club?

Primerus expertise.

Members of the Defense Litigation Practice Group provided two expert panels. In the first, Bob Wilson (Cotkin, Collins & Ginsburg, Los Angeles) and Jim Foland (Foland, Wickens, Eisfelder, Roper & Hofer, Kansas City) presented An Antitrust Primer: What Everyone Needs to Know about the Antitrust Laws. " The second panel dealt with employment law: Tips, Tricks and Traps in Managing the Difficult Employee, led by Primerus Board of Directors member Peter Bennett (The Bennett Law Firm, Portland ME), Alice Paylor (Rosen, Rosen & Hagood, Charleston SC), and Lisa Barrett (Norchi, Barrett & Forbes, Cleveland).

Improved trial performance.

The Friday panels took up the issues of trial strategy and technology. Mark Sobus, J.D., Ph.D., of R and D Strategic Solutions, spoke on "Going Beyond the Bar Charts: Efficient & Meaningful Use of Jury Research.". Jil Wyland and Erika Santiago, of Litigation Presentation Inc. and Todd Goldberg of Array Technology Group LLC, followed, addressing the topic Innovative Courtroom Technology.

The panel discussions are available for members of the Defense Litigation Practice Group. To receive a copy, contact Ruth Martin, rmartin@primerus.com.

Sidebar 2:

What is the PDI?

The Primerus Defense Institute brings together Primerus Defense lawyers and national corporate clients for the purpose of pooling together their wealth of knowledge, experiences and ideas. PDI is a resource for continuing legal education in the areas of liability avoidance and litigation management. Convocations seek to explore, discuss and share best practices in reducing risk, handling claims and defending lawsuits.