Page 22 - FDCCFlyer_Spring2024

18 spring | federation flyer www.thefederation.org
WALKING IN SUNSHINE
THE 2024 WINTER MEETING
As I wrote the brochure
for the 2024 Winter
Meeting, I was
sitting with a glass
of champagne at the
Vinoy Resort, watching
birds fly over the North
Yacht Basin in sunny
72-degree weather. As I write this
article summarizing the meeting,
I’m sipping a glass of champagne
at Bradley International Airport in
Hartford, Connecticut, where it’s 45
degrees and raining. Life comes at
you fast.
Which makes it all the more
important to savor the times you
get to walk in the sunshine, as
we did at the FDCC 2024 Winter
Meeting. 280 members attended this
meeting – more than any Winter or
Annual Meeting since well before
the pandemic. In total, 456 people
joined us in St. Petersburg -- more
than any other Winter Meeting in the
past five years. The Convention Team
offers its heartfelt thanks to the many
people who took time out of their
busy schedules to support and attend
the Winter Meeting. We especially
thank the dozens of new members
who were willing take time away from
work, put on the blue tag, and give us
a chance to show how great the FDCC
can be.
The Membership Development
Committee unofficially kicked off our
meeting with Federation Express, a
four-hour program designed to show
new members what the FDCC is
all about. Brilliantly led by Jill Rice,
Robert Lockwood, William Toles,
and Thayla Bohn, our new members
got had first class CLE from Kendra
Jones, Jamie Jones, and Micalann
Pepe, followed by lunch and a great
bonding experience.
From there, we went outside to the
Vinoy Esplanade, where we finally
got to greet each other and properly
begin the festivities.
Monday’s program featured a talk
from Florida Supreme Court Justice
John D. Couriel. Then United States
District Court Judge Dan Aaron
Polster, who presided pver the Opioid
Litigation MDL in Cleveland, shared
his thoughts on the MDL, including
significant decisions, outcomes,
and lessons learned. The day’s
plenary session concluded with
litigation management tips from Kyle
Dreyer of Baylor University. (Some
members went next door for our
complimentary headshots.)
Monday night, we held our long-
awaited President’s Reception at
the five-story, 137,000 square foot
Museum of the American Arts and
Crafts Movement. The museum’s
founder was in attendance and told
us the FDCC was the biggest group
the museum ever hosted. Guests
surveyed the beautiful arts and
crafts and many of you picked up
mementos from the gift shop. We
enjoyed a memorable dinner in a
beautiful setting along with drinks,
music, and fellowship.
Tuesday, we enjoyed plenary sessions
focused on leadership, starting with
a panel of FDCC members telling
us how they lead their law firms,
companies, and communities in
these challenging times. Then, a
tech-savvy panel of industry experts
described the world of information
about plaintiffs available to you, from
cellphone data, vehicle data, health
and social apps, and more.
Tuesday night, the FDCC held a
Diversity Dinner at the Carter G.
Sean Griffin
In total, 456 people joined us in St. Petersburg -- more than any other Winter Meeting
in the past five years.
FDCC MEETINGS - Looking Back
by Sean Griffin - Convention Chair