Page 29 - FDCCFlyer_Summer2025

Officer Reports
A Place for Everyone, at Charleston Place
A Recap on Our Winter Meeting
by R. Jeffrey Kelsey & Dan McGrath
The FDCC returned to Charleston,
South Carolina for the 2025 Winter
Meeting at the luxurious Charleston
Place Hotel. Over 350 members,
spouses, and guests enjoyed a
memorable four days filled with
presentations addressing cutting-
edge legal issues, interesting and
fun afternoon recreational activities,
and unique evening receptions and
dinners, perfect for mingling with
old FDCC friends and making new
acquaintances.
The meeting kicked off Sunday
afternoon with the welcoming
of our new FDCC members and
FDCC Past Presidents. The program
opened with remarks addressing
ethical issues and especially those
of concern for corporate counsel
from Hon. John Kittredge, Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of
South Carolina. The meeting’s
R. Jeffrey Kelsey Dan McGrath
Welcome Reception was held
thereafter at the Riviera Theater,
a beautifully restored Art Deco
theater just across King Street from
the hotel. A palpable energy filled
the ballroom as guests excitedly
reconnected and renewed old
friendships over drinks and fresh
seafood hors d’oeuvres.
The meeting began in earnest
on Monday morning with a
presentation of the National
Anthem sung by a wonderful soloist
from the College of Charleston
School of Music accompanied by
The Citadel’s Color Guard Platoon
and bagpiper. William Cogswell,
the Mayor of Charleston, gave
our members a rousing welcome
and insights into the public works
and improvements underway in
Charleston. Corporate counsel
with Oracle, Microsoft, and the
Special Competitive Studies project
spoke about developments in the
use of Artificial Intelligence by the
legal profession. Federal Judges J.
Michelle Childs, Joseph Dawson,
Marvin Quattlebaum and Mia
Roberts Perez discussed the art of
persuasion and effective advocacy
in court. Litigation funding by
third-parties, mass tort advertising,
and their impact on potential jury
pools was debated by leading
experts in this field. Substantive law
committee presentations focused
on data breaches and resulting
litigation, social media and The First
Amendment for students, recent
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