Page 18 - 2026 FDCC Winter Meeting

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
7:00 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM Sisters’ Breakfast
(Presidential Suite – Invitation Only)
7:00 AM – 4:00 PM Registration
8:00 AM – 8:50 AM Substantive Section
Programming
Effective Relationship Development
with Corporate Counsel
Law Practice Management, Corporate Counsel
Panelists
Kendra Akin Jones – US Steel
Jamie Jones – Friday Eldredge & Clark, LLP
Alison Christian – Meritage Homes
Connie Morley – Shelter Insurance
This legal panel brings together seasoned in-
house counsel and experienced outside counsel
to explore best practices for communicating
effectively with corporate clients. The discussion
will delve into strategies for aligning legal advice
with business objectives, managing expectations,
and fostering collaborative relationships.
Panelists will share insights on tailoring
communication styles to different stakeholders,
handling sensitive or complex legal issues with
clarity, and building trust through transparency
and responsiveness. Attendees will gain practical
tools to enhance the impact and value of their
legal counsel within corporate environments.
Dual Dueling Defenses: Who’s to Blame When
Building Products Fail?
Construction, Product Liability
Panelists
Shelly Masters – Cokinos Young
Jared Liro – Wicker Smith
Elizabeth Fitzpatrick – Island Companies
John Sinnott – Irwin Fritchie Urquhart Moore & Daniels
When construction meets catastrophe, who
takes the fall—the product, the contractor, or the
planet? This dynamic panel unpacks the growing
wave of hybrid construction/product defect
litigation triggered by extreme weather events,
unpredictable failures, and the increasing strain on
building materials and methods.
With climate patterns shifting and temperatures
shattering records, products once deemed reliable
are now cracking, warping, or outright failing.
Contractors face mounting liability for means,
methods, and materials they didn’t manufacture,
while manufacturers push back, citing misuse,
misapplication, or acts of God.
Join seasoned trial lawyers, in-house counsel,
insurance professionals, and forensic experts as
they explore:
•
How weather-driven failures are reframing
product liability and construction defect
claims;
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2026 FDCC WINTER MEETING