Letter From the Chair

As chair of the Business Litigation Committee of the ABA’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS), I’m glad you found our website. Welcome! Once you see how active our committee is, we hope you will find a “home” with us, and we look forward to your participation. We offer you up-to-date business law information, an opportunity to create relationships with colleagues across the country, and a learning environment where you can quickly become a player and have a good time doing it. For a schedule of upcoming meetings and programs, click here.

The BLC covers all aspects of business litigation, including breaches of and interference with contracts, fraud, deceptive trade practices, lender and consumer liability, misuse of intellectual property, and other business and employment torts. Our focus includes not only substantive law issues, but also techniques to effectively present a case to a jury, judge, mediator, or arbitrator. Our membership at just over 1400 members is diverse. Our members represent business clients, both in prosecuting and defending actions, but we also have many in-house attorneys, staff counsel and plaintiffs’ counsel.

Having been recognized in August 2010 at the ABA/TIPS Annual Meeting for Overall Excellence, our committee is well underway with projects for 2010-2011. Recently, Chair Elect Doug Albritton spearheaded our CLE program “What’s New in Communication Technology Litigation” where top-flight attorneys shared insights into the latest media applications and how these new technologies are changing our practice. Marcy Greer has put together a terrific Practitioners Guide to Class Actions for use in all 50 states and we are planning a big CLE event in Toronto in 2011. You may want to be a part of it. Or you could help us with ideas or follow through on one of our upcoming TeleCLEs. For example, our next will be on the topic of “Alternate Billing Arrangements” with Laura Hedge. There’s also always an opportunity to write for a wide audience. We will continue to provide excellent legal publications like the Business Litigation Newsletter. Members can view current and archived editions of the Newsletter.

It’s easy to join us. If you are already a member of the ABA and TIPS, you can join the BLC for free by clicking here. You can join the ABA or TIPS, by clicking here. Once you are a member of our committee, you can immediately receive new editions of the Business Litigation Newsletter, access archived editions of the Newsletter online on this website, and receive notice of and discounts for our continuing legal education programs. All members of the committee are free to attend any of our committee business meetings, held during TIPS’ quarterly leadership meetings. See our annual report by clicking here.

If you view our complete leadership roster by clicking here, you will find someone in your region or field who would be glad to speak with you about our committee. Start building the business relationships you’ll need and cherish in the coming years. If you’re interested in becoming more involved with the BLC, just contact me.

On behalf of the BLC, I sincerely appreciate your interest. We truly want to be an asset and a blessing to you and your practice. It’s my honor to lead the committee during the 2010-2011 year. I hope to hear from you.

Sincerely,
Jim Myrick ,