MDL Roundtable Agenda

Thursday, April 27

Faculty Conference Center on the 5th Floor of the Burns Law Library

2 - 2:15 pm - Welcome and Introductory Remarks 

2:15 - 3:45 pm - Panel One: MDL Panel Decision Making

Moderator

• Roger Trangsrud, The George Washington University Law School

Panelists

• Judge Sarah Vance [MDL Panel and E.D. La.]
• Prof. Andrew Bradt [Berkeley]
• Prof. Jay Tidmarsh [Notre Dame]
• Prof. Abbe Gluck [Yale]
• Professor Sam Issacharoff [NYU]
• Dan Girard
• Ted Mayer
• Emery Lee/Margaret Williams [FJC]
• John Beisner

3:45 - 4 pm - Intermission and Refreshments

4 - 5:30 pm - Panel Two: Selection and Compensation of Lead Counsel

Moderator

• Alan Morrison, The George Washington University Law School

Panelists

• Judge David Proctor [MDL Panel and N.D. Ala.]
• Prof. Elizabeth Burch [Georgia]
• Prof. Charles Silver [Texas]
• Chris Guth
• Jayne Conroy

6 - 7 pm - Cocktail Reception at One Washington Circle Hotel

7 - 9 pm - Dinner at One Washington Circle Hotel

April 28 
Student Conference Center on the 2nd Floor of Lisner Hall

8:15 - 9 am - Continental Breakfast

9 - 10:30 am - Panel Three: Limits on Judicial Participation in and Approval of Non-class Settlements

Moderator

• Roger Trangsrud, The George Washington University Law School

Panelists

• Judge Anthony Sirica [Third Circuit Court of Appeals]
• Prof. Howard Erichson [Fordham]
• Prof. Linda Mullenix [Texas]
• Prof. Deborah Hensler [Stanford]
• Prof. Judith Resnik [Yale]
• David Bernick
• Christopher Seeger

10:30 - 10:45 am - Intermission and Refreshments

10:45 am - 12:15 pm - Panel Four: Case Management Strategies by Transferee Judges

Moderator

• Alan Morrison, The George Washington University Law School

Panelists

• Judge Ellen Huvelle [MDL Panel and D.C. District Court]
• Prof. Patrick Woolley [Texas]
• Prof. Stephen Burbank [Penn]
• Prof. Frances McGovern [Duke]
• Prof. Bob Bone [Texas]
• Sheila Birnbaum
• Daniel Girard
• David Herr

12:15 - 1:30 pm - Lunch

1:30 - 3 pm - Panel Five: Alternatives to MDL Practice

Moderator

• Roger Trangsrud, The George Washington University Law School

Panelists

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Papers & Presentations

Robert G. Bone - "Compared to What?: A Qualified Defense of the MDL"

Andrew Bradt - "Geography, Personal Jurisdiction, and MDL Case Assignments"

Stephen B. Burbank - "The MDL Court and Case Management in Historical Perspective"

Elizabeth Burch - "Rethinking the Selection and Compensation of Lead Lawyers in Multidistrict Litigation"

Abbe Gluck - "Unorthodox Civil Procedure"

Deborah R. Hensler - "No Need to Panic: The Multi-District Litigation Process Needs Improvement Not Demolition"

David Proctor and Sam Issacharoff - "Selection and Compensation of Counsel in Multi-District Litigation" (.ppt)

Linda S. Mullenix - "Developments Relating to the European Union's Recommendations for Collective Redress, and the Opt-Out/Opt-In Problem"

Linda S. Mullenix - "Policing MDL Non-Class Aggregate Settlement: Empowering Judges through the All Writs Act"

John Rabiej - "Two Proposals to Improve How Courts Manage 'Mega-MDLS'"

Judith Resnik - "Doing the State's Business: From Collective Actions for Fair Labor Standards and Pooled Trusts to Class Actions and MDLs in the Federal Courts"

Charles Silver - "Some Questions About Lead Counsels' Appointment, Duties, and Compensation"

Jay Tidmarsh - "The MDL as De Facto Opt-In Class Action"

Patrick Woolley - "Rethinking Choice of Circuit Law in Multidistrict Litigation"

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Roundtable Participants

David Bernick is an attorney at Paul Weiss.

Sheila Birnbaum is an attorney at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan LLP.

Robert Bone is a Professor at the University of Texas Law School.

Andrew Bradt is a Professor at the Berkeley School of Law.

Stephen Burbank is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Elizabeth Burch is a Professor at the University of Georgia Law School.

Jayne Conroy is an attorney at Simmons, Hanly, Conroy.

Howard Erichson is a Professor at the Fordham Law School.

Ken Feinberg is an attorney at FeinbergRozen LLP.

Dan Girard is an attorney at Girard Gibbs LLP.

Abbe Gluck is a Professor at the Yale Law School.

Chris Guth is Litigation Counsel for Bayer US.

Deborah Hensler is a Professor at the Stanford Law School.

David Herr is an attorney at Maslon LLP.

Ellen Huvelle is a member of the MDL Panel and a federal district judge in the District of Columbia.

Sam Issacharoff is a Professor at the New York University Law School.

Emery Lee is employed by the Federal Judicial Center.

Ted Mayer is an attorney at Hughes Hubbard and Reed.

Frances McGovern is a Professor at the Duke University Law School.

Alan Morrison is an Associate Dean at the George Washington University Law School.

Linda Mullenix is a Professor at the University of Texas Law School.

Catherine Perry is a member of the MDL Panel and a federal district court judge in the E.D. Mo.

David Proctor is a member of the MDL Panel and a federal district court judge in the N.D. Ala.

John Rabiej is Director of the Center for Judicial Studies at the Duke University Law School.

Judith Resnik is a Professor at the Yale Law School.

Christopher Seeger is an attorney at SeegerWeiss LLP.

Charles Silver is a Professor at the University of Texas Law School.

Anthony Sirica is a judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Jay Tidmarsh is a Professor at the Notre Dame Law School.

Roger Trangsrud is a Professor at the George Washington University Law School.

Sarah Vance is a member of the MDL Panel and a federal district court judge in the E.D. La.

Margaret Williams is employed by the Federal Judicial Center.

Patrick Woolley is a Professor at the University of Texas Law School.

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Attendance at the Roundtable is by invitation only. If you have questions about the program or papers, please contact Roger Trangsrud [rtranglaw [dot] gwu [dot] edu (rtrang[at]law[dot]gwu[dot]edu) or 202-994-6182] or Dean Alan Morrison [abmorrisonlaw [dot] gwu [dot] edu (abmorrison[at]law[dot]gwu[dot]edu) or 202-994-7120].