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Kutak Rock Attorneys to Present Multiple Panels at 2024 NSBA Annual Meeting

News | October 4, 2024

From Tuesday, October 8 to Friday, October 11 the Nebraska State Bar Association will hold its annual meeting "Upholding the Standards of Our Profession" at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in La Vista, Nebraska.

Wednesday, October 9:

Kutak Rock partners Michael Mullin and Amy Van Horne will participate in a CLE ADR seminar titled "Navigating Day-in-Day-Out Mediation: Effective Preparations and Ethical Considerations" from 8 to 10 a.m. (CT). The presentation will detail the following topics:

  • Hour One:
    • Essential components of mediation preparations
    • Understanding parties involved
    • Gathering necessary information
    • Creating a conducive environment for dialogue

  • Hour Two:
    • Key ethical dilemmas and strategies for navigating them

Mike has served as a mediator in over 4,500 disputes. He regularly mediates over 200 disputes per year across the United States. He has successfully mediated a wide range of civil disputes, including class action lawsuits, FLSA collective actions, FELA claims, Superfund CERCLA cost recovery actions, catastrophic injury claims, employment disputes, shareholder disputes and virtually all types of business and commercial disputes. Over 90% of his mediated cases to date have resulted in a successful agreement. Mike has been inducted as Distinguished Fellow into the International Academy of Mediators and a Fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. He is the only Nebraska mediator to be inducted into the International Academy of Mediators and was the first (of two) Nebraska mediators to be inducted into the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. The Best Lawyers in America has honored him with its “Lawyer of the Year” recognition on nine occasions. In 2022, Mike was honored by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation with its “Legal Pioneer” award for advancing the use of mediation in Nebraska. In 2023, he was the 11th recipient of the  “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Omaha Bar Association.

Amy is the first female mediator in Nebraska to be accepted into the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, and one of only two attorneys from Nebraska accepted into the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. As a second-career lawyer, Amy has experience as a public-school teacher as well as extensive experience litigating personal injury, products liability, and insurance coverage disputes. This experience gives her the unique ability to both educate parties on how a case will progress to verdict as well as provide valuable support in reaching success in mediation.

Thursday, October 10:

Kutak Rock partner Kevin Hartzell will participate in a CLE seminar titled "Corporate Counsel Section" from 9 to 11 a.m. (CT). The presentation will detail the following topics:

  • Hour One:
    • Discussion of key terms
    • First and third-party insurance distinctions
    • Contractual obligations
    • Insights into managing liabilities
    • Negotiating contracts
    • Understanding nuances of indemnification in business relationships
  • Hour Two:
    • A panel of corporate counsel attorneys and their outside counsel discuss recent hot topics relating to corporate counsel.

Kevin devotes his national practice to all facets of insurance coverage, contractual indemnity, risk analysis, the resolution of complex claims, and coverage litigation. He is experienced with products liability, professional, construction, environmental, large property and business insurance and losses, reinsurance, and claims and coverage issues arising as to additional and excess insurance and in the contractual indemnity context. He has particular experience with insurance, indemnity, and risk issues in national and international chains of supply and in national and international retail environments, as well as coverage issues arising with respect to risk retention groups. He is the firm's Insurance & Risk Working Group Leader.

Kutak Rock of counsel David Bracht will participate in a CLE seminar titled "Agricultural, Natural Resources, Environmental and Energy Law Section" on Thursday, October 10 from 9 to 11 a.m. (CT). The presentation will detail the following topics:

  • Regulatory landscape for hemp and specialty products
  • Updates on wetlands management following the Sackett decision
  • Opportunities in carbon markets
  • Importance of protecting agricultural production within conservation easements

David has more than 35 years’ experience in business, government and law, including senior management experience in private industry and federal and state government agencies. He advises clients focused on energy efficiency projects and on renewable energy projects including biofuels, biomass, solar and wind energy, as well as lenders and vendors to the energy sector. David also works with producers and agribusinesses involved in production, processing and sale of agriculture products, along with lenders, insurers and other firms supporting agriculture and food industries. Based on his multiple government appointments, David also represents firms obtaining permits and otherwise interacting with federal, state and local government agencies and regulators. 

Click here to learn more about all offered CLE seminars and visit this page to register.