TRI-State Defense Lawyers Association 

Events


 

 

 


Upcoming events

    • 17 Sep 2026
    • 18 Sep 2026
    • Portsmouth, New Hampshire
    Register


    September 17 & 18, 2026


    18th Annual TDLA Meeting


    Earn 4 CLE, including 60 minutes Ethics.


    Join us for TDLA’s 18th Annual Meeting. The event begins on Thursday evening at 6pm with a networking reception followed by dinner and a speaker. Friday morning’s business meeting begins at 8am, followed by a full slate of CLE’s. The event concludes by noon.




    Hilton Garden Inn Downtown

    Portsmouth, New Hampshire


    Reserve Your Room Now


    A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hilton Garden Inn, at the special rate of $279+.


    Reserve by August 18, 2023



    THE CLE PROGRAM



    MICHAEL KENNEDY, ESQ.

    Bar Counsel, The Vermont Judiciary




    Get Ready for an Ethics Trivia Challenge! 


    followed by a discussion on a "hot topic". 


    Mike Kennedy graduated from the University of Vermont and the George Washington University Law School. Mike has been Vermont Bar Counsel since 2012. As Bar Counsel, Mike focuses on assisting lawyers and judges to comply with the Rules of Professional Conduct and their professional obligations. From 2000-2012, Mike was Vermont’s Disciplinary Counsel, investigating and prosecuting lawyers who violated the Vermont Rules of Professional Conduct. He previously served as the president of the Vermont Bar Association and as an assistant attorney general for the Department of Corrections and Department of Health. In 2022, he received the prestigious American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Second Circuit. 



    DRI Speaker


    HENRY M. SNEATH

    Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

    Pittsburgh, PA



    AI – Defending the Algorithm

    Practical AI Strategies for the Defense Attorney


    A 2-hour intensive, this topic will have a practical piece and a substantive piece.


    Henry Sneath is a Director/Shareholder Attorney at Houston Harbaugh, P.C. in Pittsburgh, where he Co-Chairs the Litigation Section, and is Chair of the IP Section.  He has tried over 95 civil jury trials to verdict. He specializes in Business Litigation, Intellectual Property, Patent, Trademark and Copyright Infringement, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Trade Secret Protection, DTSALaw®, Cybersecurity and Data Breach, Prevention, Mitigation and Litigation, Products Liability Defense, Employment, Non-Competes, Restrictive Covenants, Probate, Trusts and Estates Litigation and Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Litigation. He also serves as a certified mediator, arbitrator and Federal Court Special Master.


    He is a Past President of DRI (Defense Research Institute) and is the former Chair of its Commercial Litigation Committee and Intellectual Property Subcommittee. He received his J.D. degree from Duquesne University School of Law.





    JAMES P. SPIZUOCO, Shareholder

    Drummond Woodsum

    Portland, Maine




    Recent Trends in Medical Malpractice


    James Spizuoco will analyze recent multi-million-dollar medical malpractice verdicts in Maine, as well as damages issues currently before the Maine Law Court that implicate the cap on wrongful death actions. He’ll also report on the state of attorney-directed voir dire and provide observations on how it was used at a recent jury trial. Finally, this session will include an essential overview of Perringer releases: what they are, how they are used, and how a defendant should elect between the offset and allocation methods.


    James Spizuoco is a Shareholder at Drummond Woodsum who focuses his practice on civil litigation, insurance coverage and defense, and medical malpractice defense. He represents medical professionals of every level and specialty, as well as hospitals and health care systems. Known for his ability to quickly learn and understand complex medical concepts, James advises clients from the notice of a malpractice claim up to and including trial. At a trial in Maine this summer, he helped obtain a unanimous defense verdict in a case that featured an alleged failure to diagnose osteomyelitis in the jaw of a patient who was seeking more than $1 million in damages. James has been recognized by both New England Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers USA.




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Past events

18 Sep 2025 17th Annual TDLA Meeting
06 Mar 2025 Interpreting and Using Life Care Planning Reports
26 Sep 2024 16th Annual TDLA Meeting
16 Jan 2024 CLE: Ethics of AI, ChatGPT and LLMS for Lawyers
14 Sep 2023 15th Annual TDLA Meeting
13 Apr 2023 NH CLE & Social: Summary Judgment: From Drafting to Oral Argument
22 Sep 2022 14th Annual TDLA Meeting
20 Jul 2022 How to Prepare Medical Experts for Case Review and Expert Witness Testimony
23 Mar 2022 Lunchtime Chat with Frank Ramos
13 Jan 2021 Risk, Regulation & Resilience: The Link Between Legal Malpractice, Competence and Attorney-Well Being
19 Sep 2019 13th Annual TDLA Meeting
18 Jun 2019 Sexual Harassment and the Law in 2019: ME CLE & Social
23 May 2019 NH CLE & Social: Deposition Skills for the Defense
20 Sep 2018 12th Annual TDLA Meeting
16 May 2018 DRI's 41st Annual Employment and Labor Law Seminar
03 May 2018 Joint TDLA - DRI Spring Social
29 Mar 2018 Maine Spring CLE & Social
14 Sep 2017 11th Annual TDLA Meeting
19 May 2017 DRI Northeast/Atlantic Regional Meeting
17 May 2017 Joint DRI-TDLA Young Lawyers Happy Hour
26 Apr 2017 Vermont TDLA-DRI Spring Social
23 Mar 2017 Maine CLE & Spring Social
19 Oct 2016 DRI Annual Meeting
22 Sep 2016 10th TDLA Annual Meeting
08 Apr 2016 DRI Northeast Regional Meeting
31 Mar 2016 Annual Maine CLE and Spring Social
07 Oct 2015 Northeast Region Reception at DRI
07 Oct 2015 DRI 2015 Meeting
17 Sep 2015 9th TDLA Annual Meeting
21 May 2015 NH CLE and Spring Fling at Bada Bing
09 Apr 2015 Annual Maine CLE and Spring Social
22 Oct 2014 DRI Annual Meeting
18 Sep 2014 8th TDLA Annual Meeting
15 Apr 2014 Networking and Social with NHAJ, NHWBA and TDLA
03 Apr 2014 Annual Maine Social & CLE
27 Feb 2014 Webinar - February 27, 2014 - Construction Coverage and Indemnification
19 Feb 2014 Webinar - February 19, 2014 - The SMART Act – Oh the Irony
19 Sep 2013 TDLA Annual Meeting
11 Jun 2013 TDLA Member New Hampshire Social
06 Jun 2013 TDLA Vermont CLE and Social
25 Apr 2013 Maine Winter Social
24 Oct 2012 DRI Annual Meeting
08 May 2012 New Hampshire Spring Social

Sheri M. Leahan                     Mark G. Filler, CPA/ABV, CVA, AM, CBA

Executive Director TDLA Treasurer

C/O Berry Talbot Royer, P.A. Berry Talbot Royer, P.A.

6 Fundy Road, Suite 100

Falmouth, ME 04105

Email: director@tristatedefenselawyers.org