Complex Litigation Ethics Conference 2025
The Complex Litigation Ethics Conference 2025 is the fourth annual event dedicated to exploring ethical challenges in complex litigation. Organized by Professors Joshua P. Davis and Scott Dodson of UC Law San Francisco's Center for Litigation and Courts, the conference will convene judges, scholars, and practitioners to discuss critical issues affecting the justice system.
Key topics include the ethics of combining litigation with arbitration, the role of legal journalists and lawyers amid government reprisals, and ethical considerations for class counsel and claims administrators in class settlements. Additional sessions will address the Federal Rules Advisory Committee's influence on ethics in complex litigation, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) challenges within the legal profession, and ethical aspects of leadership transitions in plaintiffs' law firms.
The conference offers networking opportunities through receptions and panel discussions, fostering engagement between attendees and speakers. Notable participants include Elizabeth Cabraser, Amanda Bronstad, and Judge William Fletcher, providing valuable insights into complex litigation ethics.
Legal professionals involved in complex litigation, including attorneys, judges, and scholars, will benefit from attending. The conference provides a platform to stay informed about evolving ethical standards, engage with experts, and discuss best practices in the field.
Speakers(25)
Amanda Bronstad
Staff Reporter at American Lawyer Media
Amanda Bronstad is a staff reporter at American Lawyer Media, covering class actions and mass torts across the country, and writes the weekly newsletter 'Critical Mass' focused on these topics.
Brooke West Blake
Senior Associate at Pearson Warshaw, LLP
Brooke West Blake is a Senior Associate at Pearson Warshaw, LLP, focusing on complex litigation matters, including class actions and mass torts.
Cam Azari
Senior Vice President at Epiq
Cameron R. Azari, Esq., is Epiq’s Senior Vice President with over 23 years of experience as a nationally recognized expert in creating class action notification campaigns in compliance with federal and state class action statutes.
Cari Campen Laufenberg
Partner at Keller Rohrback L.L.P.
Cari Campen Laufenberg is a partner at Keller Rohrback L.L.P., focusing on complex litigation, including consumer protection and data breach class actions.
Daniel Girard
Founder at Girard Sharp
Daniel Girard founded Girard Sharp in 1995, offering dedicated representation to individuals, and has served as lead counsel in a wide range of successful class actions across various legal areas.
Dena Sharp
Trial Lawyer at Girard Sharp
Dena Sharp is a trial lawyer at Girard Sharp, focusing on complex litigation, and has served as co-lead counsel in significant multidistrict litigations resulting in substantial recoveries.
E. Michelle Drake
Executive Shareholder at Berger Montague
E. Michelle Drake is an Executive Shareholder at Berger Montague’s Minneapolis office, focusing on consumer protection, improper credit reporting, and financial services class actions, with career settlements and verdicts valued at over $150 million.
Elizabeth Cabraser
Founding Partner at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Elizabeth Cabraser is a founding partner of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, with unparalleled expertise in complex civil litigation and has been recognized multiple times as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America.
Eric L. Cramer
Chairman at Berger Montague
Eric L. Cramer is the Chairman of Berger Montague, specializing in antitrust class actions and has served as lead counsel in numerous significant cases.
Jennifer McClanahan
Founder at Leverage to Lead
Jennifer McClanahan is the founder of Leverage to Lead, a consultancy focused on helping organizations build inclusive cultures and develop diverse leadership.
Jocelyn Larkin
Of Counsel at Impact Fund
Jocelyn Larkin joined the Impact Fund in 2000, serving as its Executive Director from 2010 to 2024, focusing on complex employment discrimination and class action practice on behalf of plaintiffs.
Joshua P. Davis
Research Professor at UC Law SF and Berger Montague
Joshua P. Davis is a research professor at UC Law SF and manages the San Francisco office of Berger Montague PC, specializing in AI, antitrust, class actions, civil procedure, free speech, legal ethics, and jurisprudence.
Judith Resnik
Arthur Liman Professor of Law at Yale Law School
Judith Resnik is the Arthur Liman Professor of Law at Yale Law School, focusing on the relationship of democratic values to government services, including courts, prisons, and services for the poor.
Lindsay Nako
Executive Director at Impact Fund
Lindsay Nako is the Executive Director of the Impact Fund, a legal nonprofit that provides grants to support impact litigation, represents individuals and classes in strategic civil rights litigation, and trains public interest attorneys.
Mariyam Hussain
Senior Counsel at Berger Montague
Mariyam Hussain is Senior Counsel at Berger Montague PC in the Employment Law and Forced Labor practice groups in Chicago, focusing on interdisciplinary impact litigation to advance economic and social justice.
Melissa S. Weiner
Partner at Pearson Warshaw, LLP
Melissa S. Weiner is a partner and civil litigator at Pearson Warshaw, LLP, focusing on combating consumer deception through class actions related to consumer protection, product defect, and data breach.
Myriam Gilles
Catharine Waugh McCulloch Professor of Law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Professor Myriam Gilles joined Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in July 2025, teaching and writing in civil procedure, complex litigation, and torts, and is the fifth most-cited civil procedure scholar in the country.
Richard Marcus
Coil Chair in Litigation at UC Law SF
Richard Marcus holds the Coil Chair in Litigation at UC Law SF, serving as a Reporter of the US Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules since 1996.
Richard Simmons
President at Analytics Consulting LLC
Richard W. Simmons is President of Analytics Consulting LLC, with over 35 years of experience designing and managing settlement administration and legal notice programs in complex litigation.
Richard Zitrin
Lecturer Emeritus at UC College of the Law San Francisco
Richard Zitrin taught Legal Ethics for over 40 years and is the lead author of a widely adopted legal ethics textbook, now serving as Lecturer Emeritus at UC College of the Law San Francisco.
Rose Clark
Member of National Settlement Team at Huntington Bank
Rose Clark brings over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, including seven years as a key member of Huntington Bank’s National Settlement Team, and co-authored the Antitrust Annual Report analyzing private antitrust class actions.
Sydney Gustafson
Co-Chair of Diversity Committee at BrownGreer PLC
Sydney Gustafson joined BrownGreer in 2010, serving as Co-Chair for the firm’s Diversity Committee and overseeing various aspects of mass torts and class action settlements.
Thomas Scott-Railton
Associate at Gupta Wessler
Thomas Scott-Railton is an associate at Gupta Wessler LLP, focusing on complex public interest and plaintiff-side appellate litigation, with experience clerking for Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
W. Bradley Wendel
Professor at Cornell Law School
Brad Wendel is a professor at Cornell Law School, teaching in the regulation of the legal profession and torts, with research focusing on the application of moral and political philosophy to legal ethics.
Zim Hang
Event Details
- Date
- August 21, 2025
- Location
- 🇺🇸 San Francisco, United States
- UC Law San Francisco
- Pricing
- Varies by tier
- Audience
- Legal professionals involved in complex litigation, including attorneys, judges, and scholars.
- CLE Credits
- 8 CLE credit hours, including 4 ethics hours