Program  |  Speakers  |  Sponsors

Schedule

The ACAN Workshop Agenda
separate registration required
Thursday, March 7
7:45am Workshop Check-In
8:15am - 12:00pm

Arbitration and Mediation of Smart Contracts in Blockchain and Crypto Disputes 
Panelists: Prof. Amy Schmitz, Colin Rule, Brian Hirsh, Jim Reiman

“Be a SMART Neutral” - Artificial Intelligence for Judges, Lawyers, & Neutrals 
Panelists: Kassi Burns, Ana Sambold, Peter Vogel
Join us at the “Be a SMART Neutral” workshop at the ACAN Annual Meeting, where we’ll provide a quick overview of generative AI tools before moving onto our primary focus: practical use cases of generative AI. We’ll be sharing demonstrations of how you can build custom GPTs in low-risk scenarios and will even spend some time workshopping prompts using Chat GPT. We hope you join us for this exiting session where we hope to make it happen – with ChatGPT!

Employing Court-Appointed Neutrals in Florida – a World Café Program 
Facilitated by: Ana Cristina Maldonado

 

Annual Meeting Agenda
Wednesday, March 6
4:00pm - 6:00pm Board of Directors Meeting
6:30pm Dine Arounds
 Thursday, March 7
12:00pm - 4:30pm Registration Open
1:30pm President's Welcome
1:45pm - 3:00pm

Making It Happen: The Intersection of Neutrals & AI
Panelists: Aron Ahmadia, Jerry Bui, Hon. Tanya R. Kennedy, Maribel Rivera
Moderated by: Kassi Burns 
3:00pm - 3:15pm Sponsor Spotlight & "What Do I Do"
3:15pm - 3:30pm Break
3:30pm - 4:30pm Making It Happen: Court-Appointed Neutrals and Scientific Experts in Environmental Cases Panel 
Panelists: John M. Doherty, Hon. Gustavo A. Gelpi, Prof. Keith Rizzardi, and Sandra Thiam
4:30pm - 4:45pm What’s Up: An Update from Merril Hirsh on Where We Are In Developing the Profession
5:30pm - 7:00pm Welcome Reception
7:00pm - 9:00pm

Annual Dinner - New Fellow Induction, Recognition of New Members, Awards Presentation & Sponsor Recognition
Keynote Presentation by: Hon. Benes Z. Aldana (Ret.)
9:00pm

After-Hours Networking
 Friday, March 8
8:00am - 4:00pm Registration Open
7:30am - 8:15am Continental Breakfast
8:15am - 9:30am Making It Happen:  The Use of Neutrals in the New York Opioid Case 
Panelists: Thomas McNamara, John L Juliano, Harvey Besunder, and Hon. Anthony Marano
9:30am - 9:45am Sponsor Spotlight & "What Do I Do"
9:45am - 10:00am Break
10:00am - 11:00am Making It Happen: Making Better Use of Neutrals in Family Law
Panelists: Hon. James Graves, LaJuanda Williams-Griffin, Ronne Kaplan 
Moderated by: Susan McDonald
11:00am - 11:15am Sponsor Spotlight & "What Do I Do"
11:15am - 11:45pm Making It Happen: An Interview with ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Chair
Speaker: Ana Sambold 
Interviewed by: Merril Hirsh
11:45am - 12:45pm Networking Lunch
12:45pm - 1:15pm Making It Happen: The Challenges of Judging the January 6 Capitol Riot Cases
Speaker: Hon. Paul L. Friedman
1:15pm - 2:30pm Making It Happen: Resolution of the 2021 Surfside, Florida Condominium Collapse 
Panelists: Hon. Michael A. Hanzman, Michael I. Goldberg, Rachel Wagner Furst, and Judd G. Rosen
Moderated by: Thomas F. Icard Jr.
2:30pm - 2:45pm Break
2:45pm - 4:15pm

Making It Happen: Why? Why Not? A Conversation with Judges and Experienced Neutrals Discussing the Use of Court-Appointed Neutrals
Panelists: Hon. Denise L. Cote, Hon. Paul L. Friedman, and Hon. Judith Levy
Interviewed by: Deborah Greenspan and Randi Ilyse Roth
4:15pm - 4:30pm  "What Do I Do?"
4:30pm - 4:50pm

Reflections on the Work of Neutrals in the Historic African-American Farmers’ Race Discrimination Case, Pigford v. Vilsack: Central Figures Compare Lessons Learned a Decade Later
Discussion Led by: Hon. Paul L. Friedman, Alva Dial, Nicole Hamann, Michael K. Lewis, Randi Ilyse Roth
5:30pm - 9:45pm Riverboat Tour & Tropical Isle Dinner - Sponsored by Western Alliance & LitPRO
Saturday, March 9
8:00am - 11:00am Registration Open
8:00am - 9:00am

Continental Breakfast
9:00am - 10:15am Making It Happen: Cutting Edge Dispute Trends 
Panelists: Hon. Gail Andler (Ret.), Debby Greenspan, Tina Patterson, Janice Sperow
10:15am - 11:15am Making It Happen: The Ethical Neutral - Would Your Grandmom Approve?
Panelists: William Johnston, David Leonard, Dennis A. Rendleman
Moderated by: Edgar Gentle III
11:15am - 11:30am ACAN Annual Business Meeting: Announcement of 2024-2025 Officers and Board of Directors
11:30am Adjourn
6:00pm Dine Arounds