Annual Conference 2010

"Achieving a Competitive Advantage in Changing Times" is the theme of the Massachusetts Bar Association's spring Annual Conference. MBA AC10 will take place on Thursday, March 11 and Friday, March 12 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston.

The conference will include the MBA Gala Dinner on Thursday evening, featuring a keynote address from Morris Dees, founder and lead trial counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center and the presentation of the MBA's Legislator of the Year Award to Massachusetts State Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem.

Annual Conference 2010's CLE programming will include plenary sessions as well as two continuous tracks on law practice management and recent developments. The Access to Justice Awards Luncheon will be held on Friday, March 12.

The MBA appreciates the support of our Annual Conference 2010 sponsors, which include:

Signature sponsor:
MBA Insurance Agency

Silver sponsors:
Davis, Malm & D'Agostine PC
MacLean, Holloway, Doherty, Ardiff & Morse PC
Meehan, Boyle, Black & Bogdanow PC
Todd & Weld LLP

Start your spring cleaning early and bring your gently-used clothes to the MBA's "Dress for Success" clothing drive at AC10. Donations will be accepted during the entire conference. Be sure to check the Dress for Success Web site to see what items are most needed and to make sure your items will be accepted.

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Annual Conference 2010 programming includes:

Thursday, March 11

8 a.m. Registration and Breakfast

9-11:45 a.m. President's Welcome and Plenary Session

Protect Your Firm and Client Information: Compliance with the New Massachusetts Data Privacy Laws

9:10 a.m. Introduction

Rodney S. Dowell, Esq., director, Law Office Management Assistance Program

9:15 a.m. What is the Data Privacy Act?

David M. Felper, Esq., Bowditch & Dewey LLP, Worcester

9:50 a.m. It's Lost, Now What?

Scott D. Schafer, Esq., Office of the Attorney General, Boston

10:25 a.m. Key Tools to Prevent a Breach

Blake Martin, CIO IT director, Sten-Tel, Inc., Springfield

11:15 a.m. Panel Discussion
Kurt Baumgarten, vice president of Information Security, Peritus Security, East Longmeadow; Daniel C. Crane, Esq., Daniel C. Crane, Attorney at Law, Cambridge; David M. Felper, Esq., Bowditch & Dewey LLP, Worcester

Noon: Lunch

1-2:30 p.m.: Plenary Session
Social Media for Lawyers: How to Boost Your Practice and Avoid Pitfalls
Robert J. Ambrogi, Esq., Law Office of Robert J. Ambrogi, Rockport; James S. Bolan, Esq., Brecher, Wyner, Simons, Fox & Bolan LLP, Newton; David C. Harlow, Esq., The Harlow Group LLC, Boston; Vanessa DiMauro, CEO, Leader Networks, Boston

2-2:30 p.m.: Tax Law Developments for the General Practitioner

Thomas G. Collins, Esq., McCarter & English LLP, Boston; Lisa M. Rico, Esq., McCarter & English LLP, Boston; Richard M. Stone, Esq., Richard M. Stone Attorney at Law, Boston

2:35 p.m.-3:30 p.m. CLE Breakout Sessions (Choose one)

Recent Developments in Bankruptcy Law
Justin H. Dion, Esq., Bacon & Wilson PC, Springfield; Francis C. Morrissey, Esq., Morrissey & Wilson LLP, Boston
Law Practice Management: Building Business in the Post-Crash Economy - Part I
Dustin A. Cole, President and Master Practice Advisor, Attorneys Master Class, Longwood, FL

3:35 p.m.-4:30 p.m. CLE Breakout Sessions (Choose one)

Recent Developments in Real Estate Law
Sami S. Baghdady, Esq., Baghdady Law Offices, Arlington; Elizabeth J. Barton, Esq., CATIC, Wellesley
Law Practice Management: Building Business in the Post-Crash Economy - Part II
Dustin A. Cole, President and Master Practice Advisor, Attorneys Master Class, Longwood, FL

4:35-5:30 p.m. CLE Breakout Sessions (Choose one)

Recent Developments in Employment Law
Thomas J. Gallitano, Esq., Conn, Kavanaugh, Rosenthal, Peisch & Ford LLP, Boston; Dahlia C. Rudavsky, Esq., Messing, Rudavsky & Weliky PC, Boston
Law Practice Management: Building Business in the Post-Crash Economy - Part III
Dustin A. Cole, President and Master Practice Advisor, Attorneys Master Class, Longwood, FL

5:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception

6:15 p.m. Gala Dinner

Friday, March 12

7:30 a.m.: Registration and breakfast

8:30 - 9 a.m.: President's Welcome and Plenary Session

Recent Developments in the Law Opening Remarks
Hon. Wilbur P. Edwards, Associate Justice, Southeast Housing Court, Fall River
Significant Legislative Developments in Massachusetts
Martin W. Healy, Esq., MBA Acting Executive Director and General Counsel, Boston

9-9:50 a.m.: CLE Breakout Sessions (Choose one)

Recent Developments in Juvenile Law
Hon. Jay D. Blitzman, First Justice, Juvenile Court Department, Middlesex County Division, Lowell; Peter A. Hahn, Esq., Hilton, Sindelar & Hahn, Newton; Martha Rush O'Mara, Esq., Law Office of Martha Rush O'Mara, Melrose
Law Practice Management: Avoiding Lawyer Meltdown
**(Sponsored by the Lawyers in Transition Committee)
Moderator: Lisa Terrizzi, Esq., Chair, MBA Lawyers in Transition Committee, Boston; Allison C. Shields, Esq., President, Legal Ease Consulting Inc., New York, NY; Gina Y. Walcott, Esq., Executive Director, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, Boston

9:55-10:45 a.m.: CLE Breakout Sessions (Choose one)

Recent Developments in Family Law
Hon. Paula M. Carey, Chief Justice, Probate and Family Court, Boston; Phyllis E. Federico, Esq., Schmidt & Federico PC, Boston; Denise Squillante, Esq., Law Office of Denise Squillante, Fall River
Law Practice Management: Alternatives to the Billable Hour
**(Sponsored by the General Practice, Solo & Small-Firm Section Council)
Moderators: John B. DiSciullo, Esq., Mitchell & DeSimone, Boston and Peter T. Elikann Esq., Law Office of Peter T. Elikann, Boston; Jay Shepherd, Esq., Shepherd Law Group PC, Boston

10:45-11:15 a.m.: Break featuring Prize Giveaways

11:15-12:10 p.m.: CLE Breakout Sessions (Choose one)

Recent Developments in Probate Law
John G. Dugan, Esq., Doherty, Ciechanowski, Dugan & Cannon PC, Franklin; Janice C. Nigro, Esq., Nigro, Pettepit & Lucas, Wakefield; Edward Notis-McConarty, Esq., Hemenway & Barnes LLP, Boston
Law Practice Management: From Paper to Pixels: The Paper LESS Office Works, Paperless Doesn't
Ross L. Kodner, Esq., Senior Legal Technologist/CEO, MicroLaw, Milwaukee, WI

12:15-2:15 p.m.: Access to Justice Awards Luncheon

2:15-3:10 p.m.: CLE Breakout Sessions (Choose one)

Recent Developments in Personal Injury and Insurance Law
Richard P. Campbell, Esq., Campbell, Campbell, Edwards & Conroy PC, Boston; Valerie A. Yarashus, Esq., Meehan, Boyle, Black & Bogdanow, Boston
Law Practice Management: The Most Bang for Your Grand
Gabriel Cheong, Esq., Infinity Law Group LLC, Quincy; Andrea J. Goldman Esq., Law Office of Andrea J. Goldman, Newton; Leanna Hamill, Esq., Leanna Hamill, Attorney at Law, Hingham

3:15-4:10 p.m.: CLE Breakout Sessions (Choose one)

Recent Developments in Criminal Law
Kevin J. Reddington, Esq., Kevin J. Reddington, Attorney at Law, Brockton
Law Practice Management: 60 Sites in 60 Minutes
Robert J. Ambrogi, Esq., Law Office of Robert J. Ambrogi, Rockport; Rodney S. Dowell, Esq., Law Office Management Assistance Program, Boston; Alan J. Klevan, Esq., Klevan & Klevan LLP, Boston; Ross L. Kodner, Esq., Senior Legal Technologist/CEO, MicroLaw, Milwaukee, WI

4:15- 5:15 p.m.: Plenary Session

Building A Solid Foundation: Managing Law Practice Risk
Scott D. Burke, Esq., Morrison Mahoney LLP, Boston

**Massachusetts lawyers who are MBA members can earn up to a 7.5 percent premium credit on Massachusetts professional liability insurance offered by CNA through the MBA Insurance Agency. You can earn a 5 percent premium credit by attending the Building a Solid Foundation: Managing Law Practice Risk session plus one other Recent Developments in the Law session. If more than one-third of your firm's attorneys attend, you can earn up to a 7.5 percent premium credit. This offer is valid for new and renewed lawyers' professional liability insurance policies with an effective date of Aug. 1, 2010 to July 31, 2011. This offer may not be combined with any other malpractice prevention/CLE premium credits.

Registration:

Click here to register for the MBA's 2010 conference online. For a printable PDF outlining sponsorship opportunities and table reservation information, click here. For additional information call (617) 338-0530.

The MBA has a limited room block available at the Westin. For more information, e-mail MBA Membership & Events Coordinator Wendy Dykman at [e-mail wdyckman].