2026 Med Mal CLE Seminar

2026 Med Mal CLE Seminar                                                        SPONSORS

Monday, January 12, 2026
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dallas - Love Field
3300 W. Mockingbird Ln.
Dallas, Texas 75235
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Pre-CLE Reception underwritten by Aversano & Gold
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Host Hotel
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Cocktails and appetizers provided
 

This CLE is for TTLA Members only and is only offered in-person.

Room Block Information: 
Click here to book the discounted room rate
Rate is $179++ USD per night
Mandatory Charge: 2.00% per room, per stay
2.00% per room, per night
6.00% sum per room, per night
9.00% sum per room, per night
The discounted room block rate ends December 30, 2025, at 5:00 PM CST.
All reservations must be guaranteed by a valid credit card at the time of booking.
Hotel check-in time is 4:00 PM, check-out time is 11:00 AM.

Parking:
Self-parking only: $25.00 per day

This CLE is for TTLA Members only and is only offered in-person.

Earn up to 6.50 MCLE Hours

Sunday, January 11, 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM	Welcoming Reception Underwritten by  Aversano & Gold DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dallas - Love Field (CLE Host hotel)
Monday, January 12, 2026
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM	Breakfast and Coffee
7:50 AM - 8:00 AM 10 min	Welcome Remarks Luke Metzler, Course Director, Dallas
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM 30 min     0.50 MCLE	Med Mal Update: Case Law and Prognostications SPEAKER: Paula Sweeney, Dallas Recent cases on Ch 74 Consequential cases on Ch 74 Prognostications: what trends can we discern about the direction of the S. Ct. on Ch 74? Sneak Tactics Constitutionality of Ch 74???  Time for another look??
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM 30 min   0.50 MCLE	Motions Practice Under Chapter 74 and Appeals SPEAKER: Justice Sarah Beth “Sorcha” Landau (Fmr.), Houston Surprise! It's a Health Care Liability Claim! Successfully Navigating Motions to Dismiss How Specific Does the Expert Report Need to Be? Protecting Your Health Care Liability from Appellate Drama
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM 30 min   0.50 MCLE	Disqualification of Co-defense Counsel from the Same Firm & Jury Charges Including Vicarious Liability SPEAKER: Rosalyn Tippett, Flower Mound
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM 30 min    0.50 MCLE	East Texas Doctors: Are They Entitled to TTCA Protection? SPEAKER: Reid Martin, Tyler About topic: Private Equity is moving into the healthcare industry and bringing with it the unquenchable thirst for money by attempting to strip patients of their right to sue.  This is an update on the East Texas scheme in which private doctors masquerade as government employees to claim sovereign immunity.  Learn discovery strategies for challenging their affidavits and W-2s that supposedly prove TTCA protection. Discussion will include: The Memorandum of Appointment The W-2 and Affidavits from Doctors or State Employees Common Defense Arguments The Master Services Agreement Case Updates: What’s Happening on Appeal
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM 15 min	Break
10:15 AM – 10:45 AM 30 min    0.50 MCLE	Audit Trails: Capturing the Metadata Behind a Patient's Record SPEAKER: Tom Jacob, Austin
10:45 AM – 11:15 AM 30 min    0.50 MCLE	COVID Defenses SPEAKER: J.T. Borah, Austin About Topic: COVID defenses are still being raised in some cases.  Are they still legitimate defenses?   How do you respond?  What must the defense prove in order to prevail?  What are the ramifications if they prevail?
11:15 AM – 11:45 AM 30 min    0.50 MCLE	What’s Coming in 2027? SPEAKER: Jack Walker, Immediate Past President, Tyler
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM 30 min    0.50 MCLE	Mandatory Periodic Payment of Future Damages per CPRC 74.503 SPEAKER: Jennifer Birdsall, Dallas
12:15 PM – 12:30 PM 15 min	Pick up lunch
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM 30 min    0.50 MCLE	AI and the Future Medical Malpractice Law SPEAKERS: Tom Omondi, Missouri City and Kelly Liebbe, Dallas AI Tools for Medical Malpractice Attorneys: Practical Tips and Live Demonstrations Getting Started with AI: A Practical Guide for Medical Malpractice Attorneys
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM 45 min     0.75 MCLE	Med Mal Tips, Tricks & Hacks SPEAKERS: Stephen Barnes, MD, JD, Houston, Colleen Carboy, RN, JD, Lewisville, and Hieu Dang, MD, JD, Houston MedMal Research Anesthesia Cases Selecting Perfect Experts Finding the Hidden Evidence
1:45 PM – 2:15 PM 30 min    0.50 MCLE	Pleading and Proving Direct Liability: Corporate Practice of Medicine or Not? SPEAKER: Luke Metzler, Dallas
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM 15 min	Break
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM 30 min    0.50 MCLE	Trial Download: Suing in a Tough Venue with Tough Facts SPEAKERS: Seth McCloskey, Fort Worth About Topic: Navigating a venue with a strong "white coat shield" (the Halo Effect) is one of the toughest challenges for a plaintiff’s attorney, especially when your case has challenging facts. In a conservative, pro-medical venue, jurors often equate a verdict against a doctor with a verdict against the medical industry or as an attack against a profession sworn to “do no harm.” To win here, you must separate the person from the action and maintain credibility. You are not asking the jury to brand the doctor as "bad"; you are asking them to enforce the safety rules that keep the community safe.  This presentation will cover how to: Identify the medical industry’s “Super Fans” through a careful voir dire approach Establish the simple purpose of the procedure, along with a simple safety rule that was violated Identify what is NOT in the records but should be Follow the audit trail, expose the rabbit trails Practical Do’s and Don’ts for trial Reveal the doctor’s arrogance before attacking Contrast the defense by showing the jury everything, and more
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM 30 min    0.50 MCLE	AI Update: TrialSmith SPEAKER: Kent Hughes, President & CEO, TrialSmith
3:30 PM – 3:45 PM 15 min    0.25	Group Discussion  MODERATOR: Luke Metzler, Dallas
3:45 PM	Adjourn

 

Registration Rates:
Registration              Until December 26th            $399.00
Late Registration   December 27th - January 11th   $425.00
At-Door Registration  January 12th         $440.00

Cancellation & Refunds:
Cancellation for full a refund must be made by 12:00 PM, Friday, December 19, 2026.
Cancellation for a refund less a $55 processing fee must be made by 12:00 PM, Friday, December 26, 2026.
Refunds are not available after 12:00PM, Friday, December 26, 2026; after this date, all fees are non-refundable and non-transferable to a future seminar.
Refunds are not available should a change in your schedule prevent you from attending the seminar after the refund deadline. 

Meeting Safety & Harassment Policy
TTLA is committed to the safety of all attendees and participants at our conferences and events. Please review TTLA’s Meeting Safety & Harassment policy for more information.  
VIEW POLICY

Notice of Filming and Photography
By registering for and entering the event premises, you are agreeing to TTLA's filming and photography policy.
VIEW NOTICE

 

Sponsors:

Esquire Bank

EvenUp

Filevine

 

Physician Life Care Planning

 

Reedy Miller

Stokes & Associates

This program has been approved for credit in the following jurisdiction(s):

State Bar Of Texas Minimum Continuing Legal Education

Credit has been approved with the State Bar Of Texas Minimum Continuing Legal Education for 6.50 General credits. Texas Trial Lawyers Association, is an accredited sponsor, approved by the State Bar of Texas, Committee on MCLE.

Location

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dallas - Love Field
3300 W. Mockingbird Ln.
Dallas, Texas 75235
8:00 AM - 3:45 PM

Pre-CLE Reception underwritten by Aversano & Gold
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Host Hotel
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Cocktails and appetizers provided

Room Block Information

Click here to book the discounted room rate
Rate is $179++ USD per night
Mandatory Charge: 2.00% per room, per stay
2.00% per room, per night
6.00% sum per room, per night
9.00% sum per room, per night
The discounted room block rate ends December 30, 2025, at 5:00 PM CST.
All reservations must be guaranteed by a valid credit card at the time of booking.
Hotel check-in time is 4:00 PM, check-out time is 11:00 AM.

Parking:
Self-parking only: $25.00 per day

Cancellation & Refunds

Cancellation for full a refund must be made by 12:00 PM, Friday, December 19, 2026.
Cancellation for a refund less a $55 processing fee must be made by 12:00 PM, Friday, December 26, 2026.
Refunds are not available after 12:00PM, Friday, December 26, 2026; after this date, all fees are non-refundable and non-transferable to a future seminar.
Refunds are not available should a change in your schedule prevent you from attending the seminar after the refund deadline.