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2026 Annual Membership
Meeting & Conference

Program / Agenda

Members will be able to Login to view presentation materials at the Conference.

Thursday — August 6, 2026
Time (Eastern) Description
 9:00 - 11:00AM
Ballroom
Pre-Function
New Member/First Time Attendee Breakfast & Discussion
New members and first-time attendees are invited to join Board members for a casual meet and greet breakfast to learn more about SER and how to maximize the benefits and resources of membership. 
(Invitation Only. RSVPs required.)
Sponsored by: Charles W. Ranson, Charles W. Ranson Consulting Group, LLC
 9:00 - Noon
Ballroom
Pre-Function
Registration Hours 
Members sign in and pick up their badges and welcome packets.
 
Noon - 1:00PM
Ballroom
Pre-Function
Buffet Lunch 
Members, Registered Guests and Guest Speakers.
Coffee Sponsored by: Alan Besnoff, Securities Expert Witness & Litigation Support
1:00 - 1:45
Paris Ballroom
Annual Membership Meeting (Closed Session/Members Only)
Patrick M. DennisPresident
Welcoming Remarks; Introduction of New Members; Officers' and Committee reports, Election of President-Elect and Directors.  Passing of the gavel to President-Elect, Jerry DeNigris.
 

 1:45 - 2:25
Paris Ballroom

FINRA Dispute Resolution Update 
Richard W. Berry, Esq.Executive Vice President and Director/FINRA Dispute Resolution Services (FDRS)  A yearly tradition, where Rick updates members on trends in FINRA arbitration, new procedures, types of cases filed, award results.  
 
 2:25 - 2:45 Coffee Break
Sponsored by: Patricia Koetting, P Koetting & Associates
 2:45 - 3:40
Paris Ballroom
Using Intermediaries to Increase Your Practice Exposure
Being retained through a professional expert search firm or economic consultant can increase your exposure to law firms and result in additional consideration for matters consistent with your expertise.  This panel will discuss the different types of intermediaries and the panelists will explain their processes for vetting, retaining, and working with experts. 

Moderator:
David Hinman, CFA, member/Hinman Capital Services, LLC
Panelist(s):
Federico Temerlin, Vice President/Analysis Group
Brice David, Senior Manager/Round Table Group

 

 3:40 - 4:00 Break
 
 4:00 - 4:55
Paris Ballroom
Expected Trends in Securities Litigation/Cryptocurrency/Digital Assets Update 
Where are we now, and where are we going? Possible types and implications of future U.S. regulation. What types of future litigation to expect, and the likely role experts in future disputes.

Moderator:
Dr. Pavithra Kumar, PhD, CFAmember/CONEXIG
Panelist(s):
Jan E. Messerschmidt, Esq., Partner/Cohen Milstein
Katherine St. Romain, Esq., Partner/Fried Frank
Jeremy Moorehouse, Esq., Partner/WilmerHale

 5:30 - 6:30
Opaline Brasserie
Cocktail Reception 
Members, Registered Guests, Invited Guest Attorneys (RSVP required)
Dress code: dress or pant suits for ladies/coats for men.
An opportunity to network, form new friendships and renew/burnish existing ones.

Cocktails Sponsored by: MK Campion, Campion Associates
Appetizers Sponsored by: Colleen Diles, Diles Consulting
 
 6:30 - 9:00
Paris Ballroom
Annual Member/Guest Dinner 
Members, Registered Guests, Invited Guest Attorneys (RSVP required)
Dress code: dress or pant suits for ladies/coats for men.
 
Friday — August 7, 2026
Time (Eastern) Description
 8:00- 9:00AM
Ballroom
Pre-Function
Buffet Breakfast 
Members, Registered Guests and Guest Speakers.
Coffee Sponsored by: Jerry DeNigris, Riverside Financial Group
 9:00- 9:50
Paris Ballroom
Information Security Standards   
A grounded guide to staying compliant in your practice with evolving data‑information security standards, including considerations for SOC 2 audits, Regulation S-P Compliance, Breach Response, Class Actions, and related notifications.

Moderator:
Jerry DeNigris President/ Riverside Financial Group, LLC
Panelist(s): 
Dean M. Conway, Esq. Shareholder/Carlton Fields
Antonio Rega, member/Bates Group
Paul Saroj, SVP Regulatory Enforcement & Remediation/Simpluris

 9:50-10:10 Coffee Break 
 
10:10-11:00
Paris Ballroom
Artificial Intelligence - Future-Proofing You and the Expert Witness Profession 
Explore practical use cases that can save you time and your clients money while navigating the pitfalls and staying competitive.

Moderator:
Stu Rosenthal, CFA, member/DamagesPro
Panelist(s): 
David Hinman, CFA, member/Hinman Capital Services, LLC
Braden Perry, Esq. CAMS, QRD, member/Kennyhertz Perry

11:00-11:20 Coffee Break 
Sponsored by: 
11:20-12:20
Paris Ballroom

 

 

Testifying Across Forums: What Judges and Arbitrators Want    
This session examines the practical differences in delivering testimony before judges and arbitrators, focusing on what drives credibility in each setting and how experts can adjust their demeanor, communication style, and decorum to resonate with the trier of fact.

Moderator:
Patrick M. Dennis, Esq. member/Oyster Consulting
Panelist(s):
Hon. Karen M. Cassidy, Superior Court Judge (Ret.)/Arbitrator/Mediator 
Tina E. Patterson, FCIArb, Principal/Jade Solutions
TBA

12:20- 1:20PM
Ballroom
Pre-Function
Buffet Lunch 
Registered members and Guest Speakers.
1:20- 2:10
Paris Ballroom
From Search to Selection: How Attorneys Pick Their Experts
Hear from practicing attorneys on how they identify, evaluate, and select an expert — including where they search, what they prioritize, and what truly drives the decision. 

Moderator:
Colleen Diles, member/Diles Consulting
Panelist(s):
Elizabeth Gingold Clark, Esq., Partner/Alston & Bird
Meghan E. Flinn, Esq., Partner/K&L Gates
John T. (Jack) McGuire, Esq., Senior Counsel/Stradley Ronon
David E. Robbins, Esq. Partner/Kaufmann Gildin & Robbins LLP
 2:10- 2:30 Coffee Break
Sponsored by: 
 2:30- 3:20
Paris Ballroom
White Collar Crime: Trends, Targets, and Expert Opportunities 
Review current enforcement trends and white-collar targets to learn what specialized litigators look for in their experts. 

Moderator:
Stu Rosenthal, CFA member/DamagesPro
Panelist(s): 
David Kent, Esq., Of Counsel/Verdi & Ogletree
Benjamin R. Ogletree, Esq., Founding Partner/Verdi & Ogletree
Dan Schwager, Esq.Of Counsel/Verdi & Ogletree

 3:20- 3:40 Break
 
 3:40- 4:30
Paris Ballroom
 
Experts Roundtable (Closed Session/Members only)
Incoming President, Jerry DeNigris, 
hosts this informal but candid "give and take" session, a Roundtable tradition for over 30 years! We will review member survey results — from retainers to case types, forums, origination and more! Followed by candid discussions where members can put a question to members at large, share an important issue that wasn't covered, or just give general feedback. 
 
 5:45 lobby
 
6:00 - 8:00
5:45 Meet to walk to dinner (across the street)
 
Friday Dinner, Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (750 15th Street NW) 
Don't let the summer heat and humidity worry you...Friday's dinner is a quick one-minute walk across the street. Members will meet in the lobby and head over for a 6:00pm reservation in a private dining room for our traditional dinner out on the town! 
 


 

 


~Agenda and times subject to change and will be updated as information is provided.~

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