ABA Expert Programs - 2026 ABA Annual Conference

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Technology issues: Ethical and Professional Obligations, Challenges Identifying and Adopting Emerging Technology, and Technology Challenges That Your Clients May Be Facing

We will discuss lawyers’ ethical and professional obligations when it comes to technology, how to adapt to new technology, including remote work issues and generative AI (e.g., client expectations and billing impacts), and tech issues that clients may be facing (e.g., tracking technology lawsuits, IP and employment issues relative to generative AI). We hope that the open discussion among participants will not only raise issues that can help each other anticipate challenges, but also manage and overcome them.

Anna Mercado Clark, Esq., CIPP/E, CIPP/US, CIPM, FIP is a partner at Phillips Lytle LLP and is co-leader of Phillips Lytle’s Technology Industry Team. She is a member of the firm’s Governing Committee and its DEI Steering Committee and serves as the firm’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Anna is the President of the National Asian Pacific Bar Association (NAPABA). She is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University. Anna has been appointed to three leadership positions on the American Bar Association’s Science and Technology Law Section, including vice chair for the Cloud Computing Committee, co-chair of the Privacy and Computer Crime Committee and vice chair of the Membership and Diversity Committee.

9:45 - 10:45 a.m.

From Dispute to Deal: Proven Strategies for Effective Settlement

When the other side refuses to engage or appears determined not to settle, many negotiations stall before they truly begin. In this practical session, experienced mediator and negotiation professor Ana Sambold shares strategies to break impasse, create negotiation momentum, and move difficult cases toward resolution. Participants will learn practical negotiation techniques, how to use mediation effectively, and the common mistakes that often derail settlement efforts. Participants will gain practical strategies they can immediately apply to improve settlement outcomes across a wide range of disputes.

Ana Sambold, Esq. is a California attorney, mediator, and arbitrator providing neutral services across the U.S. and internationally. She has facilitated the resolution of over 1,000 commercial and civil litigation matters, specializing in cases involving multinational and multilingual parties. In addition to her practice, she is a Negotiation Professor and Mediation Coach at the University of San Diego School of Law. She is the immediate past Chair of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section.

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Business Development & Marketing Strategies & Techniques to Succeed, to Excel, and to Enhance Your Legal Practice & Career

John will discuss strategies, techniques, and best practices for attracting, building, growing, and retaining legal clients in a highly competitive marketplace. The program will be meaningful for lawyers at any stage of their legal careers.

John C. Sciaccotta is an Aronberg Goldgehn (Chicago, IL) Senior Equity Partner, the immediate Past President of The Chicago Bar Association, and a member of his firm’s Executive Management Committee. He has nearly 40 years of trial and commercial/business litigation experience advocating for clients in litigation, arbitration, mediation, investigations and business counseling matters with a special emphasis on complex civil trial and appellate cases brought in federal and state courts and tribunals throughout the United States. John is also an experienced arbitrator and mediator in complex commercial disputes. 

John represents publicly and privately held domestic and foreign business entities, business owners, lenders, employers, municipalities, government bodies and individuals in disputes and transactional matters.

11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

Effective and Ethical Use of AI in Your Practice
This session will explore how AI is changing the practice of law and answer burning questions about the many opportunities to enhance your practice with the use of AI and  the ethical lines in the sand about AI use.

Darrell G. Mottley serves as Director of the Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic (IPEC) and is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School. In this dual role, Professor Mottley is deeply engaged in educating the next generation of legal practitioners, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively navigate the complexities of intellectual property law and entrepreneurship. He lectures at national and international conferences, focusing on best practices for the ethical and effective use of AI in legal practice. His presentations emphasize the importance of leveraging cutting-edge technology while maintaining a strong commitment to client confidentiality, ensuring IP transactional precision, and upholding the highest standards of professional ethics. Professor Mottley's scholarly work centers on the intersection of intellectual property law and artificial intelligence. He explores the challenges and opportunities AI presents for IP law and freedom of speech in the future of this evolving legal landscape.

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Navigating Emergency Motions in the Appellate Courts: Bringing to Light the “Shadow Docket”

Temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions can be crucial in protecting clients prior to trial.  Recently, stays and injunctions pending appeal have increased in frequency and importance.  This discussion will focus on the practical aspects of bringing and responding to emergency motions in the federal circuits and state appellate courts.  These practices will be contrasted with how the Supreme Court approaches its “Shadow Docket.”

Chris Browning is a partner at Troutman Pepper Locke, LLC and is a highly experienced litigator with a strong background in appellate practice.  Chris served for seven years as the first Solicitor General for the State of North Carolina. He has argued five times before the U.S. Supreme Court and has 40 oral arguments before federal and state appellate courts.  Chris defended one of the longest war crimes proceedings in history – a case tried in the Hague, Netherlands before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.  Last year, he obtained a $524 million judgment for a client in North Carolina federal court – a judgment that is currently on appeal.

Chris is certified as an Appellate Practice Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar. He is a past-chair of the Appellate Rules Committee for the North Carolina Bar Association and served as North Carolina’s representative to the Fourth Circuit’s Advisory Committee on Rules and Procedures. He also taught appellate practice at Duke University School of Law as a Senior Lecturing Fellow. 

Chris is a past Chair of the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division and currently serves as a Vice-President of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Board of Governors.