Seyfarth's Commercial Litigation practice group is pleased to present the fourth annual installment of the Commercial Litigation Outlook, which provides insights on litigation issues and trends to expect in 2024. Since its inaugural publication in 2020, Seyfarth's Commercial Litigation Outlook has served as a beacon for legal professionals, providing invaluable insights and forecasting emerging trends.

2024 promises to be one for the history books — a vastly more robust regulatory and litigation landscape, the rise and challenges of ESG, artificial intelligence that will touch almost every level of society, the nature of remote work and all of its risks and rewards, and the tidal wave of commercial loans coming due all present new and different challenges that commercial litigators will be expected to face head on in the coming year.

Trends covered in this edition include: Antitrust, Bankruptcy, Consumer Class Actions, Consumer Financial Services Litigation, eDiscovery & Innovation, ESG, Franchise & Distribution, Health Care Litigation, Insurance, Privacy, Real Estate Litigation, Securities Litigation, and the Trial Outlook.


Seyfarth is also excited to announce a three-part webinar series where members of our Commercial Litigation practice group will discuss the key trends outlined above. Dates and details are below.

Part 1 – Charting the Course: AI's Influence of Legal Practice and IP Protection

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at1:00 p.m. Eastern

  • Explore the transformative impact of AI on legal practice in 2024 and beyond
  • Obtain insights into forthcoming AI regulations and their implications for businesses operating in the US and EU
  • Evaluate risk mitigation strategies to avoid potential liability when using AI platforms
  • Learn how to implement strategies for safeguarding intellectual property rights amidst advancing AI technology
  • Discuss the evolving role legal education in preparing lawyers for an AI-enabled future and the shift towards human-centered AI

Moderator:

Ken Wilton, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw

Speakers:

Rebecca Woods, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw

Lauren Leipold, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw

Owen Wolfe, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw

Puya Partow-Navid, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw

Part 2 – Guarding Secrets: Navigating Restrictive Covenants

Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern

  • Federal Attempts to Curb Non-Competes: Delve into the proposed FTC rule and the NLRB's stance, analyzing their potential impacts and the legal challenges they may face
  • State Initiatives: Uncover the latest legislative developments from states like California, Minnesota, and New York, examining how these changes could impact employers nationwide
  • Judicial Scrutiny and Trends: Gain insights into recent court decisions regarding non-competes and confidentiality provisions, and understand their implications for businesses
  • Trade Secret Protection Strategies: Learn essential tactics for identifying, safeguarding, and litigating trade secrets amidst the remote work paradigm and intensified competition

Moderator:

Rebecca Woods, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw

Speakers:

Dawn Mertineit, Partner, Seyfarth Shaw

James Yu, Senior Counsel, Seyfarth Shaw

Part 3 – Commercial Litigation Outlook: Insights and Predictions for Litigation Trends in 2024

Details for the third session will be available in the coming days. Please note that by registering, you are automatically enrolled for all three sessions.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.