ISLAND TIME
LPBA Winter 2005
Meeting Report
Freeport, Bahamas
Click Here for Photographs
from Freeport
After an absence of 14 years, LPBA returned to the
Bahamas to escape the brutal cold gripping much of the United
States. LPBA met in the Bahamas on six prior occasions: March
1968 (West End), February 1975 (Lucayan Beach), January 1984 (Treasure
Cay), February 1986 (Treasure Cay), February 1987 (Treasure Cay)
and February 1991 (Treasure Cay). The Our Lucaya Resort at Freeport
Grand Bahamas welcomed over 120 LPBA members and guests.
The resort was in remarkable shape, having survived
direct hits from two major hurricanes just 4 months prior
Our Wednesday night welcome party featured fresh seafood
and steel drum music. One of the highlights of the meeting was
the presence of Justin Croix Yodice. Born November 16,
2004, Croix is the son of LPBA President Kathy Yodice and Steve
Harris. Croix is shown with Kathy and proud grandfather, LPBA
Past President John Yodice.
President Elect Marty Weiss delivered a first
class CLE program. Our first speaker, Solicitor Tim Scorer,
provided a lively update on aviation law in the United Kingdom.
Tim gave his always-entertaining presentation, and profiled the
case of an airplane owner whose business plan was "An accident
is all I need to get this airplane fixed".
Attorney John S. Yodice provided information
on "Ethical Considerations For Attorneys Handling FAA Enforcement
Cases". Not only valuable information, but also one hour
of ethics CLE credit!
Joan Schofield, RN, BSN, MBA, provided
insights into the development of life care plans and the ground
rules for valuing future medical care expenses. Joan also covered
special considerations for the valuation of spinal cord injury
cases.
Click Here for Photographs
from Freeport
Our Thursday afternoon activities included fun on the
beach, and a golf outing at the Reef Course. Tennis was cancelled
due to storm damage to the courts. The nearby Port Lucaya Marketplace
provided great places to eat and shop.
Our Friday CLE session featured Attorney John E.
Wells of the Air Line Pilots Association. John discussed the
trend of state and federal law enforcement agencies to "criminalize"
the alleged negligent actions of flight crews. Law enforcement
now becomes involved in all aviation accidents and incidents,
and often attempts to portray actions leading to unfortunate outcomes
as "criminal". While 2004 was the safest year in the
history of scheduled air travel, anyone representing aviation
interests must be aware of this potential danger.
Attorney Gregory Winton provided us with the
information and tools needed to properly defend an emergency revocation
proceeding brought by the FAA. Only a brave and well equipped
practitioner ventures into this type of representation, given
the almost 100% success rate of the FAA in these cases.
Attorney Mark Kolber, making his third appearance
as a speaker before the LPBA, provided the basics on the emerging
area of electronic discovery. He profiled the Zebulake
decision, and the analysis of when electronic information must
be retrieved or restored during litigation. The presentation concluded
with an overview of the proposed amendments to the federal rules
related to electronic discovery and document retention.
Saturday morning began with perfect weather for our
run/walk around Lucaya.
Our Saturday CLE session featured Arlene Feldman,
Regional Administrator for the Eastern Region of the FAA. Giving
us a candid look at an agency in transition, she made it clear
just how complex the role of the FAA has become. Her skill at
balancing competing interests was demonstrated by her work on
a runway expansion project at PHL. Arlene answered questions and
even gave out her direct office phone number, although we will
not repeat it here.
Our CLE presentations concluded with an encore performance
by Solicitor Tim Scorer. Back by popular demand, Tim continued
with stories of litigation from across the pond. His presentation
concluded with a final joke with the punch line: "Those Fokkers
were Messerschmitts!".
Our Saturday night banquet featured awards and island
music. The next morning all of our members made it back through
the Bermuda Triangle to the US mainland. Our next meeting is in
Makinac Island, MI, July 6-10, 2005
Click Here for Photographs
from Freeport
Photographs contributed by Marty
Weiss, Tim Frets, Ed Booth, Errol Kantor and Clark Bell
