The Healthcare Defense Summit 2026 is a premier event organized by American Legal Connections (ALC), bringing together leading medical professional liability defense attorneys, claims professionals, insurers, and healthcare system risk executives. This 1.5-day program is dedicated to addressing the most pressing challenges in today's healthcare litigation landscape.
Key topics include next-generation strategies for defending complex healthcare cases, countering modern plaintiff tactics, and reinforcing medical realism in case presentations. Sessions will cover defending healthcare professionals, standard of care defense, causation defense, damages defense, and advanced mediation techniques tailored to healthcare.
Attendees will benefit from interactive workshops, expert-led discussions, and scenario-based sessions designed to provide practical, immediately deployable insights. The event also offers networking opportunities with national leaders in healthcare defense, fostering collaboration across the full defense ecosystem.
This summit is ideal for medical professional liability defense attorneys, claims professionals, insurers, and healthcare system risk executives seeking to enhance their strategies and stay ahead in the evolving field of healthcare litigation.
Speakers(14)
Brittnie Hayes
Senior Claims Specialist at The Doctors Company
Brittnie Hayes is a Senior Claims Specialist at The Doctors Company, managing complex medical malpractice claims.
Courtney Koch
Senior Claims Counsel at Tokio Marine HCC
Courtney Koch is the Senior Claims Counsel at Tokio Marine HCC, specializing in healthcare claims.
Dennis Costello
Co-Founder and CEO at Second Chair
Dennis Costello is the Co-Founder and CEO of Second Chair, offering litigation support services.
Drew Graham
Partner at Hall Booth Smith, P.C.
Drew Graham is a partner at Hall Booth Smith, P.C., with extensive experience in healthcare litigation.
Joe Farchione
Partner at Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell
Joe Farchione is a partner at Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell, specializing in complex litigation.
John E. Hall, Jr.
Partner at Hall Booth Smith, P.C.
John E. Hall, Jr. is a partner at Hall Booth Smith, P.C., specializing in healthcare defense litigation.
John Lowry
Founder and CEO at Lowry Group, LLC
John Lowry is the Founder and CEO of Lowry Group, LLC, providing negotiation training and consulting services.
John Moore
President at American Legal Connections
John Moore is the President of American Legal Connections, facilitating connections among legal professionals.
Lea Ann Fracasso
Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at HCA Healthcare
Lea Ann Fracasso serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at HCA Healthcare, overseeing legal strategies and compliance.
Michael Hermann
Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Ascension
Michael Hermann is the Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Ascension, leading the organization's legal affairs.
Nicholas Ghiselli
Senior Claims Consultant at Curi
Nicholas Ghiselli is a Senior Claims Consultant at Curi, providing expertise in medical malpractice claims.
Rich Henderson
Senior Vice President, Claims at TransRe
Rich Henderson is the Senior Vice President of Claims at TransRe, managing claims operations and strategies.
Ryan Donihue
Attorney at Hall Booth Smith, P.C.
Ryan Donihue is an attorney at Hall Booth Smith, P.C., focusing on healthcare defense cases.
Suzanne Blundi
Vice President, Risk Management at MMC Risk Consultants
Suzanne Blundi serves as Vice President of Risk Management at MMC Risk Consultants, focusing on healthcare risk strategies.
Event Details
- Date
- March 3-4, 2026
- 2 days
- Location
- 🇺🇸 Atlanta, United States
- Emory Conference Center Hotel
- Pricing
- $595
- Audience
- Medical professional liability defense attorneys, claims professionals, insurers, healthcare system risk executives.