The California Workers’ Compensation Institute has announced it will conduct a one-day case law seminar in May in both Long Beach and San Francisco. The program will examine how recent trends in decisional law are reshaping California workers’ compensation, and discuss appropriate negotiation and defense strategies for claims personnel, attorneys, hearing reps, case managers, nurses, rehab professionals and others with negotiating authority.

This is the 14th consecutive year that CWCI has conducted the program, and Institute General Counsel Mike McClain has moderated the seminars since their inception. The seminars are designed to provide an update on recent rulings, with a focus on the practical impact of case law for those with negotiating authority. The faculty includes attorneys Michael Marks and Saul Allweiss of the Offices of Saul Allweiss, and Richard Jacobsmeyer of Shaw, Jacobsmeyer, Crain, & Claffey, all of whom have both applicant and defense experience. The program utilizes a debate-style format to present alternate views on recent decisions and insights into what they mean for those trying to deliver benefits or defend claims. The 2012 program will explore a wide range of topics, including Living with the Ogilvie & Guzman decisions – recent cases, interpretations and implications; Medicare Set Aside Trusts; Issues Surrounding Treatment, the Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule & Utilization Review, and MPN Strategies in the post-Valdez world.

The Institute will present the 2012 Case Law Seminar from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, May 14 at the Grand Event Center in Long Beach, and repeat the program on Wednesday, May 16 at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. Tuition is $395, with a $75 discount available to CWCI member company employees. The fee includes a syllabus with summaries of significant decisions and full citations, Continental breakfast and lunch. Continuing education units will be available for attorneys, as CWCI is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider (5 hours). CWCI also will provide certificates of attendance for Department of Insurance workers’ compensation claims administrator credits, and for submission to the Association of Hearing Reps of California. Preregistration and prepayment are required. For more details or to register online, click the “Seminar” button at www.cwci.org. For additional information or to request accommodation of special needs, call CWCI at 510-251-9470.