Christian Stegmaier to Speak at Hospitality Law Conference

INDUSTRY NOTABLES SLATED TO SPEAK AT 2008 HOSPITALITY LAW CONFERENCE

Collins and Lacy’s Christian Stegmaier to Speak on Defending the Food Liability Claim  

HOUSTON, Texas, December 21, 2007 — Christian Stegmaier, Shareholder with Collins and Lacy, will speak at the Sixth Annual Hospitality Law Conference on February 11-13, 2008.

Food claims are a bane of restaurants, hotels, and other foodservice establishments. However, they are typically very defensible. The “Defending the Food Liability Claim” presentation will instruct participants on the law pertaining to food claims and the best and most efficient practices for defending them. The discussion will include how to: investigate the claim, use discovery devices to the fullest advantage, effectively employ expert testimony, and build an impeachment case against the claimant. Additionally, this year’s presentation will include instruction on how to defend a coffee-burn case, which are claims that can be well-defended if appropriate investigation is conducted and expert testimony is secured by the defendant foodservice entity.

Stegmaier is a member of the Collins & Lacy’s Retail and Hospitality Practice Group.  His clients include some of the largest foodservice, hotel, and retail entities doing business in South Carolina.  He routinely represents these clients in claims relating to premises liability, food adulteration, Dram Shop, and third- party torts.  He has tried numerous cases to verdict and has secured summary judgment on a frequent basis.  His practice also includes routine appearances before state and federal appellate tribunals.  He is a frequent contributor to industry publications such as HospitalityLawyer.com.

One-of-a-Kind Opportunity:

The annual Hospitality Law Conference is a one-of-a-kind opportunity that brings together more than 300 private attorneys, human resource professionals, in-house counsel, loss-prevention personnel, risk managers, and hospitality owners and operators to learn about a host of legal issues pertinent to the hospitality industry.

The 2008 Hospitality Law Conference will be the most comprehensive ever – with new tracks added for in-house counsel, as well as those responsible for real-estate transactions and international law. Core conference sessions will cover the areas of lodging, food and beverage, and safety, security and risk management. Topics to be addressed include franchising, premises liability, union collective bargaining, anti-trust issues, contract drafting, wage-and-hour laws, and employment-and-immigration laws. Moreover, the sixth-annual conference will feature a few evening events to foster networking and relationship building among attendees.

Registration & Accreditation:

The 2008 Hospitality Law Conference will be held Monday through Wednesday, Feb. 11-13, 2008, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. To register or to obtain additional information on accommodations, please visit www.HospitalityLawyer.com.

16.0 CLE hours have been requested for this program (dependent upon individual state’s approval). The program already has been approved for 4.0 recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR and GPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI).

Conference Sponsors:  

The conference is presented in coordination with the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the American Bar Association, the General Counsel Committee of the AH&LA, the Loss Prevention Management Institute and the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Conference sponsors include the International Bar Association, Forensic Analytical, Best Western, APIS/Learn it Solutions, AJ Gallagher, Alvarez & Marsal, Trigild, Heartland Payment Systems and Lodging Hospitality Magazine.

About HospitalityLawyer.com:
HospitalityLawyer.com is the leading global network of people, products and services that deliver legal, safety and security solutions to the hospitality industry.

About Collins & Lacy, P.C.

Collins & Lacy is a statewide business defense firm in South Carolina that delivers legal representation for our clients through solid preparation, execution, and client-oriented service aimed at success. Located in the State’s capital city of Columbia, the firm represents local, regional and national clients in the areas of construction; hospitality/retail and entertainment law; insurance/bad faith; products liability; professional liability; commercial transportation; privacy, data management, and cybersecurity; mediation; and governmental affairs/issue advocacy.