Registration Now Open for 7th Annual Western Alliance Bank Class Action Law Forum™ (CALF)

Registration is now open for the leading event in the class action and mass tort space, the Western Alliance Bank Class Action Law Forum™ (CALF), held in collaboration with the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law. The hybrid event will take place in person in San Diego and virtually March 18-20, 2025.

Now in its seventh year, the CLE-eligible forum, which brings together an exceptional group of sitting federal judges, top defense and plaintiffs’ attorneys and leading academics, provides opportunities to learn about critical issues and emerging trends and engage with experts in the field. 

This year’s CALF steering committee members have litigated some of the highest-profile class action and mass torts cases in recent memory. They have put together a wide-ranging agenda covering topics like AI, fraud, ethics, environmental issues, mega cases, privacy, NIL, the intersection of class action and mass torts, as well as an exclusive chief judges’ roundtable discussing the most important issues of the day. The steering committee includes notable industry leaders: David S. Casey, Jr. and Gayle M. Blatt of CaseyGerry; Richard J. Arsenault of Neblett, Beard & Arsenault; Erin M. Bosman of Morrison Foerster; Erin Copeland of Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs; Ellen Gusikoff Stewart of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd; Dean Robert Schapiro, Debbie Rider and Professor In Residence Shawn Miller of USD School of Law; and Francesca Castagnola and Dana Rager of Western Alliance Bank.

Event organizers are excited to announce that the Honorable Charles R. Breyer will be a keynote speaker. Judge Breyer is currently serving as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He was appointed in 1997 and assumed senior status on December 31, 2011. Judge Breyer served on the United States Sentencing Commission from 2013 to 2022 and was the acting chair from 2021 to 2022. He also served on the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation from 2011-2018.

“Every year, we hear from attendees that CALF is the must-attend event for attorneys in the class action and mass torts space. This year is no different, with Judge Breyer joining us to share valuable insights from his long and fascinating career,” said Dana Rager, managing director of Western Alliance Bank’s Juris Banking Group. “Throughout the event, participants learn about cutting-edge research, get candid insights from leading judges, hear from litigators involved in precedent-setting cases and network with their peers. They will leave reenergized, with actionable tools to enhance their practices.”

Proceeds from CALF benefit the Western Alliance Bank Scholarship Fund to support a USD law student who assists with the program and has financial need. All USD School of Law students can attend CALF at no charge.

Robert Schapiro, Dean of USD School of Law and the C. Hugh Friedman Professor of Law, said, “We are grateful to collaborate with Western Alliance to host CALF again this year. CALF provides our students the opportunity to learn about the field of mass torts and class actions and interact with true giants in the field, enhancing our students’ legal education.”

The event will take place at the University of San Diego School of Law’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice. Visit the event website to learn more and register.