2026 Annual Meeting
The Executive Committee is thrilled to announce that the AFBC Annual Meeting will be held at the lovely Coeur d'Alene Resort located in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on July 8 - 10. The meeting will follow our customary format with a reception the evening of the 8th and ½ day seminars the following Thursday and Friday.
The tentative lineup of presentation topics and speakers for the 2026 Annual Meeting is below.* A program containing a detailed schedule of the Annual Meeting will be provided to attendees prior to the meeting.
The tentative lineup of presentation topics and speakers for the 2026 Annual Meeting is below.* A program containing a detailed schedule of the Annual Meeting will be provided to attendees prior to the meeting.
| Thursday, July 9, 2026 | Topic | Description | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:15 a.m. - 8:45 a.m | Advocacy in Motion: The 2026 Fraternal State of Play | Join American Fraternal Alliance CEO, Allison Koppel, for an update on fraternal sector advocacy efforts. From federal and state engagement to the regulatory arena, as well as broad sector-level updates. Koppel will review the 2026 state of play. | Allison Koppel, American Fraternal Alliance |
| 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. | Fraternal Legal Foundations Game Show | This program will cover a variety of foundational fraternal legal, regulatory, tax and other issues through an interactive game show format. | Todd Martin, JD, Pierson Ferdinand |
| 9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. | Tax Considerations for Different Life Insurance Designs and Managing Compliance | This presentation will address federal tax compliance considerations for different life insurance designs and common problems. It will include a high-level overview of the federal tax law's definition of "life insurance contract" in section 7702 and "modified endowment contract" in section 7702A. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of best practices for managing compliance. | Craig Springfield, JD, Davis & Harmann, LLP |
| 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Defending Fraternal Benefit Societies | This one-hour presentation concentrates on defending Fraternal Benefit Societies against liabilities arising from their insurance operations and the operations of their local lodges. Fraternal Benefit Societies provide life, sickness, accident, and other insurance benefits to their members. Through a network of local lodges, they also engage in community-oriented activities, such as volunteering and fundraising. In this course, we will cover common legal issues and effective defense strategies to protect Fraternal Benefit Societies against liabilities arising out of their insurance operations and the activities of local lodges, in matters ranging from Insurance Beneficiary Claims and Disputes to Premises Liability and Dram Shop Actions. | Julia Rafferty, JD, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani Eric Rosenberg, JD, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani Kelcie Reid, JD, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani |
| 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | 2026 Litigation Hot Topics | We'll explore a sampling of issues arising in litigated matters potentially impacting fraternal benefit societies' business or structure. | Robert Lesko, JD, Pierson Ferdinand |
| Friday, July 10, 2026 | Topic | Description | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m | Insurance Coverage Hot Topics for Historical General Liability Claims | The panel presentation, as moderated by insurance coverage counsel, Tracy Alan Saxe, will cover the national trend of statutes of limitations revivals for historical sexual abuse claims that has highlighted for large organizations the importance of resurrecting decades-old general liability insurance coverages; manners in which to generate evidence to recreate such policies to pass muster in court; the benefits of housing an interactive coverage database for future claims; the types of claims, including asbestos, products liability and sexual abuse, that trigger this coverage; and the significance of maintaining complete policies or policy evidence of insurance coverage that provides both defense and indemnity for protracted litigation and high value settlements. The presentation will also include commentary by Myles Alderman, a highly experienced bankruptcy attorney. Myles will share his experiences protecting fraternal benefit societies in Chapter 11 reorganizations after the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy and Purdue Pharma U.S. Supreme Court decision, significant legal events that influenced insurance coverage availability. | Nicholas Sochurek, KCIC Tracy Saxe, JD, Saxe Doenberger & Vita, P.C. Eve-Lynn Gisonni, JD, Saxe Doenberger & Vita, P.C. Brian Gedicks, JD, Knights of Columbus Myles Alderman, JD, Alderman & Alderman, LLC |
| 10:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. | Legal Ethics in the Context of Insurance Regulation | This presentation examines how key ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct-including candor toward tribunals, confidentiality, truthfulness to third parties, and duties in nonadjudicative proceedings-apply when lawyers interact with insurance regulators and other agencies. Through detailed regulatory and enforcement examples (e.g., Form A, B, and D filings, market and financial examinations, and disciplinary cases involving the certain regulatory bodies), the presentation highlights common ethical pitfalls, disclosure obligations, and the consequences of incomplete or misleading submissions in regulated insurance matters. | Nicholas Secara, JD, Foley & Lardner LLP Jonathan M. Goeringer, JD, Foley & Lardner LLP |
| 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | AI and the Legal Industry: Recent Developments and Ethical Implications | How AI is impacting the legal industry and law departments continues to rapidly develop. Learn about recent developments in this area, how courts are responding, and what your ethical duties are as an attorney when it comes to AI. | Julie Wall, JD, Chittenden, Murday & Novotny LLC |
*The schedule, topics, and speakers are subject to change.
To register for the 2026 Annual Meeting, please complete the registration form and pay the registration fee. The registration form can be downloaded here or completed online below.
To register for the 2026 Annual Meeting, please complete the registration form and pay the registration fee. The registration form can be downloaded here or completed online below.
Registration Fees
- $700 USD for members and speakers
- $800 USD for non-members
- Attendees may include a guest for an additional $150 USD. Guests are invited to the opening reception and all meals.
The registration fee includes CLE applications and processing.
Individual and group payments may be made by sending a check payable to "Association of Fraternal Benefit Counsel" to the AFBC Secretary-Treasurer, Ellen Reynolds, at the following address: AFBC c/o Modern Woodmen of America, 1701 1st Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201. If making a group payment, please provide the names of all attendees with the payment. Individual payments may also be made using PayPal.
Individual and group payments may be made by sending a check payable to "Association of Fraternal Benefit Counsel" to the AFBC Secretary-Treasurer, Ellen Reynolds, at the following address: AFBC c/o Modern Woodmen of America, 1701 1st Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201. If making a group payment, please provide the names of all attendees with the payment. Individual payments may also be made using PayPal.
Registration Payment
The AFBC will refund 100% of fees for any cancellation request received on or before May 15th, 2026. For any cancellation request received between May 16th and May 31st, the AFBC will refund the registration fee(s) minus any processing fees and, if applicable, meeting costs incurred related to the registration. No refunds will be made after May 31st.
Registration Form
Optional Social Event
Are you interested in joining the AFBC for an optional social event on the afternoon of Thursday, July 9, 2026? For more information and to sign up for the event, please visit the 2026 Social Event webpage.
Lodging
Hotel reservations are not included with the registration. The AFBC has secured a limited number of standard rooms at the Coeur d'Alene Resort in the Park Tower at a discounted rate of $385 USD (pre-tax and fees). Reserve your room here or by calling the resort directly at 888-965-6542, 7 days a week, 8am-8pm PST (mention the Association of Fraternal Benefit Council (AFBC) to ensure you receive the group discount). The group rate is subject to availability. Reservations must be received by Friday, May 22, 2026, to receive the group rate. The hotel may charge fees for early departures or cancellations. Check in is at 4pm, and check out is at 11am. The resort provides controlled covered on-site parking. The current fee is $22 USD per 24-hour period. Valet services are also offered at $27 USD per 24-hour period. If the Coeur d'Alene Resort is fully booked, One Lakeside Hotel is just down the road.
Airport Transportation
The Coeur d'Alene Resort offers transportation to and from the Spokane International Airport and the Coeur d'Alene Airport. Standard Service Van transportation is available for $45 each way per guest from the Spokane International Airport and for $50 each way per guest from the Coeur d'Alene Airport. 48-hour notice is required for all transportation requests or cancellations. Transportation shuttle pricing is determined at time of booking and is subject to change. To contact the resort transportation department for scheduling, please call 855-421-1226 or visit Coeur d'Alene Resort website for more information.
Sponsorship
Interested in sponsoring the AFBC Annual Meeting? If your organization is interested in sponsoring the AFBC Annual Meeting in any capacity, please contact the AFBC Secretary-Treasurer, Ellen Reynolds, at ellen.reynolds@modern-woodmen.org or AFBC c/o Modern Woodmen of America, 1701 1st Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201.
Fee Waiver
The AFBC is committed to making its Annual Meeting accessible. If an attorney is experiencing a financial hardship, that attorney may make application to the Executive Committee to have the meeting fee waived for that year. Application should be submitted to the AFBC Secretary-Treasurer, Ellen Reynolds, at ellen.reynolds@modern-woodmen.org or AFBC c/o Modern Woodmen of America, 1701 1st Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201.