Philadelphia ERISA attorney Adam H. Garner, founder of The Garner Firm, addresses the intersection of artificial intelligence and ethical practice at the ABA Employee Benefits Committee Midwinter Meeting, one of the nation’s premier conferences for ERISA litigation practitioners.
The American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law’s Employee Benefits Committee is holding its annual Midwinter Meeting in Austin, Texas, from February 4-7, 2026. The Garner Firm, Ltd. is proud to participate in this year’s conference as a Gold sponsor, with Firm founder Adam H. Garner serving as both a featured speaker and a leader of the conference’s Planning Committee.
A National Conference for ERISA Practitioners
The Employee Benefits Committee Midwinter Meeting is one of the nation’s leading conferences for ERISA attorneys and employee benefits professionals. This year’s agenda features sessions covering the full spectrum of ERISA litigation and compliance, including panels on multiemployer plan issues, long-term disability and life insurance litigation, pharmacy benefit managers, mental health parity enforcement, retirement plan class actions, and regulatory developments under the current administration.
The conference draws ERISA attorneys from across the country, representing both plan participants and plan sponsors, as well as government regulators and union counsel. The diversity of perspectives represented at this meeting reflects the complex nature of ERISA practice and makes it an invaluable opportunity for practitioners to sharpen their skills and stay current on developments in the law.
Adam Garner Presents on AI Ethics for ERISA Attorneys
On Friday, February 6, 2026, Adam Garner will speak on a panel titled “Ethics in an AI World: Responsible Use in Your Practice”. The panel provides a practical framework for integrating artificial intelligence into daily law practice while upholding core duties under the Rules of Professional Conduct.
As the panel description notes, artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the practice of law for ERISA attorneys, presenting both unprecedented opportunities for efficiency and new ethical challenges. The session will address the use of AI in automating record review, accelerating legal research, and drafting documents, while offering strategies for selecting the right tools and ensuring data security.
The panel brings together perspectives from plaintiffs’ attorneys, plan counsel, and union representatives to help attendees understand how to harness AI to improve their practices without compromising professional obligations. Adam will be joined by fellow panelists Ivelisse Berio LeBeau of National Employee Benefits Administrators and Ben Conley of Seyfarth Shaw LLP.
Key Ethical Considerations for ERISA Attorneys Using AI
The presentation materials address several Model Rules of Professional Conduct implicated by AI use in legal practice, including Rule 1.1 (Duty of Competence), Rule 1.4 (Communications), Rule 1.5 (Fees), Rule 1.6 (Confidentiality of Information), Rule 3.3 (Candor toward the Tribunal), and Rule 5.3 (Responsibilities Regarding Nonlawyer Assistance).
As outlined in ABA Formal Opinion 512, lawyers must have a reasonable understanding of the capabilities and limitations of AI tools and must independently verify all AI-generated outputs. The Opinion makes clear that uncritical reliance on these tools violates the duty of competence—a concern that has heightened significance for ERISA attorneys who handle complex benefit claims and fiduciary breach litigation.
The presentation also addresses practical considerations such as when client consent is required for AI use, how to select appropriate tools that maintain confidentiality, and how to integrate AI responsibly into litigation workflows.
Adam Garner’s Role on the Planning Committee
In addition to his speaking role, Adam serves as Employee Ombudsman (co-chair) on the 2026 Employee Benefits Committee Midwinter Meeting Planning Committee. He has served on the planning committee for this conference for several years, helping to shape the programming that makes this conference one of the premier ERISA events in the country.
Adam has also held leadership roles within the ABA for over a decade. He served as a Plaintiffs’ subcommittee Co-Chair of the ABA Employee Benefits Committee and previously served as Chair of the ABA Torts, Trial, and Insurance Practice Section’s Health and Disability Insurance Committee from August 2020 to August 2021.
Adam Garner’s ERISA Experience
Adam Garner founded The Garner Firm, Ltd. in 2016 as an employee benefits and employment law firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The firm represents individuals in claims against and disputes with employee benefit plans, employee benefit plan fiduciaries, and employers.
Since founding the firm, Adam has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of ERISA plan participants and their beneficiaries, insureds, and employees in ERISA, insurance, and employment litigation.
Adam has been appointed co-lead class counsel in multiple ERISA class action matters, including Lewis-Abdulhaadi v. Union Security Insurance Company, et al. (E.D. Pa.) and McCann v. Hill, et al. (D. N.J.). He also serves as a Senior Editor of Employee Benefits Law, the leading treatise on ERISA published by Bloomberg BNA in conjunction with the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law.
Prior to founding the firm, Adam served as Administrator of two ERISA-regulated multiemployer employee benefit plans with combined assets exceeding $1.6 billion at the time. This experience on the plan administration side provides him with unique insights into how benefit plans operate and where fiduciary breaches may occur.
Adam has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer or Rising Star every year since 2018 and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
Contact The Garner Firm for Your ERISA Matter
If you or someone you know has been denied benefits under an employee benefit plan, has questions about retirement benefits, disability insurance, life insurance, or other ERISA-regulated benefits, The Garner Firm can help. Whether your matter involves an individual claim for benefits or potential class action litigation involving fiduciary breaches, our attorneys have the knowledge and experience to evaluate your case and pursue the recovery you deserve.
The Garner Firm represents ERISA plan participants and beneficiaries throughout Pennsylvania and across the country. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with an experienced ERISA attorney who understands both the law and the practical realities of plan administration.