The Story of the Federation
 The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel was founded in 1936 as an international defense organization dedicated to the principles of knowledge, justice, and fellowship. Founded as the Federation of Insurance Counsel, it later become the Federation of Defense & Insurance Counsel, and then more recently, the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel.
In the beginning, the Federation was essentially a group of attorneys who defended insurance carriers in automobile and workmen’s compensation cases.In the seven decades of its existence, the Federation membership has now expanded to include attorneys who practice in areas such as products liability, intellectual property, and commercial litigation.
From its inception, the Federation has been known for its diversity. Now, the Federation membership includes many prominent female attorneys and multicultural attorneys.
Under the leadership of John Appleman, the renowned author of the “Appleman on Insurance” series, the Federation grew in the postwar legal boom. From the 1950’s forward,the Federation has always been on the cutting edge of the defense practice. A mock trial with its own focus group was shown as early as 1960 at a Federation meeting. Beginning in the 1960’s, the Federation began to fund studies on the psychology of jurors.By the early 1970’s, Federation meetings were focusing on the continuing use of technology. Moreover, the Federation took stands on such issues as No Fault Liability and Comparative Negligence. Today, the Federation continues to speak out on important legal issues such as proposed attempts to change the attorney-client privilege and issues of corporate governance.
Federation attorneys were present at the creation of the Toxic Tort revolution. A Federation member was the lead defense counsel at the first asbestos trial.In the 1980’s and 1990’s, Federation members were involved in the defense of the first "bad faith" actions against carriers. A Federation member handled the Daubertcase.
In recent years, the Federation has partnered with such groups as the Property Loss Research Bureau and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies to present programs.Every year, the Federation presents a highly successful Corporate Counsel Symposium. One unchanging focus of the Federation has been its dedication to the preservation of American jury trials.The Federation selects some of its most experienced trial attorneys to present a Trial Masters program at many Federation meetings.
Currently, the Federation is made up of almost 1,100 defense counsel members, together with an increasing number of corporate counsel members from such companies as Exxon Mobil, Laidlaw, and Dryvit Systems. The membership also includes a number of non-attorney administration and defense of civil litigation. The Federation has members from all fifty states and fifteen countries.The entire Federation membership meets twice a year in such diverse convention locations as Canada, Hawaii, Bermuda, and the United States. Membership is by invitation only.
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