2026 WILG Annual Convention

 

EXHIBITOR & SPONSORSHIP BROCHURE

CLICK HERE FOR CONVENTION BROCHURE

The above schedule is not final - speakers, topics & scheduled sessions are subject to change

 

Annual Convention Chaired by: Enrique Flores, Andrea Herman & Dan Goodkin

 

Saturday, October 17th

Advocates of WILG® and Firm Sponsor Appreciation Event

Invitation only exclusive event - No. of tickets provided is determined by level of sponsorship

You're Invited to an Exclusive Royal Whinos & Rhinos Safari Experience!

Join us for a unique wine pairing & safari experience!

Welcome Beverage & Snack: 1:45 - 2:00 pm

Guided Safari Tours: 2:00 – 5:00 pm 

3:30 pm Break to include beverages/snacks

Wine Pairing/Light Food: 5:00 - 6:00 pm 

Bus Transportation is included, please meet no later than 12:30 pm PST for pick up - busses will depart promptly at 12:45 pm PST! 

Dress Comfortable as 1/2 the guided tour will be walking!

RSVP Required - Suzanne@wilg.org no later than Friday, September 25^th

 Safari West

The Sonoma Serengeti

3115 Porter Creek Road

Santa Rosa, CA 95404

 

Sunday, October 18th

9:00 - 11:00 AM - Vineyard Trails WILG® 5K Run - Sponsored by Cullen, Haskins, Nicholson & Menchetti

A memorable 5K Vineyard Run for those seeing a unique and enriching experience. Participants will follow a picturesque course that winds through the tranquil beauty of the estate vineyards, complemented by select stretches along public roads. 

($120 pp - advance purchase required)

2:00 - 4:00 pm - Board Meeting 

4:00 - 5:30 pm - Board Reception with 1st Time/New Members

(active Board Members & Advocate Partners only, others are invitation only)

6:00 pm - Past President's Dinner (Invitation Only)

 

Monday, October 19th

8:00 am - Annual Membership Meeting/Elections

8:15 am - 4:00 pm - CLE General Session

12:00 - 1:00 pm - Lunch (RSVP required)

6:00 - 10:00 pm - President's Reception Dinner - Keynote Speaker Derek Demun (RSVP required)

(Included with registration & guest/spouse package purchase)

 

Tuesday, October 20th 

8:00 am - 2:30 pm - CLE Track Sessions: WC, FECA, Longshore

10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Brunch & Awards Ceremony (RSVP required)

(Included with registration & guest/spouse package purchase)

12:45 - 2:30 pm - CLE Track Session: Legal Staff 

2:30 - 3:30 pm - FECA / LS Reception 

3:00 - 4:30 pm - Diversity Caucus Reception - Iron Chef Takedown Competition (limited availability, RSVP required)

 

Wednesday, October 21st 

8:30 am - 12:00 pm - CLE Track Sessions: WC, FECA & Longshore 

 

FULL 3 DAY CONVENTION REGISTRATION PACKAGES INCLUDE:

• Package for Solo Attendee Only -includes 1 registration, 1 ticket to the President's Dinner in the evening of the 1st day of CLE sessions & 1 ticket to the Brunch Awards Ceremony on the 2nd day (this option is available to members attending alone, no spouse/guests present, RSVP required for lunch, dinner & brunch)

 

• Package Plus 1 Guest -includes 1 registration, 1 guest/spouse package, 2 tickets to the President's Dinner in the evening of the 1st day of CLE sessions & 2 tickets to the Brunch Awards Ceremony on the 2nd day (this option is available to all members attending who are bringing 1 non legal spouse/guest attendee - additional guest packages & tickets for the dinner are available to add on, RSVP required for lunch, dinner & brunch)

 

• Spouse/Guest packages: include Daily Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch & 1 ticket for President's Dinner (RSVP required for lunch, dinner & brunch) - for non legal attendees only 

 

2026 N. Michael Rucka Lifetime Achievement Award

Celebrate the achievements of Catherine Stanton by purchasing ad space in the Annual Convention Tribute Book!

 

Deadline to submit your ad is August 1, 2026, ad sizes for the program are below:

Full page $1,000 - 5" x 8"

Half page $500 - 5" x 3.75"

Quarter page $250 - 2.5" x 3.5"

CLICK HERE FOR TRIBUTE FORM

 

Learn More About Our Annual Convention Scholarship Opportunities:

Ingrid & Gerald Rosenthal Leadership Scholarship &

 Legal Staff Scholarship Can be Found HERE!

- Deadline is Saturday, July 18, 2026 -

 

WILG Event Code of Conduct Policy - Please Read

The Meritage Resort & Spa

850 Bordeaux Way, Napa Valley, CA 94558

https://www.meritageresort.com/

Convention Registration is required prior to securing your hotel reservations. Upon completion of convention registration and payment you will be provided a link to secure your hotel reservations. Due to an anticipated high volume of reservation requests this year we are limiting the number of hotel reservations to one per registered attendee plus one additional room for family.

The cutoff date to reserve your room at the special rate of $409.00++ is Friday, September 25, 2026 Please note that if you do not see the $409+ rate available for your selected travel dates than the special WILG® rate is no longer available for either a portion of or for the entire stay of your selected dates. Please try changing your date selection to see if the rate becomes available. While there still should be availability at the hotel the rates will increase based on availability.

WILG® attendees/guests in the room block will receive the following benefits: 

• $20 Resort fee (reduced from $49) included in block rate listed above
• Two daily bottled waters
• One bottle of Signature Wine (must be 21 or older)
• High speed WIFI in guest rooms, restaurants and public areas
• Complimentary daily electronic newspaper access via PressReader
• 24/7 Access to fitness facilities and a yoga studio (mat rental upon request)
• In-room coffee and tea
• Fax and local calls
• 6 Restaurants and bars plus 4 tasting rooms
• 2 Pools and a luxury spa with 10% off spa services
• Shuttle service to downtown Napa
• Comp standard WIFI in meeting rooms
• Valet parking $25 per vehicle/per day; self-parking $15 per vehicle/per day

For a full list of everything that the the Meritage Resort & Spa has to offer please click here.

For attendees traveling with kids:

• Bowling alley
• Kid friendly tasting room lawn
• Vineyard walking trails, chicken coop and Chef's Garden to explore nature
• Seasonal family events and activities
• Concierge with family-friendly Napa knowledge
• Spacious family pool with cabanas
• Suite accommodations with full kitchens and sleeper sofas

For attendees traveling with pets:

• In-room dog bed, bowl, treats and potty bags
• Ground-floor accommodations with patios for easy in and out
• Dedicated pet relief area
• On-site walking trails
• Pet-friendly restaurant and tasting room patios
• Concierge with local pet-friendly knowledge
• Discover More Pet-Friendly Amenities

WILG® Travel Policy and Fees for Staying Off Property

 

WILG® works extremely hard to secure the lowest room rates possible for its members at properties that our members look forward to and have requested to stay at. In order to ensure the continuation of this and to avoid attrition fees for the association we ask that you kindly stay on property for our events.  WILG® will be charging a nominal fee of $200 for those who choose not to stay on property unless they are local to the area.

Please understand that these policies are not meant to be punitive.  They are meant to protect the association from financial liabilities that occur when rooms are cancelled past the room block contractual release dates and attrition fees are assessed.  We hope you will work with WILG® Staff to avoid these liabilities so we can continue to offer you low rates at beautiful properties in the future. What are the three ways you can assist:  1-Only make room changes thru WILG® Staff 2-Register before you book 3- Don’t book more rooms than you will use – Thank you!

WILG® Cancellation Policy

 

W E  H O P E  Y O U  W O N ' T

But, if you must cancel, the WILG® cancellation policy applies to all paid meeting events, including social events. All cancellations or changes must be received in writing, phone cancellations are not accepted. Cancellations received in writing before 07/15/26 will result in a $100 cancellation fee.  Cancellations received in writing between 07/15/26 and 08/26/26 will result in a 50% refund less a $100 cancellation fee.  Cancellations received after 08/26/26 will be given access to electronic materials and receive no refund.

WILG® will charge a cancellation fee equivalent to 1 night hotel stay for each hotel reservation that is cancelled on or after the cutoff date of Friday, September 25, 2026. The rate to be charged will be based on the room rate that is on the reservation at the time of cancellation. This fee is to protect the association from attrition fees that may be charged to the organization when rooms are cancelled past the room block contractual release dates. In an effort to avoid attrition fees assessed to the organization please send all hotel change/cancellation requests to Suzanne@wilg.org, do not contact the hotel directly.