NEWS RELEASE: West Virginia Chamber Releases 2026 Edition of CourtWatch at 90th Annual Meeting & Business Summit

September 10, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the release of the 2026 edition of CourtWatch: The Impact of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on Our State’s Economy, which made its debut during the Chamber’s 90th Annual Meeting & Business Summit, held Sept. 2–4 at The Greenbrier.

Published exclusively for the Chamber’s flagship event, CourtWatch provides members of the business community with an analysis of significant decisions from the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, the Intermediate Court of Appeals and select federal courts, with a focus on how judicial decisions can affect West Virginia’s economy, employers and businesses.

The 2026 CourtWatch presentation featured a panel of leading West Virginia attorneys who provided insight into significant legal developments and their potential implications for the business community. The panel included Susan Deniker, Executive Committee/Member, Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC; Joseph A. (Jay) Ford, Member, Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC; Tom J. Hurney, Jr., Member, Jackson Kelly PLLC; Jill Cranston Rice, Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP; and Marc Williams, Managing Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP. The discussion was moderated by Kaitlyn N. Pytlak-Morra, Legal Counsel for the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Through CourtWatch, experienced attorneys examine important court decisions and explain their potential impact on employers and the broader business community. The publication is designed to make complex legal developments more accessible to business leaders, providing practical insight into decisions that may affect the way businesses operate in West Virginia.

“CourtWatch is an important resource for West Virginia’s business community because it helps translate significant judicial decisions into information that business leaders can understand and use,” Pytlak-Morra said. “The decisions discussed in this year’s publication provide valuable insight into the evolving legal landscape in West Virginia and the issues that can have a direct impact on employers and businesses.”

In addition, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 90th Annual Meeting & Business Summit was approved for 11.6 hours of live attendance CLE credit from the West Virginia State Bar. West Virginia attorneys who attended the Business Summit, but did not sign up for CLE credits, can reach out to Kaitlyn Pytlak-Morra at [email protected]. Attorneys should include their State Bar number for identification purposes.

The 2026 edition of CourtWatch is now available online at wvchamber.com/courtwatch/.

Members of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce are your small business neighbors. Chamber members employ more than half of our state’s workforce and are found across all 55 counties. For 90 years, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce has brought together businesses and leaders to promote a strong business climate, advance economic growth and create opportunities for the Mountain State. More information about the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce can be found at www.wvchamber.com.

For media inquiries, please contact Lilly Barickman at [email protected] or (304) 905-3939.