By Robert Gage
  

CO-ACC’s Silver Anniversary
The year 2009 will mark the 25^th anniversary of the founding of the Central Ohio Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel.  Already, plans are in place to make CO-ACC’s “silver anniversary” a year to remember. 

Challenges and Opportunities
We could not have predicted the economic turmoil that is likely to get worse in 2009.  But it is obvious that 2009 is going to be a year in which in-house counsel are going to be asked to stretch resources and respond to new challenges as our companies look for new ways to cut costs, increase revenues and weather the different economic storm we are facing.

As ever, CO-ACC will be leading the way by providing programs that are designed with the in-house bar in mind.  In January, CO-ACC hosted an important program:  Advice from the Experts: Successful Partnering Between Inside and Outside Counsel.  This program focused on ways in which inside and outside counsel could work together more effectively in connection with matters such as selection of outside counsel, fee arrangements and billing procedures, litigation, transactions, compliance, and ethics and professionalism.  Moderated by Robert L. Haig, editor-in-chief of the critically acclaimed treatise and practice guide entitled Successful Partnering Between Inside And Outside Counsel, jointly published by West and the Association of Corporate Counsel, the program included a panel of chief legal officers from major corporations and leaders from major law firms. 

The event was well-timed, as CO-ACC will seek to sponsor an ACC Value Challenge program later in the year.  The ACC Value Challenge seeks to reconnect value to costs for legal services.  Hosting an ACC Value Challenge could allow the themes explored in our January program to be more fully developed.  To learn more about the Value Challenge initiative, I invite you to review the ACC’s summary description at www.acc.com/advocacy/valuechallenge/Overview.cfm.

Promoting Leadership
In April, CO-ACC will sponsor the Corporate Law Leadership Forum.  This is another timely program that will focus on the role of in-house counsel as leaders within their organizations and on challenges of balancing business needs and costs with the necessity for legal compliance.  The program will include a keynote address from the President of Marathon Petroleum Company LLC on what the CEO expects from in-house counsel in times of change.

If there is a “silver” lining to the economic storm clouds of 2009, it is that CO-ACC will continue to focus on providing relevant and cost-effective CLE opportunities to its members.  We recognize that this is one of the most important ways that CO-ACC can add value to the already considerable value one gets with membership in the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Finally, notwithstanding the relative gloom expected in 2009, we also hope to take time to celebrate CO-ACC’s milestones.  This will also be a year to recognize the many leaders in the central Ohio legal community that helped build CO-ACC into the premier organization it is today.   I hope you’ll be able to join in some of the events planned to recognize CO-ACC’s 25^th anniversary and that you will continue to look to CO-ACC as an important resource for you, your law department and your company.