ACC Colorado
In-House Counsel Forum
Thursday, April 20, 2023

Join ACC Colorado for an afternoon of CLE education, networking and a hosted reception at the
Four Seasons Hotel Downtown Denver. 

REGISTER TO HOLD YOUR SPOT!

1:00 PM – 1:50 PM – 2 Sessions

Cottonwood A: Leveraging Immigration Program Management in a Changing Business World
Business conditions, including labor market shortages, real estate prices, and the post-pandemic concerns, have caused employers to re-imagine their employment models. Some companies have been essentially forced into multi-jurisdictional situations to go where the talent is. Implementing and managing flexible work arrangements to remain competitive in a tight labor market is more important than ever. In this presentation, we will discuss using immigration benefits to respond to talent and labor demand and highlight recent federal enforcement activity in the area of immigration and employment eligibility verification (or Forms I-9). 
Presenters:
Ceridwen Koski, Shareholder, Ogletree Deakins 
Chris Thomas, Shareholder, Ogletree Deakins
Lauren Polk, Senior Corporate Counsel, Oracle

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Cottonwood B: It Takes Two to Tango: Finding Alignment Between Business Objectives and Your Legal Department
Join Spencer Fane for an evaluation of what business leaders expect from their legal departments. In a recent survey of 100 GCs and law department heads, BRYTER found that only 12% believe ‘controlling legal spend’ is what the CEO or company’s board value most from the legal department. Instead, ‘supporting business objectives’ came top at 37%. This panel will respond to this intelligence and offer insights into how they work to balance the often-competing priorities of supporting business objectives and managing legal risks.
Presenters:
Kimberly Pryor, General Counsel, JBS USA Foods
Jon Watson, Partner, Spencer Fane

2:00 PM – 2:50 PM – 2 Sessions

Cottonwood A: What’s the Latest from the FTC and DOJ - Be in the Know
All signs point to even more antitrust enforcement in 2023. Shook Hardy & Bacon will provide an update on the FTC and DOJ’s priorities in 2023, with a particular emphasis on: (1) Non-Compete Provisions; (2) Information-Sharing; and (3) the Right to Repair. Non-competes are in the antitrust news because the FTC announced a proposed rule that would ban almost all non-competes. There has been uproar in response to this announcement, both on procedural grounds (that the FTC lacks authority to issue this rule) and substantive grounds (that this rule would make it difficult for companies to protect their legitimate business interests, such as protecting trade secrets). The focus of this discussion will be on what companies should do in light of the present uncertainty. Information-sharing is in the news because the DOJ recently withdrew policy statements providing for certain “safe harbors” for information sharing. We will talk about what this means for healthcare and other companies. Finally, we will talk about “the right to repair,” another government enforcement priority, which imposes uncertainty and obligations on many consumer goods companies. Additionally, we will also talk about other government enforcement priorities and what they mean for antitrust compliance.
Presenters:
Ryan Sandrock, Antitrust Co-Chair and Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon
Ian Papendick
 

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Cottonwood B: Protecting Your Company's IP in China: Manufacturers, Suppliers, and Competitors and the Pitfalls to Avoid
An unfortunate common occurrence in China is that individuals and other entities file patents on your company’s inventions. The entities may be competitors, manufacturers, opportunists, or even JV partners. The intention may be nefarious or simply the result of a misunderstanding and sometimes even a misguided attempt to help protect the company’s interests. In this presentation, we will discuss these issues and how to avoid or mitigate them.
Presenters:
Bobby Dickensheets, Director of IP and Legal, BOA
Charles Gray, Shanghai Office Managing Partner and Denver Office Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend 
Clark Weight, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsen & Stockton LLP   

3:00 PM – 3:50 PM – 2 Sessions

Cottonwood A: Public Company Update
Join Perkins Coie for an update relevant to all publicly traded companies and those considering an IPO. Hear about the recent flurry of SEC rulemakings relating to ESG, cyber security and executive compensation and learn best practice trends on SEC disclosure and corporate governance topics.
Presenters:
Jason Day, Partner & Firmwide Corporate Co-Chair, Perkins Coie
Jonathan Schulman, Partner, Perkins Coie
Eric Gunning, Deputy General Counsel & Secretary, Allegion

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Cottonwood B: Emerging Technologies in AI and Web3
Explore the evolution of the Internet with blockchain and artificial intelligence. Blockchain technology has reinvigorated digital art in the form of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. Cryptocurrencies are using blockchain technology to send currency without the use of banks using smart contracts. Artificial intelligence is implementing shortcuts to everyday tasks and is used to create images out of digital memory. This presentation will provide an overview of these emerging technologies and the intellectual property issues facing companies daily.
Presenter:
Will Schultz, Partner, Merchant & Gould

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4:15 PM – 5:15 PM – General Session

So, You Want to Become CLO of Your Company?

You’re a vital member of your company’s legal team. You’re challenged by the work, inspired by the company’s mission, and you have your sights set on advancing within your organization.

• What will it take to become the Chief Legal Officer of your company? 
• Once you move into the CLO role, how do you succeed with this broad set of responsibilities?

Join this In House Counsel Forum General Session panel of prominent Colorado C-Suite Leaders in an open discussion of their experiences serving as and working alongside successful Chief Legal Officers.

 Panelists

	Jacki Cooper Melmed, Chief Legal Officer, UCHealth Jacki Cooper Melmed currently serves as Chief Legal Officer for UCHealth. Before joining UCHealth, Ms. Cooper Melmed served as Chief Legal Counsel to Governors Jared Polis and John Hickenlooper. Prior to working for state government, Ms. Cooper Melmed practiced law at Shoemaker Ghiselli + Schwartz and Hogan & Hartson. Ms. Cooper Melmed serves on the Board of Breakthrough, Colorado, and in June 2021, she was appointed to the Scientific and Cultural Facilities Board. Ms. Cooper Melmed is an avid hiker and skier and enjoys reading, cooking, travel, and spending time with her husband and, when allowed, two adult sons.
	Bret Richmond, General Counsel, Forgen Bret Richmond is a family man, General Counsel and coach. As the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Forgen, Bret is a member of the executive team and is responsible for Forgen’s legal and risk management functions. With in-house legal experience in construction (Bechtel, Weifield and Forgen), aerospace (Space Systems/Loral), and renewable energy (SolarCity/Tesla), Bret is currently in his second General Counsel position. While the primary objective of his role as General Counsel is to provide excellent legal services to his internal and external clients in support of the business goals and objectives he has a passion for guiding people to develop and maintain a strong family life over the demands of their career. In his personal life, Bret is married to Sharon, and they have two young daughters. Outside of family time, Bret enjoys mountain biking, skiing and exploring the mountains of Colorado.
	Bob Chapman, Chief People Officer, Trilon Bob has over 20 years of experience in the human resources profession across several industries and has been the Chief People Officer of Trilon since August of 2022. With a passion for strategic human resources, Bob has a deep understanding of cultural stewardship, enterprise talent management, executive development, and organizational effectiveness. Outside of work, Bob has a passion for the outdoors, skiing, playing hockey, creating music, and spending time with his four kids.

Moderator

Sarah Burrows, Senior Lead Counsel, Cruise Sarah Burrows is Lead Counsel at Cruise, a GM subsidiary focusing on autonomous vehicles, where she focuses on new product innovation and strategic transactions.  Previously, Sarah focused on intellectual property and complex transactions at Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, HP, and Cognizant.  Sarah worked as a software developer prior to attending law school and is a trusted advisor in the intersection of law and technology.  Sarah grew up in Kentucky and moved to Colorado in 2012.

5:15 PM – 6:30 PM - Networking Reception