Paradise Point Resort & Spa
1404 Vacation Rd.
San Diego, CA 92109
Overview (Program Summary)
A program hosted by:
ACC San Diego
ACC is proud to present a day of invaluable programs for San Diego's general counsel community. High-caliber and targeted industry content conveniently scheduled into one day with dual tracks.
Your ticket includes:
- Two MCLE options each hour - earn specialty credits including Implicit Bias, Ethics, Civility & Technology
- Continental breakfast
- Plated lunch
- Happy Hour with complimentary cocktails and appetizers
Make a great first impression with a new portrait!
ACC San Diego will be offering complimentary headshots during the event. A good headshot helps build a credible reputation when hunting for a job or building your company’s brand identity. Stand out in the crowd with a professional headshot from Brent Haywood Photography! (ACC members only.)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Breakfast | 8:30 - 9:30 AM
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Session 1 | 9:30 - 10:30 AM
Inside the Privacy Hot Seat: Cross‑Functional Strategies for Today’s Litigation Risks
Speakers:
Wynter Deagle, Partner, Sheppard Mullin
Ceci Fuentes, Privacy Program Manager, Torrid
Chris Zohlen, Managing Director, FTI Consulting
This session explores the latest trends in privacy and data‑breach litigation through the combined perspectives of outside counsel, in‑house privacy operations, and a forensic expert. Together, the panel will break down how compliance risks and incidents evolve into litigation, the evidence and analyses that drive risk, and the operational realities that shape strategy. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of how cross‑functional coordination strengthens preparation, response, and ultimate defense.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Session 2 | 9:30 - 10:30 AM
The Promises and Pitfalls of AI in Contracting
Speakers:
Tom Dunlop, CEO and Co-founder, Summize
Megan Newman, Senior Director and Associate General Counsel, Vistage
Explore how AI can genuinely accelerate your contracting lifecycle, while avoiding the hidden risks that can derail legal, compliance, and business outcomes. This discussion brings together in-house counsel and industry experts to unpack practical AI wins, the common pitfalls to avoid, and what smart governance looks like in an AI-enabled legal function. (1 Technology Credit)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Session 3 | 10:45 - 11:45 AM
Recognizing and Addressing Implicit Bias in Legal Practice
Speakers:
Mary Hackett, Shareholder, Buchanan
Jennifer Oliver, Shareholder, Buchanan
Nicole Gates Lean, Senior Attorney, Buchanan
Bryant Hall, Senior Lead Counsel, Global Litigation and Regulatory, Pinterest, Inc.,
In today’s legal environment, in-house counsel are expected not only to manage risk and guide complex business decisions, but also to ensure that legal strategies, workplace investigations, litigation responses, and client interactions are free from unintended bias. Join attorneys from Buchanan and Byrant Hall, Senior Lead Counsel of Global Litigation & Regulatory at Pinterest, for a thought-provoking and practical program on recognizing and addressing implicit bias in legal practice and how unconscious assumptions can influence risk assessment, investigations, negotiations, and interactions with clients and outside counsel. Participants will gain actionable strategies to identify bias and make more consistent and defensible decisions. (1 CLE Elimination of Bias)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Session 4 | 10:45 - 11:45 AM
Tech Licensing Year in Review 2025: Transactional and Litigation Perspectives
Speakers:
Matthew Ferry, Partner, Morrison Foerster
John Lanham, Partner, Morrison Foerster
Matthew Stephens, Partner, Morrison Foerster
Attorneys from Morrison Foerster’s Technology Transactions and IP Litigation groups will share updates and new case law impacting technology licensing strategies. (1 General Credit)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Session 5 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Prep for Success: Expert Selection, Preparation, and Ethical Collaboration
Speaker:
Janice Y. Walshok, Esq., Shareholder, Pettit Kohn Ingrassia Lutz & Dolin
Successful litigation attorneys know that it is vital to enlist expert witnesses to evaluate claims, clarify complex evidence, and offer authoritative opinions. An expert’s testimony is often pivotal to the outcome of a case and the collaboration between you and your expert can ultimately determine the strength of this testimony.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Session 6 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Planning for the Risks of Tomorrow, Today: A Chief Legal Officer Panel Discussion and Interactive Town Hall
Moderator:
Tali Tuchin, Member, Mintz
Speakers:
Celia Eckert, SVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Xencor
Jeff Cohn, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Connect Biopharma
Join an engaging town hall discussion with CLOs as they share forward-looking insights into the evolving risk landscape. Representing a diverse range of company types, these legal leaders will discuss how they are identifying, prioritizing, and proactively managing the complex challenges ahead—while inviting open dialogue and questions from attendees.
Topics to be addressed include:
• Establishing a risks continuum that fosters innovation and growth in an increasingly competitive market
• Long term strategic planning for risk
• Building trust and promoting cross-functional collaboration
(1 General Credit)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Session 7 | 2:15 - 3:15 PM
The Anatomy of an Employment Lawsuit and the Tools for Prevention
Speaker:
Marie Burke Kenny, Partner, Procopio
Marie Burke Kenny will present a case study of an employment lawsuit and the resulting exposure for the employer. The presentation will examine the warning signs and employer missteps that contributed to the dispute, and will offer insights and tools that can help employers avoid or reduce liability. As more former employees retain counsel and send demand letters before filing suit, employers must be prepared. This session provides a unique opportunity to learn from a highly experienced management-side employment attorney about common pitfalls and practical techniques to prevent lawsuits or position the organization for a stronger defense if litigation becomes unavoidable. (1 General Credit)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Session 8 | 2:15 - 3:15 PM
Smart AI Governance In 2026
Speaker:
Peter Stockburger, Office Managing Partner, Dentons
As AI continues to scale in capability, autonomy, and organizational impact, governance models are being tested in new ways. This session will examine the current and near-term state of AI regulation and governance as we move into 2026, with a particular focus on the shift from model-centric AI to agentic and system-level AI deployments. We will explore how emerging legal frameworks, litigation, and technical standards are converging, and where gaps remain in areas such as accountability, human oversight, and third-party risk. The session will also provide practical insights into how leading organizations are operationalizing AI governance at scale. (1 Technology Credit)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Session 9 | 3:30 - 4:30 PM
AI With Integrity: Ethical Guidance for Legal and Compliance Teams
Speakers:
Tracie Stender, Counsel, Snell & Wilmer
Clint Engleson, Counsel, Snell & Wilmer
Amber Gardina-Quintanilla, Director, Employment Law, Articulate Global
This Ethics presentation examines the ethical use of AI in legal and compliance departments, with practical guidance for in-house counsel navigating risk, governance, and professional responsibility. (1 Ethics Credit)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Session 10 | 3:30 - 4:30 PM
Diligencing Culture and Conduct Risk
Speakers:
Sam Esan, Partner, DLA Piper
Alexa Zanolli, Director - Legal, Articulate Global
This session will examine practical checklists for assessing bullying, harassment, and retaliation patterns; integrating findings into price, structure, RWI, and covenants. (1 Competence Credit)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Happy Hour | 4:30 - 6:00 PM
Notes
ACC San Diego events are strictly reserved for eligible in-house counsel. ACC reserves the right to verify eligibility of any registrant at any time and cancel unqualified registrants/registrations.
When you participate in an ACC or ACC San Diego event, photography, audio and/or video recording may occur. By participating in the event, you grant ACC San Diego and other entities as ACC San Diego may designate from time to time the right to create, use, distribute, broadcast, edit, or otherwise disseminate the photography, audio and/or video recording from the event that contain recordings of you or your likeness without any further review or approval from you. In whole or in part, throughout the world, in perpetuity in any and all media now known or hereafter developed. This grant to the ACC San Diego includes, but is not limited to, the use of the recordings either alone or together with supporting materials, such as video or supporting information.
CLE
Contact (RSVP)
Sponsored By
Buchanan | Dentons | DLA Piper | Mintz | Morrison Foerster | Pettit Kohn Ingrassia Lutz & Dolin | Procopio | Sheppard Mullin | Snell & Wilmer | Summize