KEYNOTE SPEAKER | GENERAL SESSION
Cara Hale Alter
Founder & President | SpeechSkills 
2026 In-House Counsel Day | General Session Keynote Address
Thursday, May 7 | 4:00 P.M. - 5:30 P.M. The Whole In-House Counsel Lawyer:
Projecting Credibility & Confidence & Taming Adrenaline Relying on 20 years of research, Cara Alter deeply understands how nonverbal communication shapes the perception of leadership presence. She literally wrote the book on projecting credibility and confidence: the critically acclaimed The Credibility Code. On stage, she’s an energetic, warm, and compelling presenter, having won numerous national awards for public speaking. As the founder of SpeechSkills, Cara has provided training to some of the world’s best-known companies, including Google, PayPal, Pixar, Pinterest, Kaiser, Schwab, Caterpillar, and Facebook. A guest lecturer at UC Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, and UC Hastings College of Law, Cara has also worked with numerous top-100 law firms. She is a frequent media resource, appearing in Forbes.com, The Globe and Mail, USA Today, and countless other media outlets. A past board member of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners), Cara has had the pleasure of speaking at more than 500 conferences in 20 different countries. Register for ACC Colorado's IHCF 2026 and join in as the keynote delivers a presentation focused on the unique leadership presence and communication challenges facing career in-house counsel! You will reconnect with your ACC in-house counsel network, generous sponsors, and legal intern placement officers, for a jampacked afternoon of CLE education, serious networking, and a hosted reception!
REGISTER SOON!
Four (4) General CLE Credits Approved. Beverages, Light Snacks, Happy Hour Included.
ACC Member Price - $50
Member rate extended to ACC corporate member paralegals and contract managers.
Four (4) General CLE Credits Approved.
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Non-Member Price - $75
Not an ACC Member?
Join Today! Renew Today! Four (4) CLE Credits Approved.
Beverages, Snacks, Happy Hour Included
Lunch is not served. | 1:00 P.M. – 1:50 P.M. – 2 Sessions (1 CLE Credit)
2:00 P.M. – 2:50 P.M. – 2 Sessions (1 CLE Credit)
3:00 P.M. – 3:50 P.M. – 2 Sessions (1 CLE Credit)
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4:00 P.M. – 5:15 P.M. – General Session (1 CLE Credit)
5:30 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. – Social Summit/Networking*
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Considering hiring Legal Interns?
Questions about working with law students or
recent graduates?
Representatives from local law schools will be on hand
at IHCF to share information and answer questions! |
1:00 PM – 1:50 PM – 2 Sessions 2025 SAMPLE AGENDA - 2026 AGENDA COMING SOON! ALPINE 1-3 | ALPINE 4 |
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Patents & Liability Issues: Lessons, Tips, and Best Practices for Maximizing IP Acquisition and Minimizing Liability Risk
This panel presentation will discuss patents and liability risks. The presentation will include a primer on the requirements for obtaining a patent, and the importance and benefit of patents for companies that create and sell innovative products. Most importantly, the presentation will outline how patents and other IP filings can create potential liability risks if prepared without consideration of liability issues. The panel will discuss case studies and outline best practices for maximizing IP acquisition while minimizing the risk of litigation exposure Presenters:
Chris Strobel, Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon
Bobbie Hooper, Senior Counsel, Shook, Hardy & Bacon | 
The Work-Life Balance Fairytale? Harmonizing Your (and Your Team’s) Happiness with the Expectation That You Do More for Less in the Modern Workplace
According to the 2022 Legal Trends Report by Clio, 86% of lawyers said they work outside the typical 9am-6pm workday. Join in this exploration of issues related to: - Attorneys’ actual work expectations
- Finding the “life” part of the equation
- The work-from-home paradigm
- An all around demand that we all do more for less
Presenters:
Kim Pryor, General Counsel, JBS USA Food Company
Jon Watson, Partner, Spencer Fane LLP
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2:00 PM – 2:50 PM – 2 Sessions  Data Privacy: Mitigating Increased Risk from New Laws and Evolving Enforcement Trends
State, federal, and international data privacy laws, regulations, and enforcement trends continue to evolve, creating new and increased risks for Colorado companies. In this session, a panel of outside and in-house counsel will identify new issues to watch for and practical steps companies can take to mitigate risk. Presenters:
Ryan Bergsieker, Partner, Gibson Dunn | 
Mega Damages Awards in Patent Litigation, Including Recent Development in Remedies This session will explore mega damages awards in patent litigation where exceptionally high monetary judgments granted in patent infringement cases often reach hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. Recent developments in remedies include evolving judicial standards for calculating damages, heightened scrutiny of reasonable royalties and lost profits, and increased focus on enhanced damages for willful infringement will be covered. Presenters:
Kourtney Mueller Merrill, Partner, Perkins Coie
Trevor Bervik, Associate, Perkins Coie |
3:00 PM – 3:50 PM – 2 Sessions 
Quantum Leap: Is Quantum the New AI?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been all the rage for the last couple of years, but quantum computing is coming sooner than you think. This session will cover: - The expansion of the quantum computing industry
- Quantum's potential economic impact on Colorado
- Legal issues affecting the quantum computing industry
Presenters:
Jackie Benson, Partner, Taft | 
Identifying and Remedying Common and Complicated Wage and Hour Issues Keeping up with myriad wage and hour issues is a Herculean task—and the consequences for making mistakes can result in class actions and millions in liability. We will discuss the latest developments in important wage and hour topics including holiday pay, bonuses and incentives, remote work, and employee misclassification, with particular attention to fast-evolving Colorado nuances. Presenters:
Michael Bell, Shareholder, Ogletree Deakins
Cat Gallagher, Of Counsel, Ogletree Deakins
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Immediately Followed By Hosted Reception & Networking5:30 PM - 6:30 PM | Hosted Reception & Networking
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