Resource Library

In this presentation from the 2016 ACC Annual Meeting, learn about sustainability disclosures in filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Find tips for working with corporate colleagues and outside auditors to obtain information critical to making accurate and defensible disclosures that will highlight company accomplishments without creating unnecessary litigation or enforcement risk.

Sustainability has created pressure on suppliers to adhere to strict codes of conduct and include assurances that sellers meet new standards and adhere to new processes. From the point of view of both buyers and sellers, this panel will discuss non-governmental organization (NGO) impacts on business, regulation by retail (“If you want to sell to me, agree to my terms/code of conduct”), vendor management, questionnaires, representations and warranties in contract, change terms of purchase orders, corporate codes of conduct, hazardous or other materials/chemicals in products, NGO engagement and other tricks and tips to navigate this increasingly complex landscape.

This presentation discusses BT Legal's purpose: redefining legal services and goal: growing BT Law to deliver sustainable revenue growth.

Leverage your partnership skills with the business and bring legal strategies to use sustainability for cost savings or profit. Panelists will discuss their experience with transactions such as water reuse efforts, solar rooftops, clean energy fleet services, becoming your own utility, public–private partnerships, power purchase agreements using clean energy brokers, reduction in inventory packaging, wrapping and disposal. Materials will include US Securities and Exchange Commission disclosures of sustainability efforts, sample contracts and case studies.

"Going green" is a hot topic and growing trend in today’s society. However, most people are not clear on what "going green" actually means. This program will address what it means for a corporation to "go green" in several representative sectors. Faculty will use case studies to show how companies have successfully invested in sustainability, built trust through increased transparency with customers, and created a healthier work environment and surrounding community. Case studies of investments that have not paid off, and the perils of green washing, will also be discussed.

Many businesses in local, national and international markets are starting to see the value of embracing green and sustainable values. This program will explore current U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) green guides, the expanding scope of eco-labels, litigation on environmental marketing claims at the state level and recent FTC enforcement. Faculty will address key updates to prior green guides, new types of green claims, revisions to environmental benefit claims, guidance on the use of certifications and seals, areas where advertisers will have to change their current practices, and practical tips for compliance.

Okay – you're ready to get started in establishing value-driven practices in your department/law firm relationships. Need some ideas? We'll deliver a menu of 50+ practices that you can consider to get started. Of course, every department and firm is different and every client defines value through their own experience and perspective: that's why we've got a little bit of everything for you to consider (surely SOMETHING fits!) and a list of 5 "universal" favorite practices that every department and firm should consider to help make their relationships more valuable, sustainable, and profitable all around. Sharpen your pencils and prepare to innovate!

No longer is the annual report a dry recitation of financial figures. Increasingly, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings have become a canvas for broad, aspirational statements on corporate environmental and social practices. Publicly traded companies now face overlapping and sometimes conflicting demands for transparency from the SEC, activist shareholders, customers, and non–governmental organizations on subjects as disparate as conflict minerals, climate change, material environmental liabilities, and social mandates. These disclosures, which inevitably carry some degree of subjectivity, are fraught with obvious risks, including SEC enforcement actions, shareholder lawsuits and civil litigation based on consumer deception or false advertising claims. This program will provide corporate counsel with tips and case studies for working with their corporate colleagues and outside auditors to obtain information critical to making accurate and defensible disclosures that will highlight company accomplishments without creating unnecessary litigation or enforcement risk.

This program will review the management of compliance along the spectrum of management compliance, from legal and voluntarily adopted standards, to areas where business partners or outside organizations pressure companies to meet certain standards while weighing the costs against use of non-renewable resources (slavery, child labor, etc.) in the name of corporate social responsibility. Is it possible to create a proper and workable integration of the two efforts? Can it be within the compliance office or a joint effort of two or more corporate units?

This presentation is on the Apparel Industry experience.