Resource Library

Nearly every in-house counsel has faced an impending overseas deal when only local law-governed terms are at hand. Naturally, instinct favors home advantage and their own system and laws, but experience shows this instinct may, in practice, inform the wrong decision. Do you push to use the local terms unamended, or should you localize the US terms for another jurisdiction? The decision is a fundamental one that sets the tone and shape of negotiations immediately.This panel will examine and compare key tech contract principles across legal systems: Which terms won’t translate and remain enforceable? What key changes are required to make them work? What practical solutions exist to navigate risk and avoid unenforceability around the globe? Join this informed discussion among international practitioners as they determine the best way to deal with the challenges of localization for foreign jurisdictions.

How will that contract you just drafted stand up to the scrutiny of a judge or jury? Each year, some of the largest jury verdicts in the United States are awarded in breach-of-contract cases. Panelists will discuss lessons learned from trying contract cases to help you evaluate, prepare for and win contract-related litigation. Topics will include unique issues that arise in trying contract claims, how commonly used contractual clauses can backfire at trial, minimizing risk in contract drafting and negotiation, restricting application of fiduciary duty and the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, third-party vendor liability and damages.

Like the tools you keep in your house for small repairs, this panel will provide practical tips for the in-house generalist who must identifyand respond to environmental challenges and advise business leaders cogently while maximizing limited resources. The session will equip you to deal with environmental issues in three principal contexts: transactions – what situations can give rise to environmental liabilities and major environmental issues to consider in contracts, purchases and sales; litigation – causes of action for environmental matters and how to respond to notices of intent to sue, demand letters for compensation for environmental contamination and other situations; and regulation – understanding major US and international regulatory trends and non-governmental organization activity, particularly relating to product stewardship, customer and supply chain issues.

This panel will provide an overview of the issues practitioners should be aware of and investigate as part of the due diligence process in a mergers and acquisition transaction. Take home practical information on identifying and mitigating the risks associated with the acquisition of real estate. Topics to be covered include how to evaluate leases that may be acquired in connection with a transaction and particular provisions to be aware of; environmental issues and the potential exposure resulting from them; subleases; the effect of lis pendens and other liens — and liabilities –– that can result from real estate, as well as strategies for addressing them.

A panel of global experts will address the main legal issues to consider when undertaking a recall campaign of products sold in more than one jurisdiction. As information sharing among consumer protection agencies has become more common, in-house counsel should be aware of the various types of regulations in connection with product liability and recall campaigns. Learn the different types of recall campaign regulations around the world (hazardousness, defectiveness, etc.), practical tips to launch a recall campaign in several jurisdictions without violating local rules, initial and subsequent reporting obligations triggered by recall campaign rules and indemnifications arising from a recall campaign.

An experienced panel of in-house counsel, savvy in the ways of internal politics, will discuss successful methods of law department integration, as well as softer skills in developing relationships within the business necessary for the integration of the legal department as a true business partner adding value. All legal departments face the pressures of lowering expenses as a “cost center” while rarely showing value in the traditional sense a business team is familiar with: revenue generation or “profit.” Panelists will share experiences and stories of success and failure, answer your questions and invite you to share your own stories.

The attorney general is the main legal advisor in most states. Along with their common law powers to protect the public interest, attorneys general enforce many other state and, in some cases, civil laws. Many offices also are involved with certain criminal cases and criminal appeals; some provide advice and guidance to the agencies and departments of state government. Join a panel discussion, moderated by the former Chief Deputy Attorney General from the Delaware Department of Justice, that will provide an overview of the structure and organization of a state attorney general’s office, best practices for companies interacting with a state attorney general’s office and case examples of how companies successfully navigated (or mismanaged) an attorney general’s investigation.

This session will feature a discussion of the best practices and recent developments in IP licensing with a focus on software and trademark licenses. The session will review “magic grant language,” legal defaults and some key international jurisdictional differences. The discussion will review sample clauses to use, identify potential pitfalls licenses can contain and provide practical advice to avoid unintended consequences and safeguard clients from risk.

As in-house counsel, we are sometimes called upon to review and/or negotiate leasing agreements. However, many of us lack real estate experience. This lack of experience can lead to being locked into an agreement with unfavorable terms for a long time. This Leasing Agreements Primer will provide a basic level of knowledge for in-house counsel, including clauses that should be included, clauses that can cause trouble and pitfalls to avoid.

Who knows better than we in the trenches the many tools and tips out there to manage a small department for maximum efficiency on a modest budget. This Town Hall meeting will share best practices and practical tips on the following subjects: the practical aspects of staffing (range of positions, non-legal positions, outsourcing); budgeting (templates, budgeting for litigation, cost allocation, common budget busters); research options (Westlaw, Practical Law, ACC, other knowledge management systems, good blogs and listservs) and technology tools (systems for small departments, cloud services, video conferencing, e-signature systems, systems that allow you to work from anywhere (phone tethering, Adobe, MiFis, FedEx Kinkos, Regus, etc.).