Why do corporations lose in high-stakes litigation before juries? A number of factors may be to blame — including plaintiffs portraying corporations as uncaring monsters long before any parties set foot in the courtroom. In this program, we will address how to overcome Ball and Keenan’s Reptilian Theory by transforming the perception of the company from the inception of the case. Our panel will focus on the use of themes (including company mottos and corporate vision statements), proper preparation of the corporate representative, and innovative approaches to voir dire, opening statement, closing argument, and demonstrative exhibits, all focused on portraying the corporation in the most favorable light possible and contributing to the best outcome at trial.
Risk assessment can be a daunting task, particularly for new in-house counsel or counsel who recently changed industries. In preparation for this program, faculty from small law departments will survey similarly situated attorneys over multiple industries. The program will consist of these faculty presenting the results of the survey in the form of the American game show Family Feud-style presentation, inviting attendees to take a 360-degree view of identifying not only company risk (their own as well as others in other industries) but also personal risk. "Contestants" will be asked questions about various risk areas and will attempt to identify the top areas across all industries. Once identified, risk mitigation tactics and protections will be discussed.
Business leaders in the C-suite are awakening to the fact that aligning business strategy with intellectual property assets is critical to success. IP asset alignment is central to any strategic plan or initiative. In this session, faculty will role-play typical scenarios in which four strategic initiatives are issued from the C-suite (i.e.., competing in a technologically hot area, recovery from genericide with a withering brand, entry into a heavily patented market, treading through copyright issues for a content critical business model). Faculty will discuss how IP assets are part of the issue at hand, what legal options are available in order to implement the initiatives, and how the IP assets need to be positioned to ensure success.
The potential clash of cultures is a pertinent issue that challenges any law department operating on a global scale. This advanced program will examine the communications and cultural challenges from the law department management perspective and present techniques and tools, which will include strategies to drive meaningful engagement and employee development; tips on leading a team with diverse views; and techniques to optimize legal operations while working in a matrixed environment.
The potential clash of cultures is a pertinent issue that challenges any law department operating on a global scale. This advanced program will examine the communications and cultural challenges from the law department management perspective and present techniques and tools, which will include strategies to drive meaningful engagement and employee development; tips on leading a team with diverse views; and techniques to optimize legal operations while working in a matrixed environment.
Law departments handle a diverse scope of legal issues. With limited resources, how can a legal department access the information it needs when it needs it without reinventing the wheel every time? The speakers will discuss how they organize information to make it readily available to their teams, using such tools and processes as wikis, company sharefiles, keywords, automatic electronic reminders, cloud services, instruction manuals, and checklists. They will also explore best practices on strategies for implementation and continuous improvement in the use of processes and technologies.
The right to be forgotten, Weltimmo, Safe Harbor, the General Data Protection Regulation. These are just some of the landmark privacy developments that came out of the EU in the past year. These rulings fundamentally affect the way businesses collect and use individuals' personal data, not just in the EU but worldwide. In this session, leading privacy experts will discuss how European privacy regulation has evolved and the key actions businesses need to take now to ensure they stay on the right side of the law and avoid attracting the huge fines that Europe will soon introduce. A must-see session for anyone grappling with EU data protection rules!
This presentation promotes an interactive discussion of the duties and liabilities of directors and officers in the United States, Canada, and other jurisdictions. Of particular interest to in-house counsel in organizations with international operations, the program will focus on rights, liabilities, and other topics of unique importance to directors and officers of your company’s international subsidiaries and affiliates. The duties that are owed, by international directors, to other US-based directors, the corporation, and its shareholders are often scrutinized in the context of change of control transactions, conflict-of-interest disclosure, breach of confidentiality, and insider trading inquiries. The panel and audience will review a number of hypothetical scenarios and consider where conflicts can arise and how they might be proactively managed.
Corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, sales, spinoffs, and joint ventures, are becoming increasingly common across industries. These transactions have significant workforce implications. Leading your company through myriad labor and employment issues that will come up throughout a transaction is a crucial role. Spotting issues is critical; missing them is consequential. This panel of experts will address strategic considerations and hidden liabilities with regard to deal structure, benefit plans, unionized workforces, and other crucial labor and employment issues.
More and more nonprofits are striving to have a global footprint. Expanding operations across borders poses unique challenges to US-based nonprofits. From opening and closing offices to moving assets, grantmaking, and managing data issues, this session will take a deeper look at the legal and business aspects of managing overseas operations.