The majority of countries around the world have a legal system which is based on civil law. In civil law, the main principles and rules are contained in comprehensive codes; case law is only a secondary source. Globalization has resulted in convergence between the principles of common law and civil law systems in some areas, but differences which can make or break your contract still exist. In this round table discussion, a panel of experienced international lawyers will discuss the drafting issues in civil law and other non-common law jurisdictions when negotiating the most important standard contract terms including liability limitations, indemnities, damages and governing law and provide practical advice on effective ways to address these issues.
Energy projects can be large, unwieldy beasts, even for the experienced in-house attorney. For US companies engaging in energy projects abroad, or using foreign suppliers and contractors for domestic projects, international elements can add complicated twists that are difficult to navigate. This session is designed to break down the fundamentals of energy project contracts, from the form of the contract itself, to an in-depth look at provisions like indemnification, choice of law, limitations of liability, insurance, tax issues and litigation versus alternative dispute resolution. It will provide a checklist of key topics to consider when drafting and negotiating these types of contracts. The panelists will also offer practice tips on how to navigate the treacherous waters of environmental litigation.
How do in-house counsel deal with ethically sensitive situations before they rise to a legal risk? Panelists will examine real-life ethical issues anonymously submitted by participants and examine ethical risks and possible solutions. Audience perspective and participation is welcome! While not limited to an examination of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, this session will discuss selected rules in the context of the scenarios presented such as MRPC 1.6 (Confidentiality of Information); 1.13 (Organization as Client); 4.1 (Truthfulness in Statements to Others).
This panel will discuss copyright compliance as it relates to social media in an interactive session, asking the audience to evaluate scenarios involving employee use of social media for sharing information or obtaining third-party content for use in marketing or promotional campaigns. The session will combine a review of recent regulatory and legal opinions on the topic from around the world with a candid look at situations encountered everyday by in-house IP counsel. The session will include tips and tricks to help you determine whether content on social media is free to use and share, using examples from YouTube, Google Images and Flickr, among others. This session promises to be fun as we take a look at the use in a corporate setting of music, movies and text obtained by unsuspecting employees from social media sites.
Guiding a legal department in today’s fast-paced environment sometimes feels like being in a NASCAR or Formula 1 race. Speed is required. Agility is a must. Despite that, a recent Corporate Executive Board study found that nearly 70 percent of GCs believe their departments aren’t sufficiently adaptive and responsive. How can legal leaders address this critical issue? One key tool is the departmental strategic plan. This program will discuss the formation and execution of cohesive strategic plans with clear objectives that keep up with today’s fast-paced world. The result? A turbocharged strategic plan that drives high performance through the final lap while avoiding yellow flags along the way.
The Gullible Assistant. The Careless Vendor. The Imperious Boss. The Road Warrior. The Absent-Minded Executive. The Social Butterfly. Every organization has horror stories about people who bypass, ignore, forget or blatantly run roughshod over IT security policies and procedures. While trying to find the right balance between security and employee accessibility, IT sometimes exposes the organization to elevated risk. Before you know it, it’s legal’s problem. This “Family Feud” style session will test the audience’s knowledge of potential cyber risks and possible solutions to manage each scenario. Key takeaways will include strategies and tactics for mitigating threats from “the Human Element,” improving security without constricting access or employee flexibility and running a tighter ship without negatively impacting the workplace culture or environment.
An experienced panel of experts will provide a summary of the highlights in labor and employment law thus far in 2015, and benchmarking on practical solutions related to trending issues.
Results can be multiplied when you put together any combination of in-sourcing, unbundling, alternative legal service providers, process improvement, value-based fees and technology.
High-profile data breaches, subsequent litigation and swiftly changing global regulations have management teams and directors confused and concerned about their best path forward. This interactive session, led by in-the-trench legal practitioners, will walk attendees through a mock risk analysis and subsequent recommendations report to senior management. The panel will then create an Information Management Committee tasked with integrating disparate functions of records retention, privacy, information security, litigation and business intelligence. Attendees will walk away with an Information Governance Maturity Analysis Guide, the Top 10 Critical Cyber Considerations for Global Companies and Key Disclosure Considerations in Risk Reporting to Senior Management.