Events

ACCGP's GC/CLO Summit will feature presentations geared towards General Counsel, Chief Legal Officers or other high ranking legal officer of an organization.  

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Registration

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
"Restrictive Covenants in 2026: Key Developments and Practice Recommendations"
Presented by Fisher Phillips

Fisher Phillips partners Michael Avila and Gabrielle Giombetti will present a timely and practical program on employee defection and trade secret protection. The presentation will examine key developments and forward-looking trends in the restrictive covenant landscape as we move into 2026, address legal and operational strategies for safeguarding trade secrets, confidential information, and other critical company assets in an increasingly remote and mobile workforce, and highlight best practices for mitigating risk before, during, and after employee departures. Attendees will leave with actionable guidance they can immediately apply to strengthen protections, reduce litigation exposure, and better manage employee transitions in a rapidly evolving legal environment.

Speakers:

• Michael Avila, Partner, Fisher Phillips
• Gabrielle Giombetti, Partner, Fisher Phillips
• Shannon Young, Deputy General Counsel, MSIG USA

10:15 a.m. - 11:15 p.m.
"Litigation Trends & Defense Strategy: What’s Next for Employers"
Presented by Cozen O'Connor

Employment litigation is evolving—and so must your approach. This session delivers a strategic briefing on the issues shaping risk in 2026 and beyond. We’ll examine the future of employment class actions, including wage/hour disputes and pay equity claims, as well as the future of reverse discrimination claims. Learn how social media is transforming evidence, from employee speech to viral workplace conflicts, and what that means for policy and enforcement. Gain insight into where regulators are turning up the heat, with EEOC, DOL, and state attorneys general prioritizing new areas of scrutiny. Finally, discover how pre-litigation positioning—through investigations, documentation, and tone—can influence outcomes before a complaint is filed.

Speakers:

• Daniel Blanchard, Member, Cozen O'Connor
• Benjamin Shechtman, Member, Cozen O'Connor
• Dave Dambreville, SVP, Head of Legal, Power Home Remodeling

11:30 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.
"What to Expect from Washington in 2026"
Presented by Holland & Knight

2025 brought a dizzying amount of legal, regulatory, and policy change to which virtually every institution, public and private, for and non-profit, was required to respond. 2026 already promises change of a similar, if not greater, scale. Please join us as our panel offers its analysis of what the Administration, Congress, and key agencies may attempt in 2026, how the midterm elections may impact those agendas, and how the application of the “America First” approach internationally may inform domestic priorities. Our panel will consist of Kellogg Foundation General Counsel Kahlil Williams, former Representative Tom Davis (R-VA), former senior State Department official Ambassador Nathan Sales, and Nicole Elliott, a former DOJ lawyer who also held executive positions at Treasury and the IRS.   

Speakers:

• Kahlil Williams, General Counsel, Kellogg Foundation
• Tom Davis, Partner, Holland & Knight
• Nicole Elliott, Partner, Holland & Knight
• Nathan Sales, Partner, Holland & Knight

IMPORTANT REMINDER: ACC GREATER PHILADELPHIA EVENTS ARE STRICTLY RESERVED FOR ELIGIBLE IN-HOUSE COUNSEL and INVITED guests and sponsors.  ACCGP reserves the right to confirm eligible status of all event registrants and cancel unqualified registrations.  Click Here to learn more about & how to join ACC Greater Philadelphia.

WEBINAR LINK:

https://accinhouse.zoom.us/j/96708452086

"Copyright in the Digital Age:
Litigation, Liability and Industry Impact"
Presented by BakerHostetler LLP

This session will explore the evolving landscape of copyright law in the digital era, focusing on recent litigation and regulatory developments. We’ll examine key issues such as ISP liability, highlighted in arguments before the Supreme Court, and discuss the implications of high-profile lawsuits shaping the industry. Recent cases—including a suit filed against PacSun by major music labels for alleged infringement in social media marketing—illustrate the growing tension between creative freedom and legal compliance. Join us for an in-depth look at how these developments impact businesses, content creators, and digital platforms

Speakers: 

• Jennifer Kurcz, Partner, BakerHostetler LLP
• Marcus Delgado, Senior Associate General Counsel, NYU

IMPORTANT REMINDER: ACC GREATER PHILADELPHIA EVENTS ARE STRICTLY RESERVED FOR ELIGIBLE IN-HOUSE COUNSEL and INVITED guests and sponsors.  ACCGP reserves the right to confirm eligible status of all event registrants and cancel unqualified registrations.  Click Here to learn more about & how to join ACC Greater Philadelphia.

You're invited to an evening of food, music, fun & spirits to celebrate the holiday season and toast the new year!

Join ACC Central Florida members, guests and sponsors for a casual and festive celebration at 4Roots Farm Campus, sponsored by Consilio.  

Please join us and our sponsor, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, for an evening of networking and great wine!

Join us for this year’s Start-up Essentials Program (StEP), brought to us by the team at Cozen O’Connor. Keeping up to date on the latest changes in the law and staying in compliance can be a headache for any organization. When you're an in-house counsel at a startup or emerging company, the challenges are bigger - you're wearing multiple legal hats and juggling dozens of legal issues.

This Startup Essentials Program (StEP) seminar will focus on the practical day-to-day employment issues critical to keeping your company in compliance and out of court - whether you're general counsel at a startup, new to being an in-house counsel, or experienced corporate counsel who just needs a legal refresher to keep updated or to stretch legal coverage with fewer resources. 

The afternoon program will include the following CLE sessions:

Employment Law Essentials for Startups
SPEAKERS:
Michele Miller, Chair, West Coast Labor & Employment, Cozen O'Connor
Elena Hillman, Member, Cozen O'Connor
Walter Stella, Member, Cozen O'Connor

The myriad of federal and state employment laws can be vexing for the most experienced of employment law practitioners.  This session will provide attendees with a practical overview of the essentials counsel in an emerging company needs to know, followed by in depth information on the following areas

Employee Mobility, Trade Secret and Intellectual Property Protection
SPEAKERS:
Michele Miller, Chair, West Coast Labor & Employment, Cozen O'Connor
Elena Hillman, Member, Cozen O'Connor
Walter Stella, Member, Cozen O'Connor

Protecting its trade secrets and IP is a top priority for any company.  Employee mobility in our modern economy can make achieving this priority difficult.  This session will explore the do’s and don’ts for protecting an emerging company’s valuable information.  We will also look at recent developments regarding retention and other bonuses to either keep your current employees, or woo new talent.

Executive Compensation & Stock Options: Compensation Issues In a Start-up Environment
SPEAKER:
John Ludlum, Member, Cozen O'Connor

Executive compensation and stock options explain why many employees join emerging companies.   This session will provide attendees with an overview of the key issues and latest developments, and best practices relating to executive compensation options, and other equity awards.

Immigration
SPEAKERS:
Scott Bettridge, Chair, Immigration Practice, Cozen O'Connor
Elizabeth Olivera, Associate, Cozen O'Connor 

Building and scaling a startup in the U.S. is exciting, but dealing with the immigration process on behalf of employees can be complex and overwhelming. This session is designed for in house counsel who want to understand the visa and green card issues and challenges impacting talent acquisition and retention as they build their companies.

AGENDA

12:00pm - 12:30pm  Registration

12:30pm - 1:00pm  Lunch

1:00pm - 2:45pm - CLEs

2:45pm - 3:00pm - Break

3:00pm - 4:45pm - CLEs

4:45pm - 6:00pm - Networking Reception

Join ACC St Louis and UB Greensfelder on Thursday, January 15th via Zoom to Get Your Digital House in Order:  Top 10 Ways to Save Money in eDiscovery.

Unlock practical strategies to streamline your eDiscovery process and control costs! This CLE, led by Julia Voss, Director of Litigation Support and eDiscovery at UB Greensfelder LLP, delivers actionable insights on information governance, data mapping, legal holds, analytics, and more. 

Learn how to proactively manage data, leverage technology, and avoid common pitfalls—empowering your team to navigate eDiscovery efficiently and defensibly. Perfect for legal professionals seeking to enhance compliance, reduce risk, and drive value in every case.

Speaker:

Julia Voss, Director of Litigation Support and eDiscovery
UB Greensfelder LLP

Schedule:

11:55 - 12:00 pm - Zoom line open
12:00 - 1:00 pm - Presentation

Missouri CLE Value:
1.2 hour CLE

We look forward to seeing you ONLINE on Thursday, January 15, 2026!

The presentation will cover the different pieces of the AI puzzle and how rule of professional conduct for attorneys can be implicated, recent developments and implications in copyright law, and recent developments and implications in patent law.

AGENDA

11:45 AM: Registration/Networking

12:00 PM: Lunch

12:15 - 1:15 PM: CLE Program

1:15 PM: Q&A

SPEAKERS

Hari Santhanam-Partner, Perkins Coie 

Troy Smith-General Counsel, Infleqtion