The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is the world's largest organization serving the professional and business interests of attorneys who practice in the legal departments of corporations, associations, nonprofits and other private-sector organizations around the globe.
The legal profession demands excellence, resilience, and relentless performance. In environments where precision and accountability are paramount, many lawyers (especially those who are first, only, or underrepresented) learn to equate strength with silence and professionalism with self-suppression.
The ACC NCR DEI Leadership Committee is pleased to present an intimate virtual fireside chat exploring how psychological safety and inclusion are not “soft” concepts but essential foundations for sound judgment, ethical decision-making, and effective advocacy.
Psychological safety is not about comfort. It is about whether legal professionals can raise concerns, challenge assumptions, and admit uncertainty without disproportionate professional consequences.
Drawing on empirical research and scholar-practitioner expertise in organizational leadership and legal environments, this conversation will examine:
Why high-achieving lawyers often engage in strategic self-silencing
How chronic stress, perfectionism, and reputational risk calculation shape performance and leadership
The connection between psychological safety, governance strength, and ethical practice
The often invisible emotional and cognitive labor carried by underrepresented attorneys
How leaders can cultivate cultures of candor without sacrificing accountability
This fireside chat will create space to discuss realities lawyers rarely name openly: performance hypervigilance, burnout, identity fatigue, and the quiet cost of constant “armor-plating” at work.
Participants will leave with:
Practical strategies for strengthening psychological safety on legal teams
Tools for regulating stress and improving decision-making in high-stakes environments
Concrete ways to model inclusive, power-aware leadership across firms, corporate legal departments, and public service.
A focused update on employment law trends so far this year, designed to help employers evaluate their policies, manage risk, and move through the rest of 2026 with confidence. We recommend our seminar to in-house counsel, HR professionals, and other organizational leaders.
AGENDA
8:00 to 9:00am: Registration & Breakfast 9:00 to 12:00pm: Program 12:00 to 1:00pm: Lunch & Open Discussion
The Federal procurement environment is evolving at a rapid pace. From changes in acquisition strategy and contract vehicles to sweeping policy and regulatory reforms, contractors must adapt to remain competitive and compliant.
Panelists will examine how the Federal Government is reshaping the way it purchases products and services, including increased reliance on new and expanded contract vehicles, evolving evaluation methodologies, and procurement consolidation trends. We will also discuss the impact of the Trump Administration’s broad policy and regulatory changes on Federal contractors — including reforms affecting compliance obligations, small business programs, domestic sourcing requirements, and agency discretion.
Participants will gain practical insights into:
Emerging acquisition strategies and procurement priorities
Shifts in contract vehicles and competition structures
Key regulatory developments affecting contractor risk and opportunity
Strategies for positioning your company in a changing marketplace.
This session is designed for in-house counsel, executives, contracts professionals, and compliance officers navigating today’s complex Federal marketplace.
Presented by Ryan Roberts, Partner and Leader of Sheppard's Government Contracts Team, along with Chase Johnson, Vice President & Senior Deputy General Counsel at Anduril, Hollie Kapos, VP Legal & Contracts at Vertosoft LLC, and Larry Allen, Associate Administrator Governmentwide Policy and Chief Acquisition Officer at U.S. General Services Administration.
As companies face heightened risks supply chain volatility and threats, cybersecurity threats, evolving litigation exposure, and regulatory scrutiny, in house counsel are being asked to anticipate risk earlier and allocate it more effectively. This session will focus on how today’s business risks can be proactively managed through both insurance assets as well as thoughtful drafting and negotiation of commercial agreements.
Panelists will examine how core contractual provisions such as limitations of liability, indemnification, force majeure, representations and warranties, data security commitments, and dispute resolution clauses can be structured to meaningfully reduce enterprise risk. Rather than treating insurance as a standalone function, the program will explore how commercial contract terms and insurance coverage should work together as complementary tools in a company’s broader risk management strategy.
Presented by John Gibbons and Jason Eig, Partners at Blank Rome, along with Kellyn J. W. Muller, General Counsel at International Materials.
Are you ready to get outside after this snowy winter? Do you like to run? Do you like to walk? Do you like supporting a great cause?
If you said yes to any of the above, we're excited to announce the ACC NCR’s Team for the Lawyers Have Heart Fun Run/Walk!
Why join us?
You will support a great cause: By registering, you'll be helping the American Heart Association raise money for important scientific research. To reach team goals, we kindly ask that you consider a $100 donation at the time of registration that goes to helping cure heart disease and stroke.
It is flexible and open for everyone: With in-person or virtual options, join us for a fun-filled run or walk or participate virtually from anywhere in the world.
We have in-person options outside of DC: The MD Advisory Group and Greater VA group will have local meet-ups in Bethesda and Richmond on the day of the Lawyers Have Heart race!
Want motivation for training? Participants can join the DC Road Runners in a 10k training program that starts mid-March and ends the weekend of May 16. More details coming soon.
Mark your calendars! Saturday, May 16th. Check-In is at 6:30am. *If joining us in MD or VA, register as a virtual participant. Meet up location details and sign up will be circulated shortly.
Location: West Potomac Park, 2912 Independence Avenue Southwest, Washington, DC 20004
By registering for this event, your email address will be shared with the sponsor for purposes of receiving your electronic ticket. If you do not wish to have your email address shared, you will not be able to register.
We're excited to share that Taft will sponsor a day of Spring Training for our ACC Az Chapter Members! We also have a limited number of seats for non-ACC Az Chapter Members (In-House Counsel only).
Join ACC and Taft on March 13, 2026 at 4:05pm when the San Franciso Giants will take on the Cincinnati Reds at Scottsdale Stadium (7408 E. Osborn Road)
Food and beverages will be provided
We encourage you to register quickly as there are a limited number of tickets available.
Additional information regarding parking and how to access your ticket will be provided to those registered.
Join fellow ACC SFBA members and our sponsor, Cozen O'Connor, for a private cocktail reception &"Hamnet".
When the plague steals 11-year-old Hamnet from his loving parents, Agnes and William Shakespeare, they must each confront their loss alone. And yet, out of the greatest suffering, something of extraordinary wonder is born. Experience the U.S. premiere of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “elegant and beguiling” (London’s Evening Standard) stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel, adapted by award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi, Red Velvet) and directed by Erica Whyman.
No cost to Members. Non-Member price is $60.
ACC SFBA events are strictly reserved for members and eligible In-House Counsel. ACC SFBA reserves the right to verify eligibility of any registrant at any time and cancel unqualified registrants.
Join us for drinks, appetizers, and networking! This event is designed to bring together the next generation of legal talent and experienced in-house lawyers.