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Save the date for our annual Corporate Counsel Conference, presented by Waller and the Alabama Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. This year’s program will focus on the evolving challenge of practicing law in-house during these unprecedented times. We’ll provide a substantive review of cutting-edge legal issues as well as practical advice for in-house counsel operating in a range of industries and in legal departments large and small. Program details will be made available soon.

CLE: Application will be made for accreditation of this program for 3 general hours and 1 ethics hour of Mandatory Continuing Legal Education by the Alabama State Bar.

Starnes Davis Florie will present this as a hybrid event on March 3rd.  Please RSVP if you'll be attending in-person or virtually using the Registration link.

This program will identify several ways employers can strengthen managers, supervisors, and HR teams in an effort to decrease the risks associated with a wide variety of employment claims.  The program will highlight the areas and issues that are likely to cause employers the most concern and risk in today’s climate.  The program will provide practical steps that employers can implement to equip managers, supervisors and HR teams to not only recognize but also effectively address these issues.

Black History Month: Freedom Suits Memorial

From the time of the Louisiana Purchase through the Emancipation Proclamation, nearly 400 courageous enslaved people petitioned Missouri courts to seek their legal freedom, assisted by lawyers working without pay.

Judge David C. Mason will speak about the courage of these litigants in what was ultimately nation-altering change and discuss how judges and lawyers fulfilled their duties during these lawsuits.

Judge Mason conceived the Freedom Suits Memorial, which will honor freedom suit plaintiffs and the judges and lawyers who supported their cause. Designed by sculptor Preston Jackson, it will be situated on the east side of the Civil Courts Building in downtown St. Louis, between it and the Old Courthouse, where most of the suits were filed.

We look forward to seeing you online on February 25th!

Please join the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers and the Association of Corporate Counsel-WI for an evening of networking at our Black Corporate Counsel Mixer. 

WHEN: February 23, 2022
TIME: 5:30 p.m. - 7: 00 p.m. 
LOCATION:  Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.,  833 East Michigan, Ste. 1800, Milwaukee. 
COST:  Free

Understand new and emerging risks in the D&O space and protect your officers, directors and companies.

This session will discuss the interplay between D&O insurance and the resolution of such claims and will address creative new theories of liability and damages arising from allegations such as:

•    Lack of diversity on boards and among employees
•    Poorly managed internal investigations
•    Inaccurate, incomplete and/or untimely disclosures in areas such as COVID-19, climate, supply chain and cyber;
•    Financial losses arising from inadequately-diligenced acquisitions, poorly conceived mergers, failed IPO/SPAC activity, and improperly managed investments.

As a commercial real estate tenant there are a number of opportunities and pitfalls that you should be aware of as you navigate lease negotiations.  A standard landlord form lease often fails to address issues that can be critical for tenants.  Stinson's Ashley Anderson and Erin Marino will share high level negotiation strategies from a commercial tenant perspective and practical tips that companies can use when negotiating a commercial lease with minimal leverage.

Session Title – Leveraging LinkedIn to Advance Your Career - Part 2

Join the ACC St. Louis Professional Development Program to enhance your knowledge of and skills with LinkedIn.

Chris Batz, Owner of The Lion Group, will be back to talk more about increasing your LinkedIn visibility and how to apply the practical to career goals and networking while taking it to the next level.

Those of you who tuned in to our three-part series in 2020 will remember that Chris coaches legal executives regularly on the principles and format that best showcase their experience and that achieve tangible results.

This session's focus will be:

• A recap of Part 1 followed by

• Talking about the Magic of Serendipity,

• The Power of Networks, and

• How to be a Relational Rockstar.

Utilize these recordings, of the ACC Baltimore Chapter programs, to refresh yourself with Part 1 Leveraging LinkedIn to Advance Your Career:

Session 1 | LinkedIn Profile Principles & Formatting

Session 2 | The LinkedIn Algorithm and The 4 Steps to LinkedIn Visibility

Session 3 | Live LinkedIn Profile Feedback

We look forward to seeing you online on Thursday, February 17th!

Ethics at the Improv! It's no joke! The ACC-WI Annual 3.0 Hour Ethics Seminar is back and this year it will be a little different. Join us at the Milwaukee Improv at the Corners in Brookfield for an afternoon of Ethics CLE designed by in-house counsel for in-house counsel, followed by a cocktail reception sponsored by PS Companies.

DATE: Thursday, November 3, 2022

TIME: 12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Check-In : 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Program:

Three, 50-Minute Sessions:

SESSION 1 – 1:00 p.m – 1:50 p.m. - "Big Ethical Considerations for Small Departments", Husch Blackwell LLP.

Particularly in small in-house legal departments, attorneys are often asked to serve in various different roles. What is privileged legal advice vs. business communications? What obligations do counsel heave if they become aware of unethical/illegal practices in other parts of the Company? To whom does counsel owe her “loyalty” when there is a conflict between the interests of the Company and the CEO/management? This session will address these questions and more.

Speakers: Mindi Giftos, Partner, Husch Blackwell LLP; Melissa Caulum WIlliams, Senior Counsel, Husch Blackwell LLP.

SESSION 2 – 2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. - "Minimum Specs: Emerging Technology and Ethics for In-House Counsel", Godfrey & Kahn S.C.

Speakers: Maggie Cook, Shareholder, Godfrey & Kahn; Zachary Willenbrink, Associate, Godfrey & Kahn; Santanu Singh, Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Secretary; Northwestern Mutual, Matthew Thomson, Director Cyber Liability, M3 Insurance.

This session will explore emerging technologies and the potential ethical pitfalls for in-house counsel. Panelists will cover topics that in-house counsel face (or will face) regularly, such as: wire transfer fraud, hacking and ransomware, data regulations, AI, and more.

SESSION 3 – 3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m. - "The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre: Updates on Recent Ethics Topics", Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C.

This presentation will cover a mix of updates, decisions, and rule proposals from this past year. The topics include a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision regarding offensive personality, risks of texting and phone discovery, updates regarding multijurisdictional practice and unauthorized practice of law, and a significant decision related to the limits of attorney-client privilege in the context of ethics investigations.

Speakers: Joshua Taggatz, Shareholder, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C.; Kushal Desai, Senior Commerical Counsel - Mobile Video Solutions, Chief Administrative Office - Legal Department, Motoral Solutions.

Cocktail Reception: 4:00 - 5:00 - Sponsored by PS Companies

Don't Forget, if you were a paid attendee of the ACC-WI 2022 Annual Conference, you may attend the Ethics Seminar FREE of charge.

Members: $75 - Members who did not attend 2022 Conference

Non-members: $100