Central Daylight Time

Intellectual Property (IP) assets play an increasingly significant role in the value of corporate transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, licenses, and distribution agreements. IP due diligence is an exercise to define, examine, and analyze an IP portfolio of a target company (including patents, trademarks, copyrights, domain names, and trade secrets) and can occur in anticipation of a transaction or in the context of one. Whether your company is the buyer or a target in a transaction involving IP, the due diligence should examine the scope, strength, and enforceability of the IP in addition to the ownership rights surrounding the IP and its commercial potential.

In this webinar, we will discuss key considerations before conducting IP due diligence, the essential elements of IP due diligence (with an emphasis on trademark and copyright diligence), and common pitfalls.  Examining these components will help in-house counsel derive maximum value from IP in corporate transactions, identify risks and potential deal-breakers, and satisfy the business objectives of a deal. We will provide you with the necessary tools to identify and remediate problems encountered during IP due diligence, negotiate deal terms to reflect information learned during IP due diligence, and develop IP portfolio management strategies post-closing.

The ACC Annual Women's Forum will return in-person on November 12, 2021

All in-house counsel (regardless of gender!) are invited to attend ACC Austin’s fourth annual Women’s Forum sponsored by Perkins Coie and Waller Law. Join us for lunch, then sessions, followed by a happy hour. This is a free event for both current and prospective ACC Austin members, so bring a colleague who is interested in learning more about ACC Austin.  Prospective members who attend and would like to join ACC will receive a discount code for their first year membership.

TOPICS:

Career Growth and Resiliency - Keynote Address

Speaker:

• Kathy Richardson, HR Legal Search, Austin, TX

Persuasive Speaking From Your Seat - Panel

This presentation incorporates the latest research on how women communicators are perceived in the workplace, including the promising finding that effective women communicators frequently lead teams and companies that are more productive and profitable. You will learn about unique approaches we women should consider in our persuasive communication styles when speaking impromptu in a meeting. Presenters Karen Lisko and Janice Ta will provide practical strategies for powerful verbal and nonverbal communication that will allow you to increase your effectiveness as a communicator – all without losing who you are.

 Speakers:

• Karen Lisko, Ph.D., Senior Litigation Consultant and Persuasive Communications Advisor, Perkins Coie
• Janice Ta, Senior Counsel, Perkins Coie
• and more

Managing Work in a Hybrid Environment - Panel

More details to come!

ATTENDANCE AND COVID SAFETY INFORMATION:

Attendees must be fully vaccinated.  The event venue is a semi-outdoor space.  We will be monitoring local COVID guidelines closely leading up to the event and will provide detailed guidance the week of the event. 

PARKING: Free on-site parking available.

CLE CREDIT:  We were unable to obtain CLE certification for the event topics.

AGENDA:

• 11:30am -12:00pm - Registration and Networking
• 12:00 - 1:00pm - Keynote Address and Lunch
• 1:00 - 3:00pm - Panel Discussions
• 3:00 - 4:00pm - Happy Hour

Please join us for a lively discussion with our panel of General Counsels and senior legal department leaders as we discuss the challenges and strategies for a safe return to the workplace, how in-house attorneys can navigate the path to leadership in an in-office, hybrid, or remote environment, and other topics.

Do you have a question for the panelists? Be sure to include it with your registration. As this is an interactive event, attendees will also be able to ask questions directly to the panelists.

PANELISTS:

• Adam Berry, General Counsel, Fourth

• Alex King, VP Legal Counsel, Indeed

• Kevin Eldridge, Head of Office (Austin), Seaton

• and more

• Adam Sencenbaugh (Moderator), Partner, Haynes and Boone, LLP

ATTENDANCE AND COVID SAFETY INFORMATION:

We will be complying with local COVID guidelines and will provide detailed guidance the week of the event. Please see our guidance below, as of today.

Masks will be required at this indoor event, except when eating. We will be providing a plated dinner to reduce contact between guests. Weather permitting, doors will be opened to the garden to provide extra ventilation and we will be practicing social distancing to the extent the space allows. Attendance will be limited, and we ask that attendees are fully vaccinated. 

We strongly encourage members of our community to be vaccinated to help protect those who are unable.

AGENDA:  

• 4:30 pm - 5:00 pm         Registration

• 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm         Panelist Discussion and Plated Dinner

• 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm         Networking Reception

PARKING: 

Free parking is available at Chez Zee.

CLE:

One hour of Texas CLE is pending for this event.

ACC Houston October Chapter Meeting CLE Webinar
How In-House Counsel Can Avoid Common Issues Surrounding Transactions
Thursday, October 28, 2021 | 12pm - 1pm | 1.00 Hrs CLE (TX)

DESCRIPTION
Join ACC Houston and BoyarMiller with a panel of in-house experts to learn how counsel can avoid common issues surrounding transactions. Topics include:

1) Due Diligence what to look for and potential pitfalls
2) Contract drafting pitfalls what to watch out for when papering the deal
3) Managing the Contract how to ensure your contract is more than a piece of paper
4) Post-Closing issues -what to learn from and how to move forward
5) Governmental-entity specific considerations how to contract with them

(reserved indoor and outdoor private space)

This CLE will provide a discussion regarding real life and litigation consequences stemming from company employees following poor email communication practices, as well as guidance as to how to avoid such missteps.  Focus also will be given to best practices for invoking and preserving attorney-client privilege within the Company, along with some cautionary instruction regarding the consequences of failing to follow proper authorized signature practices.

Join us as we cover important ethical issues affecting in-house counsel in 2021 and beyond.  This CLE will cover ethical issues, such as privilege and conflicts of interest, that should be considered well before a problem or waiver arises.

ACC Houston DPS Practice Group CLE Webinar
Privacy in the Internet of Things: What's the Smart Setting?
October 27, 2021 | 12-1 PM | 1.00 Hrs CLE (TX)

DESCRIPTION
Traditional privacy considerations apply when designing, launching and operating an Internet-connected device that can send and receive data to, from and about users. The Internet of Things (IoT) is where now ubiquitous electronic devices are equipped with identifying, sensing, and collecting data and Internet communication abilities. This program will explore some practical considerations for a business considering offering a connected device in the US.

Our presentation will focus exclusively on President Biden’s September 9, 2021 COVID-19 Action Plan, which directs OSHA to issue a Temporary Emergency Standard forcing employers with 100 or more employees to require their employees to provide proof of full vaccination or undergo weekly testing.

Specific topics covered will include:

· Basic requirements likely placed on employers under OSHA emergency standard

· Enforcement and penalties for noncompliance

· Medical and religious exemptions

· Cost of testing and wage and hour implications

· Inquiries regarding vaccination status for job candidates

· Potential issues involving contractors and vendors