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.
ACC San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Committees
ACC San Francisco Bay Area Chapter is supported by committees who represent the interests of members and foster engagement across the region. The following is an introduction to the committee structure and the types of programs these committees work to bring to our members.
IP Committee Co-Chairs
Joanne Suh, Managing Counsel, Patent Licensing Group, Intel Corporation
EunHae Park, Managing Counsel, Litigation, Oracle Corporation
The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Patent Law Committee is focused on issues affecting in house counsel in the areas of intellectual property law. The Committee’s goals are to facilitate information and resource sharing among its members and to offer continuing legal educational programs of interest to in-house practitioners. The Committee hosts quarterly CLE programs on a broad range of topics relating to technology licensing, patents and patent licensing, monetizing your patent portfolio, protection of confidential information, development agreements, open source licensing as well as topical matters of the day affecting in-house practitioners in the field of intellectual property.
For more information on chapter activities, to suggest a topic for a CLE program or to participate in a presentation, please contact one of the Committee Co-Chairpersons.
Corporate & Securities Committee Co-Chairs
Jack Khouri, Director, Legal, Risk Management Solutions, Inc.
Scott Forsyth, Senior Corporate Counsel, Microsoft Corporation
The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Corporate and Securities Committee is focused on issues affecting in house counsel in the areas of corporate and securities law. The Committee’s goals are to facilitate information and resource sharing among its members and to offer continuing legal educational programs of interest to in-house practitioners. The Committee hosts regular CLE programs on a broad range of topics relating to mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance, regulation and securities compliance as well as topical matters of the day affecting in-house practitioners.
For more information on chapter activities, to suggest a topic for a CLE program or to participate in a presentation, please contact one of the Committee Co-Chairpersons.
International Committee Co-Chairs
Rafael Aguirre-Sacasa, Associate General Counsel, Fluidigm Corporation
Maite Alvero, Manager, Ethics & Compliance, Adobe
The International Committee of the SF Bay Area Chapter focuses on providing practical advice on legal issues which impact in-house counsel for companies doing business outside the USA. The Committee offers quarterly CLE programs on international legal and regulatory topics of interest to in-house practitioners. These programs are generally quite interactive, providing Chapter members the opportunity to ask questions and obtain practical information and insights that enable them to serve their clients more effectively.
The Committee Co-Chairs welcome input from members on program topics and encourage members with expertise to volunteer to present or participate in programs. Get in touch with ideas! For more information on chapter activities, to suggest a topic for a CLE program or to participate in a presentation, please contact one of the Committee Co-Chairpersons.
Labor & Employment Committee Co-Chairs
Ted Borromeo, Former Assistant General Counsel, McKesson Corporation
Diane Perlite, Legal Counsel, Technology, SaaS, Software, Media and Professional Service Companies
The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Labor and Employment Law Committee is focused on issues of interest to in-house counsel in the area of labor and employment law. The committee hosts quarterly CLE programs on a broad range of topics including preventative strategies for minimizing risk, single and multi-party litigation issues, wage and hour claims, state and federal administrative agency compliance and other issues unique to labor and employment law matters.
For more information on chapter activities, to suggest a topic for a CLE program or to participate in a presentation, please contact one of the Committee Co-Chairs.
Life Sciences Committee Chair:
Jennee DeVore, Head of Legal, Inflammatix, Inc.
The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Life Sciences Committee is focused on issues of concern to in-house counsel, both IP counsel and corporate counsel, who provide legal services for life sciences companies. These include biotechnology, medical device and pharmaceutical companies. The Committee's goals are to facilitate information and resource sharing among its members and to offer continuing legal educational programs of broad as well as specialized interest to in-house counsel in life sciences companies. The Committee hosts CLE programs on a broad range of topics relating to life sciences companies, discussing issues related to intellectual property; finance; mergers & acquisitions; strategic partnering; negotiating with clinical research organizations, academic institutions and large pharmaceutical companies; economic management of patent portfolios; as well as other topics of current interest to in-house life sciences attorneys. For more information on chapter activities, to suggest a topic for a CLE program or to participate in a presentation, please contact the Committee Chairperson.
For more information on chapter activities, to suggest a topic or to participate in a presentation, please contact the Committee Chairperson.
Litigation Committee Chair
Alex Ponce De Leon, Corporate Counsel and Discovery Team Manager, Google
The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Litigation and Risk Committee addresses issues affecting in-house counsel in the area of litigation in all its forms (simple collection matters to complex class actions) including procedural techniques, strategy, best practices in arbitration and mediation, attorney-client privilege issues, discovery and record retention. The committee also addresses the proactive side of litigation risk management. Topics will include identifying various risks and designing programs to minimize or eliminate risk including compliance, insurance, and all other matters which could lead to disputes.
For more information on chapter activities, to suggest a topic or to participate in a presentation, please contact the Committee Chairperson.
Privacy, Data and E-Commerce Committee Co-Chairs:
Paola Zeni, Chief Privacy Officer, Ring Central
Diana Francis, Assistant General Counsel, Deloitte
The Privacy, Data Security and E-Commerce Committee was founded in 2007 to educate ACC members about important legal developments in the worlds of cyberspace and data protection, and what these mean for in-house counsel. The committee has been expanded to cover social media.
For more information on chapter activities, to suggest a topic or to participate in a presentation, please contact the Committee Chairpersons.
Sports Committee Co-Chairs:
David Mason, Director IP Security & Strategy, Tula Technology, Inc.
Rafael Aguirre-Sacasa, Associate General Counsel, Fluidigm Corporation
The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter's Sports Events Committee brings together members and sponsors for a 1-hour CLE event followed by the opportunity for socializing and networking in a courtside, rinkside or fieldside suite.
For more information on chapter activities, to suggest a topic or to participate in a presentation, please contact the Committee Chairpersons.
Pro-Bono Committee Chairs:
Lucy Reckseit, Fractional In-house General Counsel, Ly Brothers, UniKey Technologies, Inc., Jaguar Health, Inc.
Diane Perlite, Legal Counsel, Technology, SaaS, Software, Media and Professional Service Companies
"Unless you choose to do great things with it, it makes no difference how much you are rewarded, or how much power you have" - Oprah Winfrey
The California Bar Association recommends that each attorney contribute up to fifty (50) hours of pro bono legal services annually. In-house attorneys, like all attorneys, have a professional responsibility to volunteer their services free of cost. According to the most recent ABA Legal Needs Comprehensive Study, more than 80% of the civil legal needs of the poor are not being met. Wherever in-house lawyers work, it is their professional responsibility to help those in need obtain equal access to the justice system.
To help its members adhere to and comply with these guidelines and associated responsibilities, the mission of the ACC-SFBA Pro Bono Committee is to exhort its members to vigorously engage in pro bono activities by identifying, promoting, partnering, and facilitating pro bono opportunities for in- house counsel.
Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chairs:
Maite Alvero, Manager, Ethics & Compliance, Adobe
Jennee DeVore, Head of Legal, Inflammatix, Inc.
The goal of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee is to provide information, training, insight and networking opportunities in the areas of Diversity & Inclusion. We host both interactive working sessions as well as celebratory social events during the year with a range of corporate, law firm, and minority law association partners.
For more information on chapter activities or to suggest a topic or event, please contact the Committee Chairpersons.
