New Jersey
Dear Members, Sponsors and Colleagues,
As I enter my second year as President of the ACCNJ, I notice that our Chapter, and the ACC at large, has never been more relevant and important for those of us practicing in house in New Jersey and across the nation and world. I've come to think of the ACC network as one very large, multi-national, best in class in house legal team. A team that provides abundant opportunities to learn, teach, mentor, and share top quality legal advice.A team that enables us to advocate, brainstorm, give back to our communities, meet, network and socialize with friends and colleagues all over the country and world. (Yes - - ACC has chapters in 85 countries outside of the U.S!).
The changes around us—whether social, political, technological, scientific, economic or otherwise—require that we help our clients navigate through new and increasingly complex legal landscapes, which profoundly impact the companies for which we work, our communities, and the legal profession at large.In many instances, we are responsible to help shape those new legal landscapes. Our terrific ACC community of professionals, including all our sponsors, is a network on which I have become increasingly reliant when facing these new challenges and opportunities.
I'm proud of our Chapter's successes over the last year, particularly in providing more opportunities for meaningful engagement of our members and sponsors, introducing innovative programming formats and topics, and providing professional development and outreach opportunities. In the year ahead, we will continue these initiatives, as well as adding programming designed for the different stages of your career, virtual programming, and events held in collaboration with other chapters in the tri-state area and beyond.
Thank you members for your continued participation and enthusiasm in our professional community, and sponsors for your incredible support and advice.Finally, I'd like to give a special shout-out of appreciation to our Chapter Board of Directors and to Leslie Wolfson, our Executive Director, for their tireless work on behalf of the ACCNJ, and to the ACC organization for all the resources, guidance and support they provide each and every day.Thank you all!
Wishing you a good and successful 2019, and looking forward to seeing you soon.
Joëlle E. Quilla
Greater Philadelphia
Dear Members,
Oh what fun! As we reach the end of 2018, I would like to recognize some recent Chapter highlights and accomplishments.
At the ACC Global Annual Conference in Austin on October 21, 2018, our Chapter received the ACC Global Diversity Initiative Award for the Chapter’s Diversity Summer Corporate Internship program. This program places diverse area law students in 15 corporate legal departments for a summer internship. Several interns have gone on to in house careers following this internship, including the current Diversity Committee co-chair, Sadeq Khan, Chief Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel at Vertical Screen, Inc. As a prior diversity committee chair and Chapter president, I was extremely proud to accept this award, with Grace Manno, former President and Diversity Committee chair, on behalf of the Chapter. This program offers a unique opportunity for member companies, law students, and local law schools to partner to promote diversity in the legal profession as well as hands on in house experienc
I would also like to recognize three other Chapter committees this year – Communications, Meet Your Counterparts, and Women’s Events. Under the leadership of committee co-chair, Stephanie Hu, the Communications committee has established a strong social media presence for the Chapter on Twitter and Facebook. Our regular and relevant communications improve member engagement and highlights the many CLE, social, and community activities of our Chapter. In addition, our newly-formed Meet Your Counterparts committee, including Jackie Meredith-Batchelor, Pete Prinsen, Pia Biswas, and Chris Pushaw, in partnership with our sponsors, have organized MYC events at some of the area’s top and most popular venues throughout the area, including Yards Brewing, Savona, The Restaurant School, Estia, The Merchant Bar, Camden County Boathouse, and others. Our women’s events continue to be very popular with our members and sponsors. These events offer an opportunity for our members to focus on issues and interests unique to women in-house counsel, at some wonderful area venues, including the popular Logan rooftop and The Love. Thank you to Aileen Schwartz, Lorraine Koc, Lauren Neal, and Jackie Meredith-Batchelor for partnering with our sponsors in planning these events. Our MYCs and women’s events provide a fun networking opportunity and we have been excited to see many new members at these events!
Other programming highlights this fall included an interesting and insightful discussion with chief legal officers at the Tips from the Top program, organized by the Career Management committee, the Paralegal Forum, and Street Law, offering classroom instruction to high school students on legal topics.
Last, but not least, our annual Gala at the Please Touch Museum was our biggest yet. The Please Touch Museum was transformed into a true wonderland for an evening of dancing, conversation, carousel rides, and recognition of our summer interns and participating companies. Thank you to our Gala committee, Jackie Meredith-Batchelor, Shahrzad Kojouri, and Robin Seifert, for planning such an amazing evening, and to our many members and sponsors who attended.
In addition to our social events, our committee chairs and sponsors have put together relevant and engaging continuing legal education programs throughout the year.
As I come to the end of my term as Chapter President, I want to thank the officers, Board, past Presidents (especially Mike Crane), committee chairs, sponsors, members, and especially our Chapter administrators Chris Stewart and Joanne Ray for your support and guidance. Our Chapter continues to grow in exciting, inclusive, and innovative directions and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to be a part of it. Best wishes to President Elect Pete Prinsen for an exciting year ahead!
Best regards,
Anne Bancroft
ACC Greater Philadelphia President, 2018
Southern California
Dear ACC Southern California Members & Friends,
Last fall our 2017-2018 distinguished Board members’ term came to an end, and a new Board of Directors and future leaders have joined our Board. I am honored to be your incoming President and I want to acknowledge the leadership provided by John Lee and last years’ board. I am excited to welcome the new class of Directors to the Board, new and returning members who I am certain will successfully fulfill their predecessors’ shoes! Please join me in welcoming VPs: Ken Block and Monica Johnson, Secretary: Del Sabzerou, Treasurer: Adriana Dulic, and our Board of Directors: Relani Belous, Rebecka Biejo, Kush Desai, James Dierking, Elizabeth Duong, Tiffany Easton, Jennifer Fisher, Joni Gaudes, Victoria Harvey, Preston Hopson, Jerry Huang, Jennifer Ishiguro, Lynette Jones, Jill Kalliomaa, Robert Kang, John Kedeshian, Peter Macdonald, Nicole Nakagawa, Albert Nicholson, James Schindler, Alexander Winsberg, Ellen Yang, Christina Zabat- Fran, and our fearless leader and truly amazing, Betty St. Marie, as our Chapter Administrator. I look forward to serving the Southern California Chapter as President, but I’m humbled too, especially considering the many outstanding, inspiring, and tireless leaders who keep this well-oiled machine running day in and day out throughout the year. I want to extend a special THANK YOU to my predecessor, John Lee, for his leadership and mentoring. I also want to thank our Sponsors because our achievement would not have been possible without their continued support and dedication to excellence.
I know and have built relationships with many of you through ACC, but for those I have not met, let me share with you my path towards becoming involved with this great organization. I started my career at Morrison & Foerster and went in-house with Paramount in 2000. Since then, I have worked as in-house counsel for a variety of entertainment companies including the Walt Disney Corporation, FOX Searchlight Pictures and now Twentieth Century Fox.
When I joined ACC in 2008, I found it provided not only great networking and legal education opportunities, but also great new friends throughout the Chapter. Volunteering with ACC Southern California on the committee and Board levels provided me with a greater appreciation for what our Chapter offers.
In 2019, the Board’s and my priorities will be to (1) engage our members to become even more involved with ACC both on the Chapter and Global levels (2) help our members to grow professionally, whether that’s by improving your skill sets for your current job through the tools provided by ACC or by advancing your legal career through ACC’s vast network, and (3) continue to provide you with solutions and opportunities through ACC resources that will help you pursue greatness in your chosen industry as well as in your community.
If you have an idea, suggestion, comment, improvement, or criticism, please contact me, any of our leadership team, or Betty and convey your thoughts. If you want to make a difference, reach out to the Chair of the Committee or Betty and let them know you want to get more involved.
I’m looking forward to a fantastic 2019, and I am grateful for your partnership and dedication to our chapter to make it all possible!
Very Respectfully,
Kobie Conner
President, ACC Southern California, 2018-19
National Capital Region
Dear Colleagues:
I am honored to lead our ACC National Capital Region chapter this year. With approximately 2,500 members across Virginia, D.C., and suburban Maryland, we are a strong and vital organization focused on being your go-to professional resource. Over 50 dedicated volunteer leaders, a strong group of sponsors, and our great staff make this all possible.
Each year, we provide our members with over 80 CLE opportunities on a broad array of substantive topics. These programs are shaped by our volunteer leaders specifically for you as in-house attorneys. I have always been impressed with the quality and diversity of our programming. And now with our increased focus on interactivity, we provide you with more opportunities to learn by doing -- and from each other.
In everything we do, we build in the opportunity for you to get to know your colleagues - whether during lunch at a CLE program, sharing ideas in an interactive program, meeting each other a micro-networking lunch, doing good through pro bono and community service, or attending happy hours and other social events. Having a strong professional network that you can call on with a difficult question helps you do your job better, and is very important if a job change is on the horizon.
All of the chapter's work is focused on enriching your experience as members, so we are always open to feedback on our current services and how we can better serve you. Feel free to reach out to me, any of our chapter leaders, or our great staff if you have ideas or would like to get involved.
Best regards,
Navid C. Haghighi
President