When done right, an effective compliance program energizes rather than instructs employees to uphold ethical practices — leading to a better, brighter corporate culture.

The evolving landscape of economic sanctions continues to be the foremost concern to global corporations as new countries and regimes are targeted, amendments to diplomatic positions and policies are implemented, new tools emerge for implementation and enforcement efforts remain steady. Hear from experts with varying perspectives (outside counsel and in-house counsel from both sides of the pond and former senior Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) employees) on the current state of US and EU economic sanctions, including those targeting Ukraine/Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Myanmar. Explore the new issues and considerations in-house lawyers should be thinking about, how to navigate an atmosphere of increased compliance from a global perspective and what to take away from recent global enforcement trends. The discussion-style panel is composed of A&O experts from the United States and Europe, former OFAC employees and industry participants from global corporations and financial institutions.

Your company wants to expand internationally, but you know almost nothing about doing business in other countries. If your company is too small for an international office, what do you do if you just want to experiment and see whether you can generate revenue? Should you use independent contractors? Outsource? Hire employees? While you may not be able to learn all the laws of different countries, you can learn to identify key considerations for your clients and make solid business arguments for legal compliance. Learn about issues that should be considered and gather information for some specific jurisdictions.

Even if you don’t know why your job hunting efforts have yet to yield results, you may be able to breathe new life into your search by taking the actions outlined in this article.

Any US corporation with multinational operations and an unoptimized corporate structure that would benefit from reorganization of its operations along regional lines and responsibilities should consider whether a principal or other efficiency and profitability promoting restructuring might achieve similar benefits for it.

Highly dispute-savvy companies have mean internal legal department budgets that are 40 percent lower than the least dispute-savvy companies, according to a landmark 2003 study by the American Arbitration Association. New research reveals that dispute-savvy companies focus on maximizing business performance, preserving relationships with customers, employees, business partners, and suppliers, and preventing—or at least minimizing—disputes and their impact. Learn what leading practices they use in this article.

A panel of experts will discuss strategies and best practices for building and managing a trademark portfolio with a limited budget. The panel will address best practices related to clearance, filing, portfolio maintenance, and enforcement. The session will include a discussion of international searching and filing strategies and tips for prioritizing activities when expanding coverage of US trademarks into new geographies. The panel will review and discuss resources and tools available to assist with aspects of building and managing a trademark portfolio.

The draft guidelines for applying US antitrust laws to merger investigations depart from prior guidance and seek to roll back decades of legal precedent on merger enforcement. In this Client Alert, Latham attorneys highlight the key takeaways and the most significant developments in the new guidelines for companies considering strategic M&A opportunities.

When you start your in-house career, or even change companies, you need to acclimate yourself to your new company, learn as much as possible, and begin to become a part of your new business. Read these 12 tips to help you get started.

People, companies and even governments generate an enormous amount of data about themselves every day. From ordering a latte without foam to negotiating a major contract, there is a growing perceived need to collect and mine the resulting data for useful insights about markets, customers, competitors or competitive threats. How can we do this? What legal issues surround the collection of this data? What issues surround the use of the data? If your company is using big data, what should it be concerned about? How does it stay out of trouble and out of the headlines?

ESG has become a mainstream concern across companies, industries, and markets throughout the world. More than ever, companies’ ability to manage ESG risks and take advantage of new market opportunities can help them drive value for their stakeholders.

ACC homepage poll results for the week of 5/16/2011 - 5/22/2011.

A presentation on how to open offices in foreign countries.

The Anti-Corruption Law brought about significant changes regarding the relationship between private businesses and government employees. This article focuses on the practical consequences this law will have on business activities.

With seemingly never-ending shifts in global politics and economies, everyone is looking to in-house counsel for guidance. Follow this roadmap to guide your organizations through uncertainty.

The DWP has updated its guidance on certifying money purchase and defined benefit schemes for auto-enrolment. Employers preparing for staging should review the clarifications and changes in the new guidance to ensure that they can certify their scheme on the correct basis. This article highlights the key changes. Employers who have already certified their auto-enrolment scheme should also review the new guidance to check that no new issues arise as a result of the changes.

Susanna McDonald is counsel and the director of information for Claimant Management Systems in Wilmington, DE. Read her commentary on work-life balance and why Fs are good!

Brief guidance on updates to Mexican environmental regulations related to forests and environmental impact statements.

This InfoPAK (now known as ACC Guides) provides a practical guide to a Q&A that gives an overview of the legal system; foreign investment, including restrictions, currency regulations and incentives; and business vehicles and their relevant restrictions and liabilities in China.

Social media is a “hot topic.” It seems that everyone has an opinion on how to navigate this dynamic intersection of law and technology — including our regulators. It’s one thing to mitigate the risks, but it’s another to do so without alienating your workforce ... or your CEO. These advances in technology heighten threats to employers'' trade secrets, and other confidential and proprietary information. Coping with these realities is not made easier by laws that have not kept up with how people use technology in their private and working lives. In addition, emerging ethical traps, including enhanced employee privacy protections, ensnare employers and their attorneys as they attempt to deal with technology and employment-related issues. We’ll break through the noise and tell you what you really need to know as corporate counsel to keep your company compliant without getting in the way of business.