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The United States is in the midst of a unique cultural moment. A post-pandemic economy, a fractured political climate, a newly aggressive regulatory state, a deeply conservative U.S. Supreme Court and the relentless advance of technology have profoundly impacted our workplaces. This article looks at some of the class and collective actions at this historic juncture.

Canadian trademark laws and rules do bear many similarities to those in the US. However, for international brand owners looking to file, prosecute, and enforce trademarks in Canada, it is critical to keep in mind some important features unique to the Canadian system, which are outlined in this resource.

Legal Operations is a multi-disciplinary field, requiring aptitude in finance, technology, vendor management, workforce strategy, data analysis, communications, and so much more. Professionals can develop substantive acumen in any of these areas sufficient to allow them to determine “what” the focus of the corporate legal department. However, the culture of the “how” we execute is rarely discussed with the same type of rigor and it requires just as much planning and care to deliver the desired business outcomes.

There is a growing focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues in today’s boardrooms. As companies grapple with developing ESG programs, legal operations have an important role. From preparing ESG disclosures and managing risks to collecting, validating, and reporting data, firms can leverage core legal operations functions to build an ESG program that drives improvement over time.

In today’s globalized society, it is increasingly common for businesses to litigate disputes across international borders. This raises the potential hurdle of a judgment issuing in one jurisdiction, while the assets of the debtor are located in another jurisdiction. Canada is generally considered a cooperative jurisdiction in which to enforce a judgment. This article explains how to enforce foreign judgments against assets in Canada.

Canada is an attractive market for pharmaceutical manufacturers. Most Canadian consumers have some form of drug coverage through government programs and/or private insurance. Below are ten patent and regulatory topics that in-house counsel need to know before bringing an innovative product to Canada.

Editor's note: This article was updated to reflect recent developments; the original version of this article was published on December 16, 2020.

This list has 10 considerations for employers to keep in mind from the perspectives of employment law, employee safety and health, and labor-management relations when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccines.

The recently published report from the survey conducted by Polish law firm Wierciński, Kwieciński, Baehr Sp.k. (WKB) in cooperation with the Polish Association of General Counsel (the “Report”) provides useful insight into key compliance trends in Poland. In this Quick Overview, learn more about how compliance programs are viewed and internalized in Poland.

Calling a performance bond involves a delicate balance of factors. Such evaluation is not simplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this Quick Overview, please assess key issues regarding bonds in this context.

Of all the key areas in which law department leaders self-graded their overall maturity and development in the recent ACC Benchmarking report, Innovation Management ranked last. How can law departments create a culture of innovation and creativity, let it thrive, and keep that culture alive? Chief legal officers (“CLO”) set the tone for their teams through how leadership approaches, how they hire, retain and promote, and, finally, the behaviors they incentivize. Explore key takeaways below from ACC’s virtual CLO roundtable on 23 July 2020.

In this Top Ten, find tips to unleash leadership potential and transform yourself and others into an inspirational legal leader.

The advent of new technology, staffing models, and legal operations strategy is driving profound change and disruption in the way in-house teams are delivering legal services for their organisations. Just as the global in-house sector is rapidly evolving, the Japanese in-house sector too is experiencing immense change.

In this Quick Overview, learn more about how Japanese Chief Legal Officers (CLOs) and their companies are dealing with these changes.

The way to get the most out of your team members is to develop each person into a leader. In this member written Top 10, learn how to connect with your colleagues and build a team of leaders.

Based on responses from nearly 1,100 in-house counsel in 42 countries, the ACC Chief Legal Officers 2017 Survey offers legal departments, law firms, and other legal industry partners insights on the practices, trends, and changes in the CLO role. The 2017 report examines how CLOs source work in-house, to law firms, and to legal service providers. In addition, the report highlights plans and historical trends in hiring, staffing, and budgeting.

Today, an organization needs far more than legal advice from its legal function. In this article, learn what business leaders really want and need from their General Counsel/Chief Legal Officers and their teams.

A company’s culture can cause problems if employees perceive the company as not being concerned about their needs. Corporate culture must be examined to see if it reflects the company’s values and helps employees succeed at their jobs.

This resource is an overview on managing document production in Swiss State court proceedings.

Most attorneys will face serious personal problems during their careers that could affect their professional and personal lives. State bar associations have assistance programs to help attorneys.

Climate change and diversity are among the topics that have drawn interest from investors in the last few years, which in turn has lead to boards of directors addressing those issues. In-house counsel can help the board by anticipating investor and shareholder interest in certain topics.

This Top Ten describes ten points that in-house counsel and corporate executives need to do in dealing with today’s supply chain issues going forward.

IN-HOUSE LAWYERS IN EUROPE HAVE A LOT TO SAY.

Find out more with the 2015 ACC Chief Legal Officers Europe Report. This report spotlights top legal and business concerns weighing on CLOs in European corporate legal departments. CLOs from the region identified emerging trends, business priorities, budget, staffing changes, and more as their top concerns.

The main purpose of a merger or a spin-off is an administrative reorganization. In Mexico, from a commercial standpoint, mergers and spin-offs are always considered an assignment of assets. However, from a tax perspective this may not always be the case. This issue is relevant to in-house counsel because it is important to avoid negative tax impacts in such operations.

Often overlooked are the impacts wildfires can have on oil and gas operations. The potential for wildfires to cause severe damage underscores the need for stringent fire safety protocols. 

This articles provides steps oil and gas operators can take in preparation for and prevention of a wildfire.

Sample class briefing for a law school class session on the topic of internal investigations, as part of the law school course titled "In-house Counsel: Law and Practice" taught by Professors Veta T. Richardson and Justin Connor.

This is a sample briefing by law school professors to their students regarding graded assignments. This material was created by Veta T. Richardson, President and CEO of the Association of Corporate Counsel, and Justin Connor, Executive Director of the Center for Industry Self-Regulation, as part of their law school course titled "In-house Counsel: Law and Practice."

These are the slides of the 2023 presentation given by Veta T. Richardson, ACC President and CEO, and Justin Connor, Executive Director, Center for Industry Self-Regulation, on tips and strategies for proposing, creating, and teaching a law school course.

Relying on the status quo to understand large-scale unstructured data is risky. It’s also potentially time-consuming and expensive. Today, AI can completely and reliably automate the low value work of PI identification in document review and reduce risk. It lets cybersecurity practitioners like me provide more accurate, less costly, and less risk-laden results to clients.

For this month's ACC Legal Ops Observer feature article, ACC acquired insights from Laurie David-Henric on demonstrating the law department strategic value.

Legal ops truly shines when bringing together lawyers, allied professionals, and the tools that serve them best to meet their myriad, unique needs. In a world of complicated implementations, it’s crucial that lawyers are engaged in decision-making before and during the project. This article provides tips and best practices to that end.