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As we approach a new decade, how can legal departments help their companies navigate the issues that arise in this ever-evolving industry? With many companies acting as both providers and purchasers of software solutions, this session will explore how in-house counsel have had to grapple with significant changes in the legal and business landscape facing the software industry, and how these changes have impacted countless business decisions and revenue generation.

So your company is considering or is involved in an M&A transaction, either as buyer, seller or as part of a merger. You know that each party has a complex technology infrastructure that will need to be understood and either transitioned out or combined. This program will provide a step-by-step approach to addressing this matter.

Our experienced panelists will discuss legal issues associated with conducting pre-hire screening, including a discussion of how to manage testing programs post-Ricci, how to respond to the recent focus by regulators and legislators on limiting criminal background checks and credit checks, and how to conduct contingent offer medical evaluations.

Today’s economy brings both challenges and opportunities. While the current financial environment makes it clear that little can be done to fully protect against a potential bankruptcy by a customer, landlord, licensee or tenant, you can “be the solution” by proactively moving to mitigate risk or even benefit from the event. Join us at this session for an update on how to handle bankruptcy in a way that will best help your company.

In this age of electronic networking and socializing, counsel need to understand how to use networks such as LinkedIn, Martindale-Hubbell Connected or ACC tools effectively to learn new skills, discuss issues, compare notes or job-hunt, etc. This session will also provide a primer on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Second Life and whatever may become the next hot site, so counsel will be able to understand what employees may be doing.

Generally, wage and hour collective actions require no showing of intent but can result in enormous damages awards. Complex rules, compliance vulnerability, an aggressive plaintiff's bar and a sluggish economy keep the claims for unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work and misclassification of workers, roiling. Vulnerable pay practices and policies are commonplace, and the DOL Wage and Hour Division, with increased funding and staff, is working overtime to enforce the law. In this session, wage and hour specialists and class action practitioners will explore recent developments in rules and enforcement, and emerging trends in class and collective actions.

Now that counsel knows what social networking sites are out there and how to effectively use them, this program will provide tips on how to protect your companies from the issues that might develop.

An introduction to international accounting standards with special attention to section 39, which is related to recognition of financial assets and liabilities. What is the process for derecognition of financial assets and liabilities related to financial instruments sales, etc? Learn how the discrepancies between the US Financial Accounting Standards and IAS could impact your company.

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Guide to in-house training. Includes reasons for training, sources of need for training, potential training areas, the role of the legal department, various forms of training material, and measurement of success.

Overview of the EPA's presence on the internet. Includes review of EPA information available online and its use of the internet to communicate with citizens. Also includes a white paper examining emerging concerns about the adequacy of procedural protections in government information programs.

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This Outline review some of the Division's significant recent activity involving financial fraud, financial reporting, the responsibilities of officers, directors, employees, and accountants, and the foreign corrupt practices act.

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Most of us would agree that litigation is both undesirable and inevitable. Not even the most
cautious companies are immune from lawsuits. Law departments must therefore gear up for
battle by developing strategies for the efficient and effective handling of cases. Through trial
and error, I have uncovered some practical and useful litigation strategies for small law departments. While these strategies will not guarantee victory, they should help to maximize your resources, focus your attack, and make the litigation battle a little less agonizing.

Overview of legal developments as of 1999. Includes examination of relevant case law, investigative template for anti-trust factfinding, and an article analyzing the changing legal trends.

ACC Value Challenge Docket Brochure

ACC Value Challenge: Chapter Initiatives

General Counsel and other lawyers in corporations possess a variety of skills and have a wide knowledge base of corporate finance, governance, and compliance. This experience often reflects many hours in the board room as well. But what does it take to get to the other side of the board table—to be a member of the board itself? In this presentation, board members explained how they made that leap, what the experience was like, and the pros and cons. It could be the next stop on your career path!

So many employment laws and regulations to comply with; so little time. You don’t want to make a misstep. But how can you make sure your client meets them all and gets the rest of the work of the company done as well? Triage. Triage. Triage. Address those problems that are the most significant sources of risk by taking steps to make sure they don’t arise. This learned panel shared what those areas of concern are and how you can implements solutions to reduce the legal risk associated with them.

Presented at ACCA’s Annual Meeting 2000; Program - Chair’s Choice II: The Evolution of the In-house Practice

Presented at ACCA’s Annual Meeting 2000; Program - Approaches to Counseling the E-Volving Organization’s Workforce

Guide to selecting foreign counsel and managing the relationship. Includes guidance on constructing an engagement letter and other sources on the issues of foreign counsel.

Liability and Insurance for In-house Lawyers (ACCA New Jersey Chapter Program). In-house corporate counsel are increasingly exposed to legal malpractice claims. As corporations bring more work in-house, the exposure to legal malpractice claims expands.

There are subtle and not-so-subtle issues in dealing with another party’s confidential information and in-house counsel need to understand and address them both. This was a how-to course to train employees and set up processes and procedures to minimize the risks associated with obtaining and using confidential information of third parties. It is crucial when competitive technologies from two or more third parties are being evaluated or developed, or where your company is working on potentially competitive technology to that of one of your current or potential vendors or customers. This program was suitable for in-house lawyers with or without an IP background at both a basic and intermediate level.

Simplified agreements and the elimination of unneeded contracts results in a huge increase in productivity and business partner satisfaction. How can you achieve this same result without increasing risk? The task encompasses a variety of activities from simplifying language and shortening documents, to smarter risk allocation (to avoid unnecessary negotiations), to implementing contracting mechanisms that reduce the number of provisions that must be repeatedly drafted, reviewed, understood, and negotiated. Hear how these panelists did it and take these lessons home with you.

Internal development of ("Intrapreneurship") and/or external minority investment in new entrepreneurial ventures has become a strategy of choice for businesses looking to stay ahead of the innovation curve. But there are a number of potential pitfalls that in-house counsel need to avoid in creating, structuring, negotiating, and implementing such a transaction. A panelist of in house and outside counsel will discuss a marketplace orientation, share their proven strategies for successfully spinning-off or investing in a new business, and point out the benefits and risks of home-grown enterprises.

You have a matter management system. Now what do you do with it? One of the toughest challenges of in-house counsel is to use the available technology to obtain a complete picture of the legal landscape, both within the law department and with its outside counsel. The panelists discussed the latest technologies that provide flexible, sophisticated matter management capabilities. The panel also shared their experiences in using technology to make more fully informed decisions regarding budgeting, forecasting, resource allocation, effective use of outside counsel, spotting legal trends, effective enterprise collaboration, and marketing your in-house services to your clients.

Assuring advertising, external communications, and marketing programs meet applicable regulations, laws, industry standards and internal corporate policies, presents a continuing challenge to corporate counsel. Involvement of the legal department, early and often, is critical. Panelists described how to move beyond the role of Columbo (deducing what your marketing department is really up to) or Wyatt Earp (shooting down marketing’s plans). In-house counsel shared lessons learned and best practices to create robust processes and review of marketing programs and advertising claims, including process and elements necessary for advertising claims substantiation, and to lessen the risk of legal, regulatory, and competitive challenges.