No longer is the annual report a dry recitation of financial figures. Increasingly, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings have become a canvas for broad, aspirational statements on corporate environmental and social practices. Publicly traded companies now face overlapping and sometimes conflicting demands for transparency from the SEC, activist shareholders, customers, and non–governmental organizations on subjects as disparate as conflict minerals, climate change, material environmental liabilities, and social mandates. These disclosures, which inevitably carry some degree of subjectivity, are fraught with obvious risks, including SEC enforcement actions, shareholder lawsuits and civil litigation based on consumer deception or false advertising claims. This program will provide corporate counsel with tips and case studies for working with their corporate colleagues and outside auditors to obtain information critical to making accurate and defensible disclosures that will highlight company accomplishments without creating unnecessary litigation or enforcement risk.
Managing internal investigations and government investigations is an important skill set for in-house counsel. This panel discussion will focus on best practices for internal investigations and for dealing with government investigations. Internal investigation topics will include investigation strategies, best practices for dealing with employees, and information and use of outside counsel. Government investigation topics will include investigation strategies, establishment of a "dawn raid" protocol, use of outside counsel, and involvement of corporate affairs/public relations experts.
Extracting value from intellectual property assets through IP monetization activities is a major objective for many organizations. This session will provide an in-depth discussion of issues to consider when assessing and valuing patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret assets for possible commercialization. The panel will review the IP monetization programs, transactions, and structures available and provide strategies for structuring and building successful deals based on asset attributes, desired outcomes, and governing legal principles (e.g. standing, enforcement, royalty structures, and reserved rights).The panel will also include guidance for engaging key stakeholders to establish an IP strategy that supports monetization activities worldwide.
This panel will examine the application of process reengineering to legal functions and the interrelationship of in-house legal, law firms, and legal process outsourcing providers. Attendees will learn from experienced practitioners who have transformed in-house legal departments by optimizing the mix and use of technology (including recent developments in data analytics supporting the integration of e-discovery and information governance), applying best practices and analyzing which aspects of work performed by lawyers, paralegals, and support staff really add value and which are likely candidates to be eliminated, automated, or delivered by alternative resources.
The over-retention of information is the No. 1 information governance challenge companies face. Keeping too much information needlessly drives up discovery costs and creates unnecessary risk of a data breach. But why is it so difficult to hit the delete button? How do companies and in-house counsel get comfortable actually deleting information? This session will discuss how in-house counsel can lead an initiative to reduce the amount of data their companies retain by 50 percent or more. The panel will lead a non-technical discussion on who should be involved, what existing IT resources are required, decision points, and, most important, results.
Fantasy Sports has been in the headlines lately as states and the federal government grapple with the legality of this $2 billion industry. This panel will examine the legal framework around this industry that boasts approximately 60 million participants in the US and Canada alone.
A perennial favorite. This session highlights the most important trends, legislation, regulation, and case law affecting labor and employment law changes over the past year, including what the activity at the US National Labor Relations Board means for unionized and nonunionized employers alike. Join an experienced panel of experts for insight and practical knowledge on the many developments in workplace law.
Regulatory compliance continues to be a key issue for US energy companies. With an ever-changing regulatory landscape and stepped-up enforcement in some areas, it is more important than ever for in-house counsel to ensure proactive compliance with the various regulations governing the energy industry. This panel will provide timely updates, best practices, and advice from the experts on North American Electric Reliability Corporation, US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and US Commodity Futures Trading Commission compliance.
This presentation describes the purpose of a whistleblower program.
You are familiar with the US Federal Sentencing Guidelines and have heard about compliance best practices, but wonder: "How in the world am I going to do that?" As a small legal department, the demands are great, resources are scarce, and, often, the businesspeople don't completely understand your role. The Guidelines acknowledge differences between large and small organizations in meeting the requirements for an effective ethics and compliance program. The question is often the “how” of implementation. What are regulators’ expectations for companies with limited resources? What are cost- and time-efficient methods to address constant regulatory scrutiny and change? This program will explore the critical issues for prioritizing with limited resources while regulations continue to increase. This session will also focus on creative strategies to do more with less, such as using risk-based prioritization, tailoring compliance to meet business needs and objectives, and finding third-party vendors to provide support at a reasonable cost.