The increasing use of digital media outlets such as Netflix, Hulu and YouTube is on a crash course with the corporate world. Employees are engaged with digital technologies that play an ever-increasing role in their everyday lives, including in the workplace. How can you protect your organization from the impact of this new normal? What policies do others have in place? What ethical problems arise with the use of these outlets in the corporate space? This experienced panel representing the technology, financial services, and media industries will discuss the issues that impact compliance and IP in light of these developments. This interactive session will answer these important questions as well as provide the audience with real world examples aimed at helping in-house counsel address this important issue.
Third-party litigation financing is on the rise. Such financing presents new issues and challenges for in-house counsel. This panel discussion will offer information on third-party financing in the United States and in other jurisdictions (e.g., Hong Kong), including both regulation of the industry and how such financing should affect a litigant's approach with respect to settlement considerations, discovery, and dispute resolution strategy.
This session will enable in-house counsel to effectively respond to the need for a large-scale contracts remediation effort. This need may arise as a result of a regulatory enforcement action, such as after a US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violation has occurred, or after a change in regulation, such as when the EU declared the Safe Harbor framework to be invalid. While these efforts tend to be reactive in nature, panelists will pinpoint best practices for proactively identifying all business relationships and collecting and warehousing the associated documentation so that the company will be prepared to respond if needed. Panelists will present case studies of remediation projects, whether undertaken expeditiously under the watchful gaze of a monitor or over time in response to a change in regulation, or after the merger or divestiture of a key supplier.
One of the biggest challenges in managing privacy programs in North America is recognizing and reconciling the significant data implications between the United States and Canada that apply to otherwise similar products and services. Attendees will learn key differences, helpful similarities, and strategies for managing a comprehensive approach to privacy, including what to do with a cross-border data breach.
This panel will explore the emerging issues corporate boards are facing. This innovative program, presented by the National Association of Corporate Directors, will feature independent, non-executive directors of private and Fortune 500 companies. We will discover how the board is grappling with hot issues such as succession planning, board and management dynamics, strategy, performance, risk oversight, shareholder activism, innovation, and competitive disruption. The panelists will provide advice on how the general counsel's office can equip the board to stay ahead of the curve and provide effective oversight with the most cutting-edge governance practices.
Faced with new adopters of technology — or perhaps “never adopters”? Technology is rapidly evolving, and in the healthcare world, companies constantly encounter dilemmas when faced with the business need to implement new technologies in harmony with archaic legal standards. This session will address numerous technology issues, including those with medical devices, software as a device, mobile applications, risks, benefits, and the global element. Come learn the legal risks and benefits around emerging technology (such as mobile health) and how to best partner with your IT and business colleagues without betting the company.
Bribery and corruption, embezzlement, conflicts of interest, data breaches, workplace bullying: Internal investigations often are complex and high-stakes undertakings. Cross-border investigations raise additional challenges. In this session, through hypothetical situations and an overview of related scientific research, attendees will learn how to guard against the most common mistakes organizations make when investigating allegations of wrongdoing. You will also walk away with practical information that will help you execute lawful, effective investigations — including tips related to data protection, witness interviews, and cultural and language differences.
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.
Law departments are often considered cost centers for the business, not revenue generators. However, there is a variety of ways to change this perception and allow law departments to collaborate with business clients to add to the company’s bottom line. This panel will examine some of the programs and strategies that in-house counsel can use to reduce legal spend and generate revenue. Topics discussed will include affirmative recovery programs (for example, monitoring contractual performance and intellectual property infringement), third-party litigation financing, licensing IP or other valuable assets, investments in new technology, and creative legal matter staffing. This panel will also examine how to build relationships with business clients to create and implement successful programs involving them and how to track and communicate law department profitability and performance.
This roundtable discussion will include regulators from the US Department of Justice, Securities & Exchange Commission, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, along with your in-house counsel peers. With the regulators, we will cover ongoing and emerging compliance and examination issues, provide updates on regulatory changes, and keep ACC members in tune with regulators’ views, recent findings, and consent orders and compliance trends. The regulators will be asked to discuss their approaches to examinations and investigations and suggest best practices for compliance in the current environment.