This moderated talk show-style panel will share strategies designed to help 21st century general counsel cope with today’s increasingly complex legal and global environments. The program will address such critical skill sets as providing cogent cross-border legal advice without blowing the budget, building and managing a global legal team, communicating legal issues in a larger business context, evaluating and embracing risk and working seamlessly with the executive team and the board.
We live in a world where a wearable fitness tracker can tell you how many steps you’ve walked; your thermostat magically knows how to adjust the temperature in your house when you come home; you can control devices in your home with your phone; medical devices connect to insulin pumps wirelessly and your car logs everything from where you’re going to how many miles you’ve driven on public roads. While the possibilities are endless, they come with myriad legal concerns. This panel will delve into the key legal issues associated with the Internet of Things: privacy, data security and the regulatory perspectives from the Federal Trade Commission, the Food & Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission.
Long thought to be predominantly a US concern, human rights laws around the world are bringing equal opportunity issues to the forefront throughout the multinational operation. From gender requirements on corporate boards in Europe, to a sweeping sexual harassment law in India, to new family-leave recognitions in Japan, to a recent Employment Equity Amendment Bill in South Africa, global developments in human rights law command the attention of headquarters and regional in-house counsel like never before. A panel of current and former in-house counsel will discuss what these developments mean for the management of global employment law issues for the multinational employer.
As more jurisdictions adopt and enforce anti-corruption laws with different legal standards and territorial reach, in-house counsel face increasing pressure to manage compliance on a global scale with resources that don’t necessarily grow in proportion. This panel will explore how to go beyond addressing national anti-corruption laws as they emerge. Experienced compliance professionals will discuss best practices to ensure effective and efficient ongoing monitoring and improvement of a compliance program in a streamlined manner across borders, secure and leverage resources within the business and build up a long-term culture of compliance that preserves consistency across the business while adapting to local laws and cultural factors.
Many corporate leaders are asked to serve on nonprofit Boards or decide to form and operate charitable organizations, but even a simple error can have significant adverse legal and financial consequences for the corporation and even the individual director. This program will cover some of the more common legal issues impacting 501(c)(3) organizations, as well as the ethical issues facing in-house corporate counsel, including MCRP 1.13 on ethics. These issues affect both counsel who may be asked to advise the charitable organization, or the individuals asked to serve on the board.
There are two kinds of companies: those that have had a security breach and those that will have a security breach. Security incidents present numerous significant risks to companies, including negative brand and reputation attention, loss of sales or customer churn, financial penalties and legal exposure. This session will provide practical guidance from an in-house perspective on the multiple challenges posed by cybersecurity issues, best practices for data protection and steps to take in the event of an information security breach. Topics will also include insurance and vetting third-party vendors.
This presentation deals with enforcement and international cooperation to combat corruption.
The majority of countries around the world have a legal system which is based on civil law. In civil law, the main principles and rules are contained in comprehensive codes; case law is only a secondary source. Globalization has resulted in convergence between the principles of common law and civil law systems in some areas, but differences which can make or break your contract still exist. In this round table discussion, a panel of experienced international lawyers will discuss the drafting issues in civil law and other non-common law jurisdictions when negotiating the most important standard contract terms including liability limitations, indemnities, damages and governing law and provide practical advice on effective ways to address these issues.
Energy projects can be large, unwieldy beasts, even for the experienced in-house attorney. For US companies engaging in energy projects abroad, or using foreign suppliers and contractors for domestic projects, international elements can add complicated twists that are difficult to navigate. This session is designed to break down the fundamentals of energy project contracts, from the form of the contract itself, to an in-depth look at provisions like indemnification, choice of law, limitations of liability, insurance, tax issues and litigation versus alternative dispute resolution. It will provide a checklist of key topics to consider when drafting and negotiating these types of contracts. The panelists will also offer practice tips on how to navigate the treacherous waters of environmental litigation.
How do in-house counsel deal with ethically sensitive situations before they rise to a legal risk? Panelists will examine real-life ethical issues anonymously submitted by participants and examine ethical risks and possible solutions. Audience perspective and participation is welcome! While not limited to an examination of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, this session will discuss selected rules in the context of the scenarios presented such as MRPC 1.6 (Confidentiality of Information); 1.13 (Organization as Client); 4.1 (Truthfulness in Statements to Others).