The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is the world's largest organization serving the professional and business interests of attorneys who practice in the legal departments of corporations, associations, nonprofits and other private-sector organizations around the globe.
Who is at the door? It could be the EEOC, OSHA, Customs, NRC, the SEC or a myriad of other possibilities. First, a deep breath. But then what do I do? This session provided a road map for those first 24 hours and beyond. It allowed you to plan ahead for this scenario, implement guidelines, and train your people in advance for when a government investigator comes calling. Once the investigators are at the door, understand what these agencies can and cannot do during an inspection or investigation. Know what your first response and first steps should be.
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).
Contingent workers may be the best answer for your company’s staffing needs, but there are many potential pitfalls in using this solution. And the IRS, the Department of Labor, and a variety of state agencies are watching for any slips. This session focused on these areas of concern and provide advice on best practices for structuring these arrangements to protect your client from employment and benefit related claims.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When it comes to winning a case, what does inside counsel know that outside counsel doesn’t? Some cases call for early settlement, some for complex strategy leading to ADR, and in others the priority may be to stay out of the spotlight.
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.
"Do in-house lawyers have the same rights concerning hiring, promotion, termination and similar decisions as other corporate employees? Or does their status as attorneys require different treatment?"