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.
Employers, across all sectors of the economy, moved to a remote working environment in 2020. Although the pandemic may subside this year, many companies will be continuing to offer remote work options into the future. While convenient in many ways, remote working environments present new challenges to diversity and inclusion efforts. This presentation will discuss those challenges and what employers can do to prevent the remote working environment from having a negative impact on employees in marginalized classes.
This year has put renewed focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Employers rising to address these issues face challenges that require in-house input. One is the need for strategies to create truly effective diversity and inclusion initiatives, often on a global scale, while remaining in compliance with local laws. Employee activism is at an all-time high, and many questions arise when employees openly seek to have employers take specific actions to underscore their values. In this session, we will discuss the use of data and analytics in crafting legally defensible programs, the legal pitfalls in over-reliance on analytics, and managing risks in implementing and managing diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN POSTPONED - IT WILL BE RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES.
Pathways to Success: Corporate Counsel Partner with Milwaukee Law Firms on Lawyer Diversity
Wisconsin, like many states, has struggled to attract diverse business professionals to work in the state. The legal industry has experienced this struggle along with other Wisconsin-based businesses. Corporate general counsel in Wisconsin have launched an effort to examine this issue, partnering with a large Wisconsin university to collect and evaluate consistent, baseline data from their own legaldepartments and Milwaukee-based law firms, with a goal of using that informationas a starting point in a collaborative effort to make substantive change. Our panel will discuss the efforts that have taken place to date and will examine ways that the ACC-Wisconsin members can engage in this effort, including by partnering with their own outside counsel.
The ultimate goal is to create pathways for success that can attract and retain diverse legal professionals in rewarding careers in Wisconsin.
AABANY Presents: The Surge in Anti-Asian Violence: Corporate Social Responsibility and Action
2020 saw a surge in anti-Asian violence. The AABANY and Paul Weiss report, “A Rising Tide of Hate and Violence Against Asian Americans in New York During COVID-19: Impact, Causes, Solutions” has been garnering widespread attention and acclaim. For a growing number of corporate employers, there is a keen desire to DO something. But what? What can or should corporate employers be doing to help stem and address anti-Asian violence and hate crimes? What could they be doing to support their Asian American and Pacific Islander employees? What do they need to understand about the difficulties of hate crimes prosecutions and the tensions between the valid concerns of those desiring aggressive prosecution, those who worry about further contributing to the prosecutions of people from other minority communities, and those who advocate for restorative justice? Please join AABANY and a coalition of bar associations for a discussion with corporate in-house leaders about corporate social responsibility and anti-Asian violence.
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM ET / 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM CT / 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM MT / 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Pac / 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM HI
Confirmed Panelists:
Sara Yang Bosco, Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Emerson
Sam Khichi, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs, Becton, Dickinson and Company
Sandra Leung, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Bristol Myers Squibb
Allen Lo, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Products, IP, and Legal Operations, Facebook
Susan Moon, Principal Counsel, The Walt Disney Company
Caroline Tsai, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary, Western Union
Registration is now open until April 7. This event is open to ACC San Francisco Bay Area members and other in-house counsel, and there is no charge to attend. ACC SFBA is unable to provide CA CLE credit for this program.
2020 saw a surge in anti-Asian violence. The AABANY and Paul Weiss report, “A Rising Tide of Hate and Violence Against Asian Americans in New York During COVID-19: Impact, Causes, Solutions” has been garnering widespread attention and acclaim. For a growing number of corporate employers, there is a keen desire to DO something. But what? What can or should corporate employers be doing to help stem and address anti-Asian violence and hate crimes? What could they be doing to support their Asian American and Pacific Islander employees? What do they need to understand about the difficulties of hate crimes prosecutions and the tensions between the valid concerns of those desiring aggressive prosecution, those who worry about further contributing to the prosecutions of people from other minority communities, and those who advocate for restorative justice? Please join AABANY and a coalition of bar associations for a discussion with corporate in-house leaders about corporate social responsibility and anti-Asian violence.
Please join ACC Northeast's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, and our generous Sponsor, Verrill Dana LLP, for this interactive discussion regarding the legal landscape surrounding various organizational diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and the legal pitfalls organizations face if programs are not thoughtfully planned and executed with consideration of relevant employment laws.
During the session, we will explore legal considerations related to diversity, equity and inclusion in recruitment, hiring, advancement, and workplace culture using practical examples and scenarios to show how initiatives may stray from legal compliance. We will also provide practical solutions for you to take away to keep your organization on track, mitigate legal risk, and still advance your organization's important diversity, equity, and inclusivity goals.
Click on the red button below to RSVP for this timely webinar. Dial-in information will be provided 24 hours in advance of the event.
Earlier this year, ACC NCR President Greg Watchman issued the Racial and Social Justice Challenge to every member, member company, and sponsor to join the fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplaces and in our communities (see letter). Looking for ways to make an impact? Come join us for a spirited, free-flowing, and candid conversation with the following leading, action-oriented chief legal officers who will share a wealth of ideas:
Kimberly Chainey – Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel, Aptar
Shannon Thyme Klinger – Chief Legal Officer, Moderna, Inc. (eff. June 1, 2021, previously CLO of Novartis)
William Min – Executive Vice President and General Counsel, LexisNexis Risk Solutions Group
Ling-Ling Nie – General Counsel and Vice President for Compliance and Ethics, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Dev Stahlkopf – Corporate Vice President and General Counsel, Microsoft Corporation
Each will share methods employed, successes achieved, and challenges faced in driving action and accountability within their own organizations, among their outside law firms, and in their communities.
ACC members, in-house counsel, ACC NCR annual relationship sponsors*, and select guests** are invited to join us for this special event, including time for networking in small-group breakout rooms.
When the GC Roundtable is hosted in-person, guests pay a fee to attend. Since this year's event is online there is no fee. We encourage all registrants to donate the typical fee of $35 or more to ACC NCR's fundraising campaign to support The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. To do so, visit www.lawyerscommittee.org/accncr.
*ACC NCR annual relationship sponsors may send two representatives, except Diamond, which may send three. **Guests may include business colleagues and significant others, but may not include law firm or vendor representatives that compete with our sponsors.
Don't be a foolish wit by missing out this informative and entertaining CLE and cocktail happy hour presented by Littler Mendelson!
As the national conversation grows regarding equal justice, employers are motivated to understand their obligations in this fast-changing landscape. Littler attorneys will discuss corporate diversity and inclusion initiatives, equal pay requirements, and recommendations for compliance. Incorporating data and legal limitations into your strategies will help develop and tailor initiatives that can withstand legal scrutiny and maximize long-term impact.
Discussions will cover the following:
General principles to help navigate the legal framework applicable to diversity & inclusion and equal pay intiatives
Interpreting and maximizing the utility of data related to these initiatives
Potential strategies for improving diversity & inclusion and pay equity
Long-standing and novel legal theories to take into consideration
This presentation is the last episode in our social justice programming series. During the fireside chat, we will examine the cause, need, and strategies for confronting bias and achieving cultural effectiveness in the workplace.
2021 Profiles in Diversity Honoree, Derrick Boston, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of Virgin Orbit, LLC