Previous Events & CLE Programs
April 16, 2008
Committee Meeting
Managing Careers: Managing the Law Department
Join Margaret W. Chambers, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc, Richard A. Covel, Vice President and General Counsel of Dynamics Research Corporation, and Jonathan Moll, Vice President and General Counsel for Babson College, as they share insights on a host of issues of professional and personal importance to us all.
In keeping with the informal spirit of our committee and this topic, our format is one of conversation rather than presentation. As the word “conversation” implies, we're interested in what you have to say as we examine issues as diverse as career transitions, managing a crisis, and dealing with the board. Bring your insights – but leave the PowerPoints behind.
March 19, 2008
Committee Meeting
The Government Is Watching You: Personal Liability Risks for Lawyers and Other Compliance Professionals
Join Ian Roffman and Jonathan Kotlier, Partners in the Government Investigations and White Collar Defense Practice Group at Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, as they discuss major government enforcement cases dealing with attorney and compliance officer liability. In-house lawyers sometimes say they are under fire. Do you ever feel as though a bull's-eye may be part of your professional wardrobe? Lawyers and other gatekeepers such as ethics and compliance professionals increasingly are the subject of government enforcement action. The risk of personal liability - either civil or criminal - for professional misfeasance is now part of the job landscape. Join us for an examination of the major cases - and what you should do about it.
March 12, 2008
CLE Program
Litigating and Winning Employment Discrimination Cases
Sponsored by:
Labor & Employment Law Section
New Lawyers Section
Corporate Counsel Committee
Massachusetts Bar Association
This program will present the nuts and bolts of litigating an employment discrimination case. Expert panelists, divided into three distinct panels, will take attendees step-by-step from pre-complaint strategy and pleadings, discovery and dispositive motions to all aspects of trial through closing arguments.
This is an invaluable program—providing both strategic insight and practical guidance for anyone interested in employment litigation.
Click here for complete program description.
February 20, 2008
Committee Meeting
Accounting for Lawyers
Partner Pamela Parizek and Managing Director Marikay Hines-Corcoran of KPMG International, Forensic Services, will discuss accounting for lawyers. Specifically, they will:
- assist attorneys in understanding the basic financial statements and how each interacts with one another;
- familiarize attorneys with the role of the auditor and the types of audit opinions issued;
- introduce attorneys to transaction cycles and the accounting ramifications and the types of financial statement accounts that are subjective in nature; and
- discusscurrent SEC activities, including enforcements and restatements.
January 16, 2008
Committee Meeting
Privacy Law and Data Security Update
Agnes Bundy Scanlan, Goodwin Procter LLP, and John A. Beccia, III, Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc., will provide an update on privacy and data security issues as they relate to federal and state legislation. The speakers will review new laws and regulations, such as state data breach notification laws (including the new Massachusetts and California laws) and recent regulations promulgated under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003. They will also focus on some of the emerging challenges in 2008 and will discuss best practices for privacy professionals that are attempting to deal with myriad rules and regulations.
December 19, 2007
Committee Meeting
8 Mistakes I Saw Corporate Counsel Make When I Was At the SEC: Strategies for Successfully Handling SEC Inquiries
Sponsors
Corporate Counsel Committee
Securities Law Committee
We’re closing out our brown bag program this year with a special retrospective. Our guest speaker is Ian D. Roffman,a litigation partner at Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP and a member of the securities and government enforcement practice groups. Mr. Roffman recently joined Nutter after six years as an enforcement attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission, including four years serving as senior trial counsel in the Boston office. In that role he had the opportunity to observe in-house counsel (and their outside counsel) in action in responding to SEC inquiries. This conversation is a primer not just on “the how to”, but also on the “what not to do” when the SEC comes knocking.
While it’s important to learn from our own mistakes, it’s even better to learn from someone else’s. Join us for an interesting dialogue and, in view of the season, holiday cookies compliments of the BBA.
November 16, 2007
Committee Meeting
Employed Lawyers at Risk: Liability Exposures and Insurance Solutions for In-House Counsel
Sponsors
Insurance Law Committee
Corporate Counsel Committee
Kim Quarles, Sr. Vice President, E&O and E-Risk Product Team, Willis, and Sean Murray, Chubb Insurance, will discuss various liability exposures corporate counsel face and provide a general understanding of the insurance solutions available in today’s market to help mitigate some of these risks.
It is now widely recognized that liability exposures for public and private companies and their boards and officers are continuing to increase. Unfortunately, this heightened liability exposure now also extends to corporate counsel, who advise management on critical legal issues and who to a large extent can influence, if not control, conduct of the company and its directors and officers. In the wake of the numerous highly-publicized corporate scandals, courts, legislators and regulators are imposing more rigorous standards on these in-house advisors, resulting in unprecedented liability exposure for a wide variety of potential claimants.
October 23, 2007
Committee Meeting
Views from FINRA: Overview of Current Regulatory Initiative & Enforcement Matters
Sponsors
Securities Law Committee
Mergers & Acquisitions Committee
Banking & Financial Services Committee
Corporate Counsel Committee
Corporate Law Committee
Investment Companies & Advisers Committee
Securities Enforcement & Litigation Committee
Trusts & Estates Section
Frank Sanclemente, Regional Counsel for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, will discuss the current initiatives of FINRA relating to the protection of senior investors. Mr. Sanclemente will discuss the regulatory issues affecting firms and registered representatives, as well as present an overview of enforcement matters originating out of FINRA’s Boston District Office.
FINRA is the largest non-governmental regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States and was created in July 2007 through the consolidation of NASD and the member regulation, enforcement and arbitration functions of the NYSE.
October 17, 2007
Committee Meeting
Recent Developments in Delaware Corporate Law
Sponsors
Corporate Law Committee
Corporate Counsel Committee
Mergers & Acquisitions Committee
Securities Law Committee
C. Stephen Bigler, Director at Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., will address recent amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law as well as recent Delaware cases touching on corporate and transactional issues.
September 19, 2007
Committee Meeting
Avoiding Employment Discrimination Claims In an Era of the Aging & Health-Impaired Workforce
Sponsors
Corporate Counsel Committee
Insurance Law Committee
Banking & Financial Services Committee
Labor & Employment Law Section
Chris Kauders, mediator/arbitrator with Pretrial Solutions, and Pam Smith, an attorney with more than twenty years experience as in-house counsel with two Fortune 500 companies and a major university, will discuss the explosion in disability discrimination claims due to an aging and less healthy workforce which often results from management’s lack of awareness and training. Too often, employers assume managers know the right thing to do; unfortunately, oftentimes they do not. The manager’s ignorance will be no excuse under the law for the employer. The solution: some simple and cost-effective steps that employers can take to avoid litigation which our speakers will share with us.
June 20, 2007
Committee Meeting
Planning for Next Year
Join us to discuss plans, proposals, and possibilities for the year ahead when our monthly meetings reconvene in September. In order to ensure that our meetings cover the issues and topics of greatest interest to our diverse membership of in-house practitioners, let’s get together for a casual lunch and talk over our ideas for next year.
June 13, 2007
Committee Meeting
Financial Reporting in an IPO
Sponsors
Corporate Law Committee
Securities Law Committee
Corporate Counsel Committee
Federal Tax & Business Transactions Committee
Steven P. Coen, Director at Deloitte & Touche LLP, will discuss the financial reporting responsibilities and common challenges in an IPO.
June 4, 2007
Committee Meeting
Leveraging the Board’s Ethical Oversight in the Post-Enron Corporation
Sponsors
Securities Law Committee
Corporate Law Committee
Corporate Counsel Committee
Criminal Law Section
Mark Rowe, Managing Partner of Hoffman Rowe, will discuss how a more rigorous regulatory framework and unprecedented public scrutiny following recent corporate scandals have presented many new challenges for boards of directors. These scandals have all come down to failures of governance in one way or another, posing challenges in oversight of management and in setting the ethical tone for corporations. This, in turn, creates opportunities for boards’ advisers, particularly in-house and external legal counsel. Specifically, Mr. Rowe will discuss:
- the evolving roles and responsibilities of boards with respect to ethics and compliance;
- the importance of corporate culture and the board’s role in shaping it; and
- how the board’s advisers can add value to the support they give in meeting governance challenges.
Hoffman Rowe is a consulting firm that helps corporations achieve and sustain integrity-driven business performance, both within their organizations and throughout their value networks.
March 29, 2007
Committee Meeting
An Introduction to Microfinance
Sponsors
Banking & Financial Services Committee
Commercial Finance Committee
Corporate Counsel Committee
Morin Center for Banking & Financial Law
Virginia Valdez, General Counsel of ACCION International, will give an introduction to the topic of microfinance – its origin, structure and application. A typical microfinance transaction will be discussed to highlight its difference from an ordinary commercial or consumer loan. The lecture will also discuss the experience of ACCION International, a microfinance institution with lending activities both locally and internationally.
March 22, 2007
Committee Meeting
An Introduction to Islamic Finance
Sponsors
Banking & Financial Services Committee
Commercial Finance Committee
Corporate Counsel Committee
Investment Companies & Advisers Committee
Morin Center for Banking & Financial Law
Babback Sabahi, Associate at Mayer Brown LLP will discuss the principles of Islamic Finance, which is based on teachings contained in the Koran. The lecture will examine simple and complex financial transactions and how they can be structured along Islamic financial principles.
March 1, 2007
Committee Meeting
The Alternative Investment Market ("AIM")
Sponsors
International Transactions Committee
Securities Law Committee
Corporate Law Comittee
Corporate Counsel Committee
Jamie Brown, Managing Director and Head of U.S. Investment Banking for Canaccord Adams will discuss the Alternative Investment Market. The “AIM” is the London Stock Exchange's international market for smaller growing companies, to which a growing number of US companies are turning. Specifically, we will discuss:
- the listing process;
- an overview of AIM;
- NASDAQ v. AIM pricing and regulatory considerations;
- investor data.
Jamie Brown has extensive experience in equity financing and fiscal advisory services for emerging growth companies in the sectors of technology, junior industrial and mining development.
Canaccord Adams is a leading full-service, independent financial services firm committed to fostering the entrepreneurial economy by bringing corporate and institutional clients unique perspective on global investment opportunities.
March 1, 2007
Committee Meeting
Globalization of Securities Exchanges
Sponsors
Business Law Section
Banking & Financial Services Committee
Corporate Counsel Committee
Investment Companies & Advisers Committee
Securities Law Committee
The Morin Center for Banking & Financial Law
Erik Sirri, Director of the Division of Market Regulation for the Securities and Exchange Commission will discuss the evolution of exchanges from serving local financial markets to their expansion overseas as a result of acquisitions of foreign exchanges. The lecture will explore the implications of these acquisitions from a regulatory and economic standpoint.
January 17, 2007
Committee Meeting
Challenges Faced When Establishing an Enterprise-Wide Compliance Risk Management Program
**Co-sponsored with the Corporate Law Committee and Banking & Financial Services Committee**
Joel Brickman, General Counsel, Secretary and Senior Vice President of Citizens Financial Group and John Beccia, Asst. General Counsel of Investors Bank & Trust, will discuss the challenges associated with establishing an enterprise-wide compliance program, including the following:
- How to establish a compliance culture
- Commitment of Senior Management
- Oversight
- Accountability within the organization
- Elements of an effective compliance program
- Organization structure
- Roles and responsibilities
- Risk assessments and monitoring
- Policies, procedures, and controls
- Training
- Testing
- Enforcement of policies and corrective action
- Management reporting
Please join us for an informative discussion about this important governance issue – one that is critical to in-house counsel in all types of organizations.
November 30, 2006
Committee Meeting
Protecting Your Brand on the Internet in a Global Economy
**This meeting is co-sponsored with the International Transactions Committee and Intellectual Property Law Section**
Mark Schonfeld, a partner at Burns & Levinson LLP, will discuss protecting brands on the internet in a global economy.
Mr. Schonfeld has extensive experience in protecting the world's leading brand names from infringement and is responsible for the seizure of millions of dollars in counterfeit merchandise from distribution centers, retail operations and factories that manufacture counterfeit products.
November 20, 2006
Committee Meeting
E-Discovery and Electronic Document Retention Issues Affecting Financial Institutions
**This meeting is co-sponsored with the Banking & Financial Services Committee and Corporate Law Committee**
Recent case law and changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure effective December 1, 2006 have altered the business and litigation landscape with respect to electronic document discovery and retention. The panel will discuss changes and how they affect financial institutions. The speakers will include:
September 19, 2006
Committee Meeting
H-1B Audits: DOL’s Perspective and Impact on Practice
**This meeting is co-sponsored with the Immigration Law Committee and Labor & Employment Law Section**
Patricia Slate, Regional Enforcement Coordinator of the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, will discuss the DOL’s procedures for H-1b audits.
Steven A. Clark, shareholder at Flynn & Clark, P.C. and Past President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, will comment on the role of the attorney in the audit and the impact of audits on case preparation.
June 21, 2006
Committee Meeting
Corporate Counsel Year End Luncheon
Join us for a luncheon to celebrate the end of a highly successful year. September will be upon us before we know and its time to beginning planning for the year ahead. Bring your ideas and let us know how our Committee can be a greater resource to the in-house counsel community.
We look forward to seeing you!
June 5, 2006
Committee Meeting
Understanding and Implementing the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law
Co-sponsors: Health Law Section and Labor & Employment Law Section
Christie L. Hager, Chief Health Counsel to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salvatore F. DiMasi; and State Representative Martha M. Walz, also of Littler Mendelson P.C., will discuss how the new health care law impacts individuals and employers.
May 26, 2006
Committee Meeting
D&O Insurance Coverage and Liability
David Goldstein, Vice President and Boston Practice Leader at Willis Executive Risk, and Michael P. Duffy, Managing Partner at Peabody & Arnold LLP, will discuss D&O insurance coverage and liability.
Specific topics to include:
- Bankruptcy’s effect on D&O coverage
- The importance of severability in a D&O contract
- The emergence of A-side excess D&O policies
May 17, 2006
Committee Meeting
SOX, Whistle Blowing and EU Data Protection Compliance – Making Sense Of It All
Co-sponsored by Corporate Law Committee, Investment Companies & Advisers Committee and Securities Law Committee
The frustrating reality of legal compliance in today’s multinational corporation: the SEC tells us to provide for an anonymous employee whistle blowing system; the EU data protection authorities tell us "you can do it, but adhere to E.U. data protection laws while doing so." What’s a corporate counsel to do?
Mark E. Schreiber, a partner at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP, will present an update on the subject and will show us the way to compliance with both sets of requirements. Mr. Schreiber just wrote the ABA SOX book chapter on this subject and has done this exercise with numerous U.S. companies operating in Europe.
Please bring your questions, or e-mail them in advance to mschreiber@eapdlaw.com.
April 19, 2006
Committee Meeting
White Collar Crime – A Personal Story
Corporate compliance. Tone at the top. Internal controls. We've heard it all before.
But how many of us have dealt personally with the consequences of their failure? Indictment and prosecution? These are abstract concepts -- until you are on the receiving end of a federal prosecution for a white collar crime.
Join us for a highly personal conversation with Rick Vatcher, former executive with Inso Corporation, who has been through it all -- including facing a federal judge to hear his sentence.
March 30, 2006
Committee Meeting
Understanding and Avoiding Online Copyright Liability in the post-Grokster World
Co-sponsored with the Computer & Internet Law Committee.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in MGM v. Grokster, companies doing business on the internet need to reassess their strategies for avoiding secondary liability for copyright infringement.
Eric Solowey, Deputy General Counsel at Lycos, Inc., will discuss the relevant legal framework and the approaches online businesses can use to minimize liability for copyright claims.
March 15, 2006
Committee Meeting
Ethics Awareness and Education for Your Board of Directors
Co-sponsored with the Securities Law Committee, Corporate Law Committee and Investment Companies & Advisers Committee.
Patricia J. Ellis, Vice President of Business Ethics and Compliance, Raytheon Company, will join us for an informative discussion of best practices in the critical area of corporate governance.
As a result of Sarbanes-Oxley, the revised Federal Sentencing Guidelines and best practices generally, organizations now recognize the need to ensure that a company's leadership -- including its board of directors -- receive appropriate education in business ethics.
February 15, 2006
Committee Meeting
Executive Compensation -- New Developments and Potential Pitfalls
Deb Bilak, Principal, Buck Consultants will join us for an informative session to explore the just released proposed proxy disclosure guidelines, and the effect that FAS 123R and institutional investors have had on equity plan documents.
Executive compensation is under intense scrutiny. Institutional shareholders have been demanding greater transparency. SEC Chairman Cox has made improved disclosure a priority. Companies will soon face new challenges to the way they disclose, design and administer their executive compensation programs. Make certain that your documents will meet the challenge of this changing landscape.
January 18, 2006
Committee Meeting
The Brave New -- and Electronic -- World of Discovery
Welcome to a brave new -- and electronic -- world o f d iscovery. Even those of us who are not litigators must become familiar with developments in electronic discovery in order to effectively advise our corporate clients and employers in this new area of corporate legal risk
Our presenters will provide some technical insights for the non-techie as well as practical tips to ensure that your company can meet its electronic discovery obligations and avoid the harsh consequences for failing to do so. We'll also get an update on recent developments in the case law.
Presenters:
December 21, 2005
Committee Meeting
The Legal and Political Environment for Conducting Internal Investigations
Join us for a conversation with Scott Harshbarger, former Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mr. Harshbarger will provide corporate counsel with a broad outline on the legal and political environment relevant to conducting internal investigations, audits and reviews: the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the Thompson Memorandum; dealing with state regulatory agencies (such as non-profits interaction with the Office of the Attorney General); and dealing with myriad stakeholders such as the public, investors, and the press. Scott will comment on the precarious state of attorney privilege; how to get maximum credit for voluntary disclosures to the government and others; the importance of effective, independent internal ethics and compliance structures; the role of the board o f d irectors; and the importance of crisis and proactive planning.
Mr. Harshbarger is Senior Counsel in the Boston office of Proskauer Rose LLP in the Litigation/Dispute Resolution Practice Group focusing on corporate governance, strategic and regulatory problem-solving and corporate defense and investigations. He represents individuals, public, non-profit and corporate clients in internal organizational reviews, audits and investigations; regulatory and enforcement agency inquiries and investigations; and enforcement actions.
In view of the holiday season -- and to lighten our spirits while discussing a serious topic -- we'll provide the Christmas cookies (really); all we ask is that you bring your questions.
November 29, 2005
Committee Meeting
Legal and Compliance Issues in Data Security
Our speakers, Lynne B. Barr and Deborah S. Birnbach, both partners at Goodwin Procter LLP, will provide an overview of large-scale breaches of corporate data bases containing sensitive customer financial information.
Specific topics to be discussed include:
- Regulatory requirements for maintenance of information security programs
- Customer response guidelines
- State and federal legislative initiatives
- How to respond to a breach.
Co-sponsored by Banking and Financial Services Committee, Corporate Law Committee, Corporate Counsel Committee and Investment Companies & Advisers Committee
November 16, 2005
Committee Meeting
SOX 404 -- Year 2
We're coming up on Year Two of Section 404. John McCarthy, audit partner with Ernst & Young, will join us for a timely briefing on a variety of accounting and related SEC hot topics including stock compensation, PCAOB developments and other issues in-house counsel need to know. This update will be helpful as companies approach the year end reporting season and prepare for 2006.
November 1, 2005
Committee Meeting
Top Ten Privacy Priorities for Business Lawyers and In-House Counsel: The Stuff That Keeps Us Awake at Night
Data security breaches are occurring almost every day. State and federal governments are reacting by considering and passing new legislation aimed at preventing these breaches and protecting customer privacy.
Peter M. Lefkowitz, Chief Counsel, Privacy & Security, for Oracle, will discuss the issues lawyers need to know to keep their clients out of trouble in this rapidly evolving area of the law.
Topics include:
- New and pending legislation
- International privacy initiatives
- Responding to government subpoenas
- Website practices
- Employee data practices
- Security policies and procedures
September 21, 2005
Committee Meeting
Patent Law for the Corporate Counsel
Joseph S. Iandiorio, of Iandiorio & Teska, will help Corporate Counsel become familiar with the world of patent law by teaching fundamental points about filing for and obtaining patents. Mr. Iandiorio’s fast paced and informative presentation is a great way for Corporate Counsel to learn about patent law.
|
