Harrison Barnes, managing director at BCG Attorney Search, recently posted an article advising law job applicants how to deal with not hearing back after an interview.

But, as Joe Patrice of Above the Law explains, Barnes somehow managed to describe “most legal recruiters” as women who “are quite attractive and fit,” as well as “a little ditzy and [who do] not have the other sorts of qualifications that would make them qualified for the job.”

The passages, now deleted from the company’s website, continued:

“Not only do they sometimes have more beauty and fewer brains, but they also may have more beauty and less interest in people, less ability to connect with people, and similar negative characteristics. This means they expect people to treat them as if they are special and sometimes are more focused on themselves than their jobs.

“It is not uncommon for recruiting coordinators to use their workspaces as a hunting ground for mates—and it works.”

After the inevitable uproar, Barnes announced that he was sorry and would be taking an extended leave of absence from BCG Attorney Search.

Read the Above the Law article.

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In an episode of Kane Russell Coleman Logan’s energy law podcast, director Tom Ciarlone discusses the nation’s first legislative fracking ban.

That action came in Maryland when the legislature passed a bill that prohibits petroleum fracking across the state, Ciarlone says. The Maryland governor signed the bill that supplants a two-year moratorium that was set to expire later this year.

The podcast also discusses a lower bar for class certification in royalty underpayment actions, as well as multiple decisions out of the Texas Supreme Court that could spawn a wave of widespread mineral title disputes.

Listen to the podcast.

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Jared Butcher, writing in the Steptoe Blockchain Blog, says it is no secret that smart contracts have vulnerabilities, but he suggests a mix of best practices to limit potential liabilities that may arise when vulnerabilities interfere with smart contract performance.

“There is potential for manipulation by insiders, which is of particular concern for smart contracts that operate based on ‘proof of stake’ protocols, given the ongoing concerns that those protocols will not be effective in ensuring that the parties play by the rules,” Butcher writes. “Even without intentional interference by hackers or insiders, smart contracts may have software bugs that disrupt performance, and there is the possibility of unintended outcomes if the smart contract’s code fails to anticipate an unusual situation.”

In the post, he offers six best practices to consider when implementing a smart contract.

Read the article.

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Employers have been using restrictive covenant agreements – contracts that contain non-compete, customer non-solicitation, employee non-solicitation, or non-disclosure of confidential information – with increasing frequency in recent times, writes Michael Elkon with Fisher Phillips.

“Increased media attention on the practice of forcing lower-level employees to sign non-compete covenants, combined with the widely publicized report on non-compete restrictions issued by the Obama White House in its waning days, has led to an increase in the number of reported cases. Further, several states are passing new laws or considering changes to existing laws on the subject,” he explains.

He describes three basic steps a company can take to reduce the chances of a lawsuit from a competitor, or at least put the company in a favorable position if litigation is threatened.

These include “Ask questions on the front end,” “Structure the job on the front end to ensure compliance,” and “Emphasize the importance of purging all former employer materials.”

Read the article.

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Legendary Houston attorney Richard “Racehorse” Haynes died early Friday morning, April 28, according to a statement from a family spokesman. He had had been in declining health for the past several years, the spokesman said.

“Haynes was one of the most well-known criminal defense lawyers in the country,” reports the Houston Chronicle. “He made a name for himself in the 1970s, with cases including the State of Texas v. John Hill, when he represented a River Oaks surgeon accused of murdering his socialite wife. After the first trial ended in a hung jury, Hill was murdered in the driveway of his River Oaks mansion. The case was made the subject of the Thomas Thompson book ‘Blood and Money,’ which was also turned into a movie.”

He also represented Cullen Davis, the first billionaire indicted for murder in the U.S., and Pam Fielder, who was accused of killing her abusive husband. Reporter Margaret Kadifa writes that Haynes’ defense on the Fielder case is now embodied in Texas law, giving women the right to defend themselves against abusers.

Criminal defense lawyer Chris Tritico said Haynes was easy-going until he stepped into a courtroom, Tritico said. He was legendary for his ability to take command of the courtroom, and effectively cross-examine witnesses.

Read the Houston Chronicle article.

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Bloomberg Law has put together a summary of five takeaways from Thursday’s release of The American Lawyer‘s annual report on the top 100 law firms, ranked by gross revenue.

In the section on revenue and profits per equity partner, the report found that Latham & Watkins took the top spot with $2.823 billion in gross revenue.

And Wachtell Lipton posted $5.8 million profits per partner, despite the firm having a decline in overall revenue and profits per equity partner.

The takeaways also covered headcount and revenue, the gap between the top 50 firms and the bottom 50, three firms joining the list for the first time, and the increase in the value of equity partnership.

Read the Bloomberg article.

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The Trump administration’s losing streak in courts around the nation has in large part been a product of precedents established by conservative judges in the Obama era, reports The New York Times.

“Republican officials had great success under President Barack Obama in persuading judges to block or complicate his efforts to expand health care, shield immigrants from deportation and protect transgender students,” writes reporter Adam Liptak. “Now Democratic officials are using the principles established in those cases to frustrate President Trump’s efforts to limit travel from predominantly Muslim countries and to punish so-called sanctuary cities.”

Liptak quotes South Texas College of Law professor Josh Blackman with a warning for Democratic officials: “Whatever California can do to resist immigration law, Texas can do to resist environmental laws.”

Read the NYT article.

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The Corporate Legal Operations Consortium will hold its 2nd Annual CLOC Institute on May 9-11, 2017 at Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas.

Known as the largest gathering of legal operations professionals in the world, this year’s conference will feature more than 70 sessions and 120 speakers. More information can be found in a press release here.

To see a list of all the sessions, click here.

Some session highlights and speakers include:

• “Was It Something I Said?: Advanced Workshop on the Role of Personality in a Successful Law Department,” featuring Larry Richard of LawyerBrain (pre-session on May 8);
• “The Future is Closer Than You Think: A Conversation with Richard Susskind,” featuring Richard Susskind, author of “Tomorrow’s Lawyers”;
• “Legal Operations Maturity Model: How Do You Rate?”;
• “Beyond the Hype about AI: Practical Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Today’s Law Department”;
• “Knowledge Management: What, Why and How”; and
• “Big Thinker Panel: CLOC’s Magna Carta for the Corporate Legal Services Industry,” (two-part session).

Register for the event.

Plano, Texas attorney Jason Van Dyke was all set to begin a new chapter of his legal career as an assistant district attorney in Victoria County. So he was startled to receive notice that the District Attorney’s office had rescinded its job offer with no explanation. Van Dyke speculates the reversal could be related to media coverage of a Twitter exchange he had involving a case he was working on in 2014. He has since filed suit seeking answers from Victoria County.

In a post on the website of Androvett Legal Media & Marketing, Rhonda Reddick quotes Dallas labor and employment attorney Leiza Dolghih of Godwin Bowman & Martinez, who says this is a cautionary tale for both employers and job-seekers.

The post continues:

“Many employers these days Google prospective hires and look them up on social media for any evidence of red flags that indicate that the applicant may be violent, unethical, unstable or simply have bad judgment. These behind-the-scenes, informal background checks often result in rejection, or even withdrawal, of a job offer,” she says.

While a Texas employer may reject a prospective candidate for a myriad of reasons, including social media activity, a prospective employee cannot be rejected on the basis of race, gender, religion, age or other protective categories – information that can often be gleaned from social media. If a candidate can show that a job rejection was based on information protected under employment law, there could be basis for a claim of discrimination.

“However, in this case, if the employer discovered what they considered unsavory comments, or possible evidence of poor judgment or lack of self-control, after offering Mr. Van Dyke a job, the withdrawal of that offer based on the newly discovered information, would be acceptable,” says Ms. Dolghih. “While everyone has the right to speak their mind freely, that speech may result in rather harsh consequences in terms of employment.”

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The purpose of a settlement and release agreement is to fully and finally dispose of a disputed matter, explains Stacy L. La Scala, a neutral writing for JAMS.

“However, more and more often, a dispute cannot be fully resolved where non­parties to the dispute have contributed defense and indemnity amounts on behalf of one or more of the parties and have reserved the right to seek recovery of those amounts in subsequent litigation,” he cautions.

In the article, published on JDSupra.com, he writes:

In particular, where insurance carriers have actually provided a defense and/or indemnity in an action, those carriers in a number of jurisdictions have potential rights against their insureds, pursuant to reservation of rights for uncovered claims; potential rights against those entities who are principally responsible for the loss; and potential rights against contractually obligated indemnitors of their insureds. The carriers are typically not part of the action and are not signatories to the settlement agreement.

Read the article.

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Most attorneys make their first impressions online rather than face-to-face, so the photo that accompanies a lawyer’s online presence is their first chance to impress prospective clients, employers and referral sources, advises Amy Boardman Hunt of Muse Communications.

In a post on her company’s website, Hunt explains that professional photos have uses beyond the firm’s website, including social media profiles, online lawyer directories, speaking engagements, and more.’

She includes a question-and-answer exchange with professional portrait photographer Vanessa Gavalya. They discuss the importance of choosing the right attire, how to keep the session within a budget, and how to show how the portrait subject feels inside.

Read the article.

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By Stephen F. Pinson
Scott & Scott LLP

Image by Yoel Ben-Avraham

Software as a Service and Cloud Service offerings have become ubiquitous digital platforms for many enterprises and small businesses in their quests to provide a single unified platform to their employees and customers. Providers offering Software as a Service and Cloud Services allow end users to access software and infrastructure remotely from any location and storing data with a provider. Because of the risks associated with storing data in the cloud and the need for uninterrupted access to the data, businesses want to be sure that they understand their requirements when entering into a cloud service agreement with a provider. The following is a list of suggested requirements when negotiating Software as a Service or Cloud Service agreement (these are not in any particular order):

1. Demarcation

A demarcation point is typically defined to establish the point at which the service provider’s obligations under the contract end and the customer’s responsibilities begin. Demarcation points are often used in warranties and service level agreements to assure customers that services will be provided up to the point of demarcation. This creates a clear delineation of responsibility to calculate service level credits, and anything that occurred on the customer’s side of the demarcation point, will not be a breach of warranty or entitle the customer to service level credits.

2. Service availability

Service availability relates to the ability of a business to access the software and/or the data at all times. Businesses want to ensure that they have access to the provider’s services and the ability to retrieve and use the data stored on the provider’s systems. Service interruptions generally occur when: a server is down, the internet connection fails, provider withholding service because of a fee dispute, natural disaster at the data center, or the provider closing its doors because of bankruptcy. In any event, business should insist that provisions covering service availability and service levels are outlined in the agreement.

3. Service levels & Service Level Credits

There are two general approaches to service levels or service guarantees. One is the time it will take the service provider to respond to an incident, the other is the guaranteed availability of the systems (i.e., uptime). Service levels are typically outlined in a service level agreement (an SLA). The contract should outline what the provider will guarantee in terms of uptime or response times. If the provider fails to meet the guarantees, the contract should outline whether the end user can request a service level credit. Additionally, business should consider including a right to terminate if the provider consistently fails to meet the service guarantees.

4. Data – Ownership rights, security, backups, and conversion

Business customers must be mindful that their data is among the most important information they own, and ensuring the cloud service provider treats that data appropriately should be one of the paramount issues when negotiating a cloud service agreement. Business must ensure that they own the data, understand how the service provider can use, aggregate, or manipulate the data, and identify its requirements for the provider to protect the security and confidentiality of the data. The business should make sure that the cloud service provider agrees to a specific schedule for performing and testing backups.

5. Insurance

Good cloud contracts should always address what insurance the parties must carry. Cloud service providers should maintain insurance for instances of data loss that cause business interruptions. End users should consider first-party insurance that will cover expenses related to data loss or breach.

6. Indemnification

Indemnification requires one party to pay for defense costs and any damages awarded when a third party makes a claim against the other party. It is critical for the parties to understand when they will be required to indemnify the other party and whether the limitations of liability will apply to an indemnification claim. It is important to ensure the contract provides indemnification for data and security breaches as well as intellectual property infringement.

7. Limitation of liability

One of the most important provisions in a cloud or software agreement is the limitation of liability that applies to either party in the event of a claim or dispute between the parties. A good limitation of liability provision will balance between the potential financial losses the customer can incur and the financial risk the provider is willing to take given the revenue the project will generate. In many instances, the parties will negotiate a relatively low limitation of liability, e.g., one year of services and then carve out some claims that are less likely but can be significantly more costly. These carve-outs include: indemnification obligations, confidentiality obligations, claims covered by insurance, and infringement claims (this is not an exclusive list).

8. Warranties

Generally, cloud service contracts contain many of the following warranties: (1) that the service will materially conform to the documentation, (2) the services will be performed in a workmanlike and professional manner, (3) the provider will provide the necessary training for the customer to use the services, (4) the services will comply with federal and state law(s), (5) the provider has sufficient authority to enter into this agreement, and (6) the parties have the authority to enter into the agreement.

9. Intellectual property

The parties can often overlook intellectual property rights when negotiating a cloud service agreement, but this oversight can be costly. In instances where the provider will develop products or implement services, the parties should clearly identify who will own any intellectual property that results from the development or implementation.

10. Implementation

When the provider will perform implementation services, the parties may choose to identify those services in a Statement of Services or Statement of Work. A good statement of work will include all the services that the provider will perform and should also include any services that will be excluded.

11. Term, Termination, & Transition Services

The term of a cloud service agreement varies but can be based on a yearly subscription. Some agreements have automatic renewal provisions. Parties should clearly identify when and if the parties can terminate for convenience, whether there are cancellation penalties, whether the provider can increase service fees on a periodic basis, and whether the provider will transfer the business’ data at the end of the relationship. If there is a transfer provision, the parties should also specify the acceptable formats for data delivery.

12. Fees

When the provider calculates service fees based on the number of users or devices, the end user should have the ability to adjust the users on a periodic basis to reflect the actual number of users or devices.

Conclusion

Whether you are a service provider or an end user, cloud agreements can help you understand your rights and your obligations. While there are many new issues when a third-party is holding sensitive data in its environment, a good services agreement can minimize misunderstandings and protect each party.

Increased confidence in the commercial real estate market has taken hold since the U.S. presidential election, according to a report released by U.S. law firm Akerman LLP. The eighth annual Akerman U.S. Real Estate Sector Report revealed 53 percent of investors and lenders are more optimistic about the 2017 outlook for the U.S. commercial real estate market, compared to only 38 percent last year.

In a news release, the firm said the prospects of deregulation, tax reductions and stronger economic growth have renewed investor confidence. Sixty-four percent of real estate executives interviewed after the election say the Trump administration’s agenda will have a moderately or significantly positive effect on the industry. This number is up from 54 percent who were bullish about the pro-business presidential candidate during the 2016 campaign.

This increasingly optimistic view of the market is tempered by new uncertainties. The potential impact of a rising interest rate environment and the unintended consequences policy changes could have on the U.S. economy are top of mind for real estate executives, according to the Akerman Report (85 percent). Nearly 12 percent see the rise in purchase prices as another pressing issue affecting the real estate sector. Several say the risk of reduced cap rates and higher borrowing costs will continue to drive deals to secondary and tertiary markets, and new creative segments.

“As 2017 unfolds, industry executives are increasingly optimistic about the state of the U.S. commercial real estate market,” said Richard Bezold, chair of Akerman’s Real Estate Practice Group, which is ranked sixth by Law360 among the largest teams of real estate lawyers in the United States. “There are headwinds, but as we move into a deregulated environment, we expect less restrained capital to pursue opportunities actively and aggressively. Local market knowledge and innovative investment strategies will continue to be the key differentiator for successful real estate investors.”

Key Findings:

1. U.S. Homebuilding on the Rise: For the first time since the launch of the Akerman Report in 2010, commercial real estate leaders predict residential – single-family homebuilding (43 percent) will outpace multifamily development (37 percent). The Akerman Report shows investors and lenders anticipate an upswing in housing development across suburban markets that will continue to rival walkable, sustainable urban centers. Investor attention will focus on replicating the urban experience in smaller, scalable communities with ample access to public transportation. More than 60 percent agreed the preference for a live-work-play lifestyle in a compact city center is among the top three trends impacting U.S. real estate.

2. Ambitious P3 Opportunities Await: When real estate executives were asked to identify the most pressing issues impacting real estate development, only 4 percent selected the need for new infrastructure. Enthusiasm from investors could be invigorated by President Trump’s $1 trillion public-private infrastructure project slated to be unveiled later this year. While the details of the infrastructure plan are unknown, the promotion of public-private partnerships, tax credits and other innovative financing will likely return with a vengeance in 2017. What’s clearer among executives: cities of the future will require a different infrastructure framework that takes into account the long-term significance of dense urban living, sea level rise, the desire for a low carbon footprint, and technology advancements such as next-generation vehicles.

3. Bullish Outlook for Banks: As the Trump administration plans to reduce the regulation on the financial services sector to allow for greater capital formation, real estate executives predict banks will be the main source for commercial real estate debt or equity in 2017. Foreign investors and private equity rank second and third in the Akerman Report, followed by REITs, insurance companies and pension funds as among the most likely capital sources to drive real estate financing throughout the year.

4. China Dominates Non-U.S. Buyers (Again): Stability, transparency and robust fundamentals in the U.S. real estate market continue to attract a growing pool of international capital sources. Despite the strengthening of the U.S. dollar, 42 percent of real estate executives believe foreign investors will lead debt/equity financing this year, and about a third expect multifamily (33 percent) and residential – single-family homebuilding (32 percent) to see the greatest dollars. Across all real estate sectors, China is expected to be the dominant source of foreign capital. To a lesser extent, investment is also expected to come from Europe and Latin America, and even less so from the Middle East and Canada.

5. From Brick to Click: Commercial real estate leaders rank the effects of technology among the three most significant factors impacting real estate development, according to the Akerman Report. This trend, coupled with changes in consumer behavior, have brought about the era of “one-click shopping” for millions of retail customers and led to a corresponding explosion in demand for more warehouses or fulfillment centers. Real estate executives affirmed this trend and predict once again that industrial will be the third most active sector for real estate investment. In contrast, the retail sector dropped to last place in the Akerman Report. In 2016, the retail sector was predicted to be the fourth most active sector.

Click here to view the Report: www.akerman.com/resectorreport17/index.html

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Reuters tells the story of how two analysts who liked to swap notes on numbers they thought looked odd took a fateful step and tipped off U.S. regulators about a company that one of them had watched for months.

The story is illustrated with the case of Orthofix International NV, a Texas-based medical device maker that kept hitting ambitious earnings targets and many analysts had “buy” recommendations for the stock.

One of the analysts had a feeling about the company, noticing its earnings reports showed it was taking longer than usual for the company to get paid by wholesale customers, invoices were piling up and executives struggled to offer a convincing explanation, saying logistical problems at foreign offices were partly to blame.

Reporter Sarah N. Lynch tells how that analyst spent months tracking quarterly reports and earning calls, using algorithms to compare Orthofix’s ratios and patterns of sales and inventory turnover with financial data of its peers.

“By entering the SEC whistleblower program the duo showed how outsiders with analytical skills and tools and time to spare can accomplish what is typically done by those with inside access to confidential information,” Lynch writes.

The two could win as much as $2.5 million for their whistleblowing.

Read the Reuters article.

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The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced Tuesday that it is ordering U.S. Bank National Association to pay a civil penalty of $15 million for what it calls “bankruptcy filing violations” that occurred between 2009 and 2014, according to a HousingWire report.

The OCC claimed that U.S. Bank “engaged in filing practices in bankruptcy courts with respect to proofs of claim, payment change notices, and post-petition fees among others that did not comply with bankruptcy rules and constituted unsafe or unsound banking practices.”

HousingWire reporter Ben Lane adds that the OCC said that as a result of the bank’s bankruptcy practices, U.S. Bank “has made or will make approximately $29 million in remediation to approximately 22,000 account-holders.”

Read the HousingWire article.

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An expanded lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses Fox News Channel of racial discrimination “that appears more akin to Plantation-style management than a modern-day work environment,” reports the Associated Press.

Eight former and current Fox employees joined an existing case involving three former Fox workers who have accused a since-fired Fox financial executive of bias. It also expands the case to include Dianne Brandi, Fox’s chief counsel.

Fox News has denied the allegations.

“One plaintiff, on-air personality Kelly Wright, who’s black, said he’d been effectively sidelined and asked to perform the role of a Jim Crow, an insulting slang term to refer to a black man, according to the lawsuit. Wright said [Bill] O’Reilly, who’s white, refused to show a piece Wright had prepared after racial protests in Ferguson, Missouri, because they showed blacks in too positive a light,” writes AP reporter David Bauder.

Read the AP article.

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Hogan Lovells has elected a new partner to its board with the appointment of Bruce Oakley as The Americas representative. Leopold von Gerlach has been re-elected as the representative for the Continental Europe region, and Ben Higson has been re-elected to the 45 and under seat. All begin or continue their roles with immediate effect.

The Hogan Lovells Board comprises 12 members in total and has supervisory responsibility for overseeing the affairs of the firm, but without executive responsibility for strategy, management, and operating decisions. It provides input to the CEO and Hogan Lovells’ International Management Committee. Members of the Board make up the Compensation Committee and are part of the Equity Elevation and Partner Admission Committees which they chair. Membership of the Board is designed to reflect the broad scope of the business, with members representing a combination of geographic and other backgrounds.

Bruce Oakley is managing partner of the firm’s Houston office. He has more than 25 years’ experience as a trial lawyer in Houston.

The Board will now include:

Chair (and “At Large”): Nicholas Cheffings
CEO: Steve Immelt
AsiaPacific Middle East: Andrew McGinty
Continental Europe: Leopold von Gerlach
Washington, D.C. area: Cate Stetson
London: Ruth Grant
The Americas: Bruce Oakley
The Americas (except D.C.): Miguel Zaldivar
45 and under: Ben Higson
“At Large” representatives: Marie-Aimée de Dampierre, Craig Hoover, Phoebe Wilkinson

“I am honored to welcome Bruce Oakley to the Board and look forward to continuing to work with Leopold von Gerlach and Ben Higson,” said Hogan Lovells Chair Nicholas Cheffings. “The Board plays an important role in the governance of Hogan Lovells, in its relationship with our management team, and in listening to, and representing, the views of partners. The high level of participation in this election process is testament to that.”

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DLA Piper announced that healthcare and life sciences compliance lawyer John Rah has joined the firm’s Litigation practice as a partner in Washington, DC.

In a news release, the firm said Rah advises pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, healthcare providers and suppliers and managed healthcare organizations on corporate compliance program development and operations designed to mitigate the risk of fraud and abuse. He counsels clients on investigations and informal inquiries by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG).

Rah’s work also includes conducting internal investigations for health care companies involving potential violations of relevant policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the anti-kickback, Food Drug and Cosmetics Act . He also has been involved in negotiating and implementing Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIAs), Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs), and state consent decrees, and regularly interacts with the OIG and other relevant agencies in connection with these integrity agreements, the firm said.

“John is one of the nation’s leading compliance lawyers,” said Loren Brown, co-chair of DLA Piper’s global and US Litigation practices. “In particular, John is in a league of his own when it comes to counseling major life sciences and healthcare companies through significant regulatory and enforcement challenges. We are confident that our clients will value his advice and counsel, and that he will enhance our global platform immediately.”

“As our healthcare provider clients look to navigate through the complexities of federal regulations, particularly given the evolving regulatory landscape, the insights John gained through his work with the OIG will be extremely valuable,” said Jeff Lehrer, managing partner of DLA Piper’s Washington, DC, office. “John’s skillset will also complement our growing white collar enforcement team in Washington and our growing Litigation practice.”

Rah, who previously was a partner at Morgan Lewis, is the latest addition to the firm’s Litigation practice in Washington, DC, which recently added Matthew Graves, Raphael Larson and Louis Ramos. Other additions to the practice elsewhere in the US include Eric Christofferson (Boston), George Karavetsos (Miami), David Sager (Short Hills, New Jersey), and Thiru Vignarajah (Baltimore).

Rah received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, and his B.A. from New York University.

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MDO Partners will participate at the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) Miami Regional Compliance & Ethics Conference, taking place Friday, May 5, 2017 at the Hilton Miami Downtown (1601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132). Managing Partner Richard Montes de Oca and Ana-Paola Capaldo, Associate General Counsel for Global Ethics and Compliance at Laureate Education, Inc., will discuss “FCPA Enforcement” from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

The presentation will cover the scope of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), including methods for addressing organizational compliance risks and best practices for managing FCPA risks in global organizations.

“FCPA enforcement continues to result in considerable fines and penalties for companies engaged in international bribery and corruption,” said Mr. Montes de Oca. “The FCPA risks for international businesses are significant and require companies to implement effective compliance programs. I look forward to discussing FCPA best practices in this upcoming conference and trust that our insights and experience will provide important guidance and value to our compliance colleagues in this critical area.”

Inn a news release, the company said the SCCE Regional Conference provides a forum to interact with local compliance professionals, share information about compliance successes and challenges, and create educational opportunities for compliance professionals to strengthen the industry. Additional topics that will be covered include: compliance training, employment law and changes under the Trump administration, human trafficking, conflicts of interest, and investigations experience. For more information on the SCCE Miami Regional Compliance and Ethics Conference, visit http://www.corporatecompliance.org/Events/EventInfo.aspx?sessionaltcd=002_LCFL17.

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Bloomberg Big Law Business will host its 3rd annual Summit in Manhattan.

The event will be Wednesday, May 24, 2017, at Bloomberg LP, 731 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10022, from noon until 6 p.m. A networking lunch and cocktail reception will be included.

Attendance is by invitation only. Anyone interested in an invitation may submit a request.

The agenda is available online.

Some of the speakers will include:

• Peter Beshar, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Marsh & McLennan Companies
• Matthew Cooper, Executive Vice President, Head of Legal, Capital One Financial
• Stephen Cutler, Vice Chairman, JPMorgan Chase
• Eric Grossman, Chief Legal Officer and Managing Director, Morgan Stanley
• Deborah Kaback, Chief Legal Officer, Oppenheimer Asset Management
• Aristedes Mahairas, FBI Special Agent in Charge, Special Operations/Cyber Division, New York Office
• Manisha Sheth, Executive Deputy Attorney General for Economic Justice Division, Office of the New York State Attorney General
• Patrick Speice, Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory and Compliance, United States Steel Corporation
• Mary Jo White, Senior Chair, Debevoise & Plimpton

Request an invitation here.