On-Demand: Sign Legal Clients on the Spot with SMS Electronic Signatures

Esignature - contract -signingAssureSign has posted an on-demand webinar on the use of SMS electronic signatures – a feature new to the legal industry.

The free on-demand webinar is available now, covering such topics as how to create and send documents for signature using SMS text messaging, how to improve your customers’ overall experience, how to close deals faster by leveraging SMS document sending, and how to use audit trails to track a document at each step of the signing process.

On its website, AssureSign says its system has been used on more than 400 million completed electronic signature transactions.

Watch the on-demand webinar.

 

 

 




Christopher M. Carlisle Joins Dykema’s Growing Dallas Office

Dykema announced the addition of Christopher M. Carlisle to its Corporate Finance practice group as a senior counsel in the firm’s growing Dallas office, which has now added four attorneys in the past two months. Prior to joining Dykema, Carlisle practiced at Locke Lord LLP before spending five years working as in-house transactional counsel at Dean Foods.

Carlisle’s practice is primarily focused on business transactions. He has experience in the creation and reorganization of business entities and equity investment structures, including partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies. In a release, the firm also said he also counsels clients in planning, negotiating and documenting different types of investment transactions, including mergers, acquisitions and asset purchases, as well as commercial lending. Carlisle also has experience in matters related to federal and state securities laws, and federal business income tax.

Carlisle spent several years as in-house counsel to a large, Dallas-based public company in the food and beverage manufacturing industry, where he provided advice on commercial transactions and regulatory compliance.

“Chris is a highly credentialed transactional lawyer who combines large firm training with meaningful in-house experience,” said Chris Kratovil, Managing Member of Dykema’s Dallas office. “We’re very excited to add him to our Dallas office.”

Carlisle earned a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a B.A. from St. John’s College.

 

 




Attend the World’s Largest Gathering of In-House Counsel

AQCC annual meetingThe Association of Corporate Counsel will hold its next annual meeting Oct. 15-18 in Washington D.C.

The organization is offering an exclusive $125 discount on the registration fee for readers of General Counsel News who register by August 31. Readers may use the code GCNEWS to receive the discount.

The ACC bills the event, which draws thousands of in-house counsel from around the world, as the world’s largest gathering of in-house counsel.

Organizers have recently added a law department operations boot camp, titled “How to Gain Traction: A Boot Camp for Leaders of Early-Stage Legal Operations Functions.” The bootcamp is designed for corporate legal department leaders only.

The featured speaker will be Don Tapscott, CEO of the Tapscott Group. He is a best-selling author and the world’s leading authority on blockchain and other disruptive technologies.

Here is a schedule of activities.

Register or get more information.

 

 

 

 

 




Third-Party Risk Management Feedback Needed

Risk managementIndependent marketing research firm Phase5 is conducting a comprehensive study on the current state of third-party risk management and is seeking input.

Confidential responses will be aggregated with other responses, summarized, and published in a comprehensive report.

A spokesman said anyone participating will receive a copy of the final report. That report will show how others manage their third-party risk and due diligence processes and discover techniques for effectively reducing legal risk.

Take the survey.

 

 

 




3 Ways to Transition Your Committee Effectively

The National Association of Corporate Directors has published a guide to leading practices for key committee succession planning and new-director onboarding.

The guide is available from the NACD’s website at no charge.

To meet current and future skill requirements effectively, board-succession planning and the board’s director-recruitment and onboarding efforts require a more farsighted approach, one based on a time horizon aligned with the company’s long-term strategy, NACD says.
NACD recently convened Fortune 500 committee chairs in a joint meeting of the Audit Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee Chair Advisory Councils. The discussion highlighted three key points, which all directors—and audit committee and nominating and governance committee chairs in particular—should keep in mind:
1. Purposeful coordination is essential to planning committee-chair rotation or succession.
2. Financial expertise is a necessary ingredient for service on the audit committee, but alone, it is insufficient.
3. Broaden the leadership profile when recruiting an audit committee chair.

Download the resource.

 

 

 




DLA Piper Adds Gislar Donnenberg to Corporate Practice in Houston

DLA Piper announced that Gislar Donnenberg has joined the firm’s corporate practice as a partner in Houston.

Donnenberg focuses his practice largely on capital markets matters in the energy sector, where he has more than 20 years of experience representing both public and private companies engaged in the exploration, production and distribution of natural gas, crude oil and refined petroleum products. He has represented dozens of clients in high-value deals, including IPOs, public equity and debt offerings and mergers and acquisitions, including “drop-downs” from MLP sponsors, according to a release from the firm.

The release continues:

“The energy markets continue to adapt to fast-changing economic conditions, and DLA Piper’s addition of leading lawyers like Gislar enable us to better serve our clients and expand our representation,” said John Gilluly, DLA Piper’s US chair of the Corporate practice. “We will continue to strategically grow our capabilities in the energy sector to further serve our clients’ needs and to help them achieve their goals.”

Donnenberg also advises clients on corporate governance issues, including those related to regulatory compliance, executive compensation, acquisition structuring and conflicts committees. He has experience in the real estate, aviation, chemicals and healthcare sectors in addition to his work in the energy industry.

“Gislar adds key energy experience to DLA Piper’s leading global energy and capital markets practices. He represents both issuers and underwriters and has significant experience advising public company boards and officers,” said Jack Langlois, DLA Piper’s Houston managing partner and US co-chair of the Energy sector. “Gislar’s extensive experience leading IPOs, MLPs and other capital markets transactions and his relationships with leading energy investment advisors will be tremendous resources for new and existing clients.”

DLA Piper is renowned for its deal-making prowess in the energy space, and I’m excited to join a team of this high caliber,” added Donnenberg.

Prior to joining DLA Piper, Donnenberg was a partner with Paul Hastings LLP. He received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, and his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

 

 

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Download: Guide to Conducting Internal Investigations

Employment - personnel - investigation - magnifyerClutch Group has published a new book, Guide to Conducting Internal Investigations, providing best practices and guidance for those conducting or overseeing investigations, including boards of directors, general counsel and corporate executives in both the U.K. and the U.S.

Totaling 45 pages, parts 1 and 2 are available now for complimentary download.

As more regimes increase their regulatory enforcement efforts around the globe, internal investigations have become “business as usual” for many companies, especially those in highly regulated industries. But there is no regulatory blueprint for what are accepted standards and practices, and this puts companies at a disadvantage with regulators.

Co-authored with Jake McQuitty of TLT Solicitors, it is not a legal text book but a practical guide; shedding light on what a good investigation looks like whilst guiding investigators though the myriad issues that can arise.

Download the guide.

 

 

 




PwC to Pay $1 Mln to Settle Merrill Lynch Audit Complaint

PwCReuters is reporting that accounting company PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will pay $1 million to settle a civil complaint alleging it conducted a flawed audit into Merrill Lynch’s compliance with federal brokerage customer protection rules, U.S. audit watchdogs said on Wednesday.

“The PCAOB’s penalty against PwC comes a little over a year after the Securities and Exchange Commission ordered Bank of America’s Merrill Lynch to pay $415 million to settle charges it had put its brokerage clients’ cash at risk in violation of customer protection rules,” writes Sarah N. Lynch.

Read the Reuters article.

 

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Microsoft Announces Plans to Nearly Phase Out Billable Hour

MicrosoftBloomberg Law reports that Microsoft hopes to shift 90 percent of its legal work into alternative fee arrangements within two years — in an effort to move away from the billable hour.

Microsoft has been re-evaluating how it works with law firms, according to David Howard, a corporate vice president and deputy general counsel at the company.

“It made several key decisions in the process, including to hire more law firms on a retainer basis and to work more closely with them on their diversity,” reporter Gabe Friedman writes. “[Howard] also said the company is rapidly moving away from the billable hour, and named a dozen law firms that have embraced alternative fee arrangements, such as fixed fees, that Microsoft views as its strategic partners.”

Read the Bloomberg article.

 

 

 




Law Firm Releases Documents in Litigation, Angering Monsanto

Image by Mike Mozart

Documents released Tuesday in a lawsuit against Monsanto raised new questions about the company’s efforts to influence the news media and scientific research and revealed internal debate over the safety of its highest-profile product, the weed killer Roundup, reports The New York Times.

Monsanto said it was outraged by the documents’ release by Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, writes Danny Hakim.

“There is a standing confidentiality order that they violated,” said Scott Partridge, vice president of global strategy for Monsanto. He said that while “you can’t unring a bell,” Monsanto would seek penalties on the firm.

A partner in the firm said Monsanto had failed to file a motion seeking continued protection of the documents, but the company said no such filing was necessary.

Read the NYT article.

 

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GE Healthcare Eyes Automation in Its Legal Operations

Bloomberg Law reports that GE Healthcare is finding automation to be one of the biggest challenges as it builds its legal operations function, Vice President and General Counsel Laura O’Donnell said.

O’Donnell told Bloomberg BNA’s Yin Wilczek that the company’s in-house lawyers have been wrestling with how legal processes that are tailored for specific needs can be made “repeatable and automated without losing the good analysis that we are known for as a profession.”

Bloomberg includes a video of O’Donnell discussing GE Healthcare’s automation efforts.

Read the Bloomberg article.

 

 




Legal Ops Survey Results: AI, InfoSec, and the Cloud

OpenText Discovery (formerly Recommind) has published a report titled “Corporate Legal Ops Service Results 2017,” which is available for complimentary downloading.

Starting in 2015, OpenText Discovery has commissioned Ari Kaplan Advisors to interview premier corporate legal ops professionals to identify new trends and eDiscovery issues. This report details the latest 2017 findings, such as:

  • AI and Analytics: Is cost still an issue to adopting discovery analytics?
  • ECM & Discovery processes: Are legal ops professionals consolidating their approach?
  • Cloud readiness: Has the cloud reached a tipping point?
  • InfoSec: Have data security concerns increased?

Download the report.

 

 




IADC Publishes Defense Counsel Journal on Privacy and Data Protection Law

Computer - cybersecurity -privacyPrivacy impacts the daily lives of people like never before, including how their information is treated and protected by the companies in which they place trust for business. In recognition of the growing importance of privacy and data protection law and compliance, the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) has dedicated the summer 2017 edition of its Defense Counsel Journal (DCJ) to the exploration of privacy issues.

The summer issue is the first half of the IADC’s “Privacy Project V” publication. The second half will be published as the fall 2017 issue of the DCJ. The current issue is available for free and without a subscription via the IADC’s website.

In the current issue, IADC members write about a variety of privacy topics from a global perspective. Frequently and favorably cited by courts and other legal scholarship, the DCJ is a quarterly forum for topical and scholarly writings on the law, including its development and reform, as well as on the practice of law in general. The IADC is a 2,500-member, invitation-only, worldwide organization that serves its members and their clients, as well as the civil justice system and the legal profession.

“We are reminded in our daily lives of the importance of privacy – particularly in matters or with business impacted by social media, e-discovery, text messaging and instant messaging,” said Eve B. Masinter, co-chair of the IADC’s Privacy Project V Editorial Board and a partner with Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P., in New Orleans. “Privacy must be protected worldwide by our constitutions and laws.”

According to the Pew Research Center, 91 percent of adults agree or strongly agree that consumers have lost control of how personal information is collected and used by companies, and technology experts believe most individuals will not have the energy or resources to protect themselves from “dataveillance” in the coming years.

S. Gordon McKee, also co-chair of the IADC’s Privacy Project V Editorial Board and a partner with Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP, in Toronto, added, “It is critical that attorneys, who are increasingly giving advice on the balance between privacy and other rights and interests, remain engaged and informed on the latest developments and insights that impact this developing area of the law.”

The IADC’s Privacy Project is dedicated to the memory of Joan Fullam Irick, the IADC’s first female president, who made the issue of corporate and personal privacy a key theme for her administration.

The first half of the “Privacy Project V” issue of the DCJ includes the following articles:

– “The Era of the Internet of Things: Can Product Liability Laws Keep Up?” – Explores the need to reexamine traditional product liability theories amid the proliferation of wireless connected devices.

– “Follow the Audit Trail: The Impact of Metadata in Litigation” – Discusses the importance of practitioners making a conscious effort early in every case to determine whether discoverable electronic data and, particularly, metadata exist, assess whether it is relevant to the pertinent issues, and ensure its preservation.

– “Standing in the Midst of a Data Breach Class Action” – Focuses on class-action litigation following a cyber attack, and what is often corporate counsel’s first best chance to dispose of these cases by challenging plaintiffs’ standing.

– “Connected Cars and Automated Driving: Privacy Challenges on Wheels” – Explores privacy and data protection in the realm of connected cars.

– “The French Blocking Statute and Cross-Border Discovery” – Reviews the so-called “French blocking statute” and attempts to reform it, and how it – along with data protection and privacy laws – constitutes another hurdle for the transfer of certain information from the French jurisdiction to the United States.

– “Did You Really Send It? Email Evidence in Litigation and Arbitration in Argentina” – Analyzes the state of electronic evidence in Argentina and the need for additional measures.

– “Zones of Privacy: How Private?” – Discusses the constitutional and legal implications engendered by the collision between the right to individual privacy and the exercise of the state’s police power pursuant to the demands of public interest and state security under Philippine law.

– “Busting the Black Box: Big Data Employment and Privacy” – Provides examples of the impact that big data can have in the workplace and the related compliance concerns.

– “EU Data Protection and the Conflict of Laws: The Usual “Bag of Tricks” or a Fight Against the Evasion of the Law?” – Examines to what extent the principles developed by the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union still apply under the General Data Protection Regulation and, if so, to what extent they can still be used as a source of inspiration in resolving data protection questions.

– “Shots Fired – A Rational Assessment of Mass Shootings, The Alleged Participation of the Mentally Ill, and an Impaired Right of Privacy” – Advocates for removal of the barriers preventing data collection and analysis, particularly with states abandoning conceal-carry permit requirements and as terrorists migrate to using cars and alternative means to carry out their plans.

 

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In-House Compensation Report: Top 30 Money-Earners

Banking - investing - money - advisorsCorporate legal departments can and do pay top-dollar figures to lure lawyers away from partnerships that pay millions of dollars, reports Bloomberg Law.

Apple Inc.’s general counsel/senior vice president Bruce Sewell leads the list of top-paid corporate legal officers with total compensation of $22.8 million, according to Bloomberg’s research on the 500 largest U.S. companies, ranked by revenue.

“Often enough, the lawyers who choose to accept top positions in-house must forgo high salaries and take other forms of compensation — onetime bonuses, rich stock or option grants, generous pension plans, and other perks such as access to a company car or money for expensive real estate, according to a Big Law Business review of proxy statements,” writes Gabe Friedman.

Read the Bloomberg article.

 

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Abbie Shindler Joins Buchalter in Scottsdale Office

Buchalter announced that Abbie Shindler has become a member of the firm’s Corporate and Tax & Estate Planning Practices in Arizona.

Shindler focuses her practice on estate planning, probate, trusts, corporations and business organizations, and business law. Her experience includes the preparation of estate plans, administration of trusts/estates, obtaining appointments of guardians/conservators for adults and minors, formation of corporate entities, assisting with corporate transactions, and the preparation of pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.

“Abbie is a welcome and strong addition to our growing Scottsdale office,” said Adam Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of Buchalter. “As a well-known and experienced tax and estate attorney, her practice is an excellent fit for us.”

Outside of her practice, Shindler is a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, serves on the Professional Advisory Board of Arizona Community Foundation, and is a committee member of the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

“I have known many of the Buchalter attorneys in Scottsdale for years,” said Shindler. “I am eager to continue representing my clients at Buchalter, and offer them the full-service business solutions the firm is known for providing.”

 

 

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Succession Planning: It’s Not Just for Emergencies

There are specific actions an organization can take to ensure it has the leadership it needs in case of a crisis, as well as for their future sustainability, according to TrainHR.

The company will present a webinar on the topic on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, at 1 p.m. EDT.

“Best-practice organizations use succession planning to not only prepare for potential leadership challenges but they also rely on such plans to develop and maintain the strong leadership that’s required to grow and keep pace with changes in their business, industry, and overall marketplace,” TrainHR says on its website.

 

Read more about the webinar.

 

 




Case Study – An Inside Look at PayPal’s ELM Implementation

During the 2017 CLOC Annual Legal Operations Institute in Las Vegas, Onit and PayPal presented a session titled, “Next Generation Enterprise Legal Management (ELM): People. Process. Automation.” The speakers were Lauren Giammona, Director of Operations, Business Affairs & Legal at PayPal, and Eric M. Elfman, founder and CEO of Onit.

Lauren outlined her implementation experience and shared her 7 key tips for selecting an enterprise legal management (ELM) vendor. Legaltech News wrote a detailed article summarizing the CLOC session. PayPal and Onit discussed how legal departments can provide “continuous” value to the company, drive operational improvements and allow employees to work in the systems they prefer. The session highlighted:

  • The importance of process, workflow and collaboration
  • How a business automation tool solves needs beyond e-billing and matter management
  • Key benchmarks and metrics that drive innovation and transformation in legal operations

Download the case study.

 

 




Assess Your Risk Appetite: Complimentary Report

National Association of Corporate DirectorsThe National Association of Corporate Directors Advisory Council on Risk Oversight met in February 2017 to discuss the board’s role in the development and oversight of risk appetite. NACD offers a complimentary copy of the report.

The discussion – cohosted by NACD, PwC, and Sidley Austin LLP – highlighted a number of takeaways for directors:

  • Align the risk appetite statement with company strategy.
  • Use the risk appetite statement to inform critical processes and decisions.
  • Continually reevaluate the risk appetite statement.

The NACD Advisory Council on Risk Oversight: Board-Management Dialogue on Risk Appetite resource can help boards to take the following steps:

  • Determine which metrics to use in the risk appetite statement.
  • Establish performance targets in incentive plans that promote high performance and limit unhealthy risk-taking.
  • Shape company culture by defining tolerance levels for risk.
  • Improve communication across the company and boost reporting to the board.

Download complimentary copy of the report.

 

 




Dealing With Violations In Export and Import Transactions

International - foreign - globeThomas B. McVey of Williams Mullen has posted an article discussing a number of issues that a general counsel or CEO might present to the company in responding to a variety of hypothetical situations under the Export Administration Regulations, International Traffic In Arms Regulations, U.S. sanctions laws and U.S. import laws.

The details of your response, of course, will vary depending upon the company and violations involved. A lot will have to happen quickly so it is important for you to be prepared in advance for this situation,” McVey advises.

The first step in responding to a possible export or import violations is to stop the potentially wrongful actions, he writes.

His article explains how to approach this task, along with the importance of collecting relevant information, analyzing possible violations, whether to consider a voluntary self-disclosure, responding to requests for information, other issues in enforcement actions, and personal liability.

Read the article.

 

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Managing Legal Risks and Cultural Issues in Cross-Border and Whistleblower Investigations

Risk signAltaClaro will present a complimentary webinar focusing on managing legal and cultural risks in cross-border investigations. The event will be Wednesday, July 26, 2017, beginning at noon Eastern time.

Expert panelists Jon Abernethy (Partner, Cohen & Gresser LLP) and Andrew Curtin (Global Head of Investigations, AIG) will join AltaClaro Founder & CEO and former Deputy General Counsel of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Abdi Shayesteh, will be presenters.

In this interactive, live webcast, Abdi will moderate Abernethy’s and Curtin’s discussion of the following topics:

(1) Handling multi-jurisdictional approaches to privileged communications in the aftermath of the recent U.K. decisions in Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Ltd. and The RBS Rights Issue Litigation

(2) Identifying potential cultural challenges and local laws that may impede an effective investigation and prevent a one-size-fits-all approach to designing internal processes and procedures within multinational organizations

(3) Implementing best practices when preparing for and coordinating effective internal investigations across international lines

Register for the webinar.