Oil & Gas Journal will discuss highlights of the publication’s annual Midyear Forecast in a free webinar scheduled for July 15 at 10 a.m. CDT.

“The Midyear Forecast is a special report that uses first-half data to update projections that appeared in OGJ’s Annual Forecast and Review this past January,” the Journal says on its website. “Both reports project oil and gas markets through the end of the year worldwide, analyze demand product by product in the US, and highlight trends that will carry on beyond the current year. The webcast also will discuss political developments important to the oil and gas industry.”

Presenters will be OGJ Editor Bob Tippee and Senior Editor-Economics Editor Conglin Xu, who will summarize the Midyear Forecast projections in key categories, note important changes from January’s forecasts, and examine reasons for the adjustments.

Register for the webinar.

Practical Law will present a free 75-minute webinar in which Matthew A. Karlyn, partner with Foley & Lardner LLP and co-author of “A Guide to IT Contracting: Checklists, Tools and Techniques,” to discuss practice tips on data privacy and security provisions of SaaS and other cloud service agreements, including a discussion of recent trends and issues.

The webinar will be Wednesday, June 15, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Data privacy and security are key issues for businesses who seek to upload their information onto the cloud, the company says on its website. Customers need assurance that the software as a service (SaaS) or other cloud service provider will maintain effective policies and practices to safeguard the confidentiality and security of their information.

In seeking this assurance, it is not enough for the customer to conduct due diligence of the provider’s practices because those practices, like the laws and regulations that govern them, can be a fast-moving target. Only by the skillful drafting of the customer’s cloud service agreement can counsel aim to ensure that the customer’s confidential, trade secret, and personal information stay well protected and that both the service provider and customer remain compliant with data privacy and security laws.

A key case is the pending replacement of the EU-US safe harbor framework with stringent requirements of a new, EU-US Privacy Shield for the handling of personal data. It is crucial to businesses that their cloud service agreements include terms broad enough to anticipate such legal developments, technological advances, and changes in standards and practices.

In this program, attendees will:

• Learn how to avoid common errors in data security, privacy, and disaster recovery provisions and provide for proper data protection both during and after the term of the cloud agreement.
• Explore effective remedies for breaches of data privacy and security.
• Consider the requirements of the EU-US Privacy Shield and its anticipated impact on cloud service customers and providers and the terms of their cloud service agreements.

A short Q&A session will follow.

Presenters:

• Matt Karlyn, Co-Chair Technology Industry Team, Foley & Lardner
• Paul Connuck, Senior Legal Editor, Intellectual Property & Technology

CLE credit is available for: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington. CLE credit is being sought for: Louisiana, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia CLE can be self-applied for in: Florida.

Register for the webinar.

Practical Law will present a free webinar in which management attorney Christopher J. Collins of SheppardMullin, plaintiff’s attorney Kalpana Kotagal of Cohen, Milstein Sellers & Toll, and EEOC trial attorney Justin Mulaire discuss conciliation and intervention under the federal anti-discrimination statutes.

The event will be Thursday, June 9, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

The webinar will address obligations on the part of employers, charging parties and the EEOC in conciliating and litigating EEOC cases.

Presenters:
Christopher J. Collins, Partner, SheppardMullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Kalpana Kotagal, Partner, Cohen, Milstein, Sellers & Toll, PLLC
Justin Mulaire, Trial Attorney, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

CLE credit is available for Arizona, Calif ornia, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington. CLE credit is being sought for Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia. CLE credit can be self-applied for in Florida.

Register for the webinar.

Compliancy Group will present a complimentary webinar designed to give individuals and entities operating in the health care sector the skills they need to be prepared to identify, respond and manage data breaches in a timely, efficient and compliant manner.

The event will be Wednesday, June 15, beginning at 2 p.m.

“Data breaches are becoming more and more common among health care providers, payers and their vendors,” the company says on its website. “Some estimates indicate that one-third of all Americans had their health information breached in 2015 alone, and data breach costs are approaching $250 per affected individual – not including the million dollar penalties with government regulators have recently issued.

This webinar will give listeners the tools they need to develop a data breach plan to protect their organization.

Register for the webinar.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) will present its inaugural Corporate Counsel Training Academy, in partnership with Georgetown Law CLE, June 16-17 at Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C.

Registration is still open for the two-day CLE program designed to provide practical training for counsel with three or fewer years of in-house experience, as well as those who are planning a transition from a law firm or a government position to a corporate legal department.

“The IADC created the Corporate Counsel Training Academy as a practical ‘bootcamp’ to help ease the sometimes difficult transition from outside law practice to in-house counsel,” said Alfred R. Paliani, IADC’s vice president of corporate and co-organizer of the Academy. “Our Academy faculty is composed of experienced corporate counsel with first-hand experience with the issues that they will address during the Academy – focusing on the practical, not the theoretical.”

A 2,400 member, invitation-only organization, the IADC serves its members and their clients, as well as the civil justice system and the legal profession. The organization maintains a leadership role in many areas of legal reform and professional development.

Academy attendees will receive advice and real-world tips that they can take back to their desks and use immediately. Session topics will include:

–Transitioning from Outside to Inside: What is this Strange New World?;
–It’s Your Money Now: The Reality of Life as An In-House Attorney;
–Mini MBA for In-House Lawyers: Essential Accounting and Financial Concepts;
–Ethics for Corporate Counsel 101: A New Paradigm;
–What DO GCs Look For in Newly Hired In-House Lawyers?; and
–21st Century Darwinism: Evolving from Corporate Lawyer to Corporate Leader.

“Through these and other topics, Academy faculty will share the kinds of practical insights that will make senior in-house lawyers say, ‘Wow, I wish I knew some of that stuff when I first left my law firm to go in-house,’ ” Paliani added. “We look forward to the Academy becoming an annual event and popular addition to IADC’s high-quality education programming that benefits our members and the legal community at-large.”

The Corporate Counsel Training Academy is open to IADC members and non-members. For additional information, including the program brochure, or to register for the program, visit http://www.iadclaw.org/education-events/cle-events/corporate-counsel-training-academy/. A live webcast of the program will be available for attendees who are unable to participate in-person.

The International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) is an invitation-only global legal organization for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests. Founded in 1920, the IADC’s members hail from five continents, 45 countries, and all 50 U.S. states. The core purposes of the IADC are to enhance the development of skills, promote professionalism, and facilitate camaraderie among its members, their clients, as well as the broader civil justice community. For more information, visit www.iadclaw.org.

Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP will host a complimentary webinar, “The Defend Trade Secrets Act: A Federal Remedy at Last,” presented by Thomas F. Lebens. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, May 25, 2016, at 9 am PDT / 10 MDT / 11 am CDT / 12 noon EDT.

Congress recently passed the Defend Trade Secrets Act, and with President Obama’s expected signature, a federal civil remedy for trade secret misappropriation will become law, Fitch, Even says on its website. The bill will mean a shake-up for U.S. trade secrets law, which for years has been protected by a patchwork of state laws under various enactments of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act. A single federal statute would move us toward applying the law uniformly nationwide, and trade secret claims could be filed in federal court. The new law, however, will not completely replace state trade secrets law, but will coexist with it. Protections for trade secrets will be more on balance with those available to patents, copyrights, and trademarks.

The webinar will address these major provisions of the Defend Trade Secrets Act:

• Ex parte seizure of property to prevent dissemination of trade secrets
• Preemption of state law prohibiting restraints on employment
• Whistleblower protections for reporting trade secret misappropriation
• Enhanced damages

CLE credit has been approved for California and Illinois and is pending in Nebraska. Other states may also award CLE credit upon attendee request.

Following the live event, a recording of the webinar will be available to view for one year at fitcheven.com.

Register for the webinar.

Practical Law will present a webinar discussing best practices for Section 337 patent litigation and current hot topics at the International Trade Commission (ITC), such as standard essential patents and the Commission’s jurisdiction over electronic data importations.

The 75-minute event will be Tuesday, May 10, 1-2:25 p.m. EDT.

Commencing a patent infringement investigation at the International ITC under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 is a powerful weapon in a patent owner’s arsenal, Practical Law says on its website. Section 337 patent infringement investigations offer several advantages over patent litigation in federal district court, including swift resolution of disputes and broad availability of injunctive relief. However, Section 337 investigations also have potential risks, including substantial litigation costs and discovery requirements.

The webinar will feature (i) Charles Schill, a partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP who has handled more than 130 unfair trade practice Section 337 investigations, and (ii) former ITC Administrative Law Judge Robert Rogers, who held 20 hearings during his tenure resulting in 17 Final Initial Decisions.

A short Q&A session will follow.

Presenters:
Charles F. Schill, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson: Charles focuses his practice on the intersection of international trade and intellectual property law. He has handled more than 130 unfair trade practice cases under Section 337 of the Tariff Act at the ITC, and has won or favorably settled almost all of them. He previously served as a Senior Staff Attorney in the Office of Legal Services and the Office of General Counsel at the ITC.

Robert K. Rogers, Jr., Attorney at Law: An attorney for 39 years, Mr. Rogers was an Administrative Law Judge for 19 years, including 5 years as an ALJ at the U.S. International Trade Commission. He was assigned more than 55 cases, held 20 hearings, issued 17 Final Initial Decisions, 2 TEO Decisions, and concluded one case by summary determination. Mr. Rogers has extensive experience in litigation related to patents and trade secrets, and his experience spans a breadth of industries, issues, and forums, which provides him the ability to effectively assist litigants in reaching settlement of patent and trade secret matters.

Register for the webinar.

Compliance Group will present a complimentary webinar on HIPA compliancy for business associates Thursday, April 21, beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time.

HIPAA compliance for business associates has become critical, especially when they deal with medical professionals, Compliancy Group says on its website. This webinar will explain the law, what business associates need to know and do to be compliant, and how to differentiate a firm to acquire new and maintain current clients.

The webinar will cover:

• The steps on how to become HIPAA compliant as a Business Associate
• What an effective BAA should include
• How to help existing and new healthcare clients with compliance
• Why it is important to differentiate yourself as HIPAA compliant

Register for the webinar.

BanbooHR will present a complimentary webinar designed to help companies’ human relations departments become more strategic to solve more imminent business problems.

The webinar will be Tuesday, April 19, beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time.

On its website, the company says the webinar will begin with an economic perspective around the pressures business is putting on HR to upskill themselves, and then will go into a discussion of the strategies and principles that can be used to escape the operational handcuffs holding executives back from fulfilling this higher-value promise.

Topics will include:

• Learn what Strategic HR actually means
• Learn how to escape the operational and become strategic
• Learn how to gain relevance, influence and authority in your organization
• Learn immediate steps you can take to reinvent your department
• Learn to think and speak the language of business

Speakers will be Angela Watson, Enterprise Account Executiv of eFileCabinet, and Rusty Lindquist, VP of Strategic HR Insights of BambooHR.

Register for the webinar.

Baker Botts has posted an on-demand video webinar hosted by partners Manny Grillo, Shalla Prichard and Jim Prince titled “Baker Botts Corporate Series: Staring Down the Barrel,” in which the moderators discuss the state of the energy finance market and the related legal developments.

The firm says the video shares insights from the finance and restructuring market and highlights some of the latest developments and trends. The program takes a look at the impact of last year’s deal activity and what it will mean for this year. The panelists comment on what they have seen and expect to see this year from both a legal and business perspective and the opportunities created by the markets.

Watch the video.

David A. Lurker has joined Buchalter Nemer in Orange County as a shareholder in its Real Estate Practice Group, the firm announced. Lurker, who joins from Voss Cook & Thel, LLP, has more than 30 years of experience guiding real estate clients in deal structuring through various economic and industry cycles in the real estate market.

“David’s knowledge of the recent history of the real estate sector will be an excellent asset for our clients as they navigate the transaction environment in 2016 and beyond,” said Adam J. Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of Buchalter Nemer. “He’s a welcome addition to our strong real estate practice and our growing roster of seasoned experts in this industry.”

Lurker represents owners, developers, investors, contractors, landlords, tenants, property managers and lenders in transactions that involve purchases and sales, development, leasing, and construction of all types of projects. These projects include retail, office, industrial, residential, multifamily, senior housing, churches and nonprofit ventures.

Read the firm’s announcement.

Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP will hold a complimentary webinar, “So You Think You Know Patent Claims? Advanced Lessons in Patent Drafting and Analysis,” presented by Steven G. Parmelee and Allen E. Hoover. The webinar will take place on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, at 9 am PST / 10 am MST / 11 am CST / 12 noon EST.

The firm says that, even if you have practiced IP law for many years or are otherwise well-versed in what’s involved in patent drafting, you may be surprised by what you don’t know about patent claims.

Presenters will cover the following topics:
• The right and wrong way to use dependent claims to strengthen a patent
• How to avoid claim language that can impair the patent holder’s rights
• What you may not know about alternative claim language in patent claims

The firm says this webinar will be the first in an occasional series of “master classes” for experienced IP practitioners, patent owners, and others entrenched in the world of IP who already possess at least a basic understanding of patents and patent claims. It will be of interest to both those who analyze and litigate patents and those who draft patent applications.

CLE credit has been approved for California and Illinois and is pending in Nebraska. Other states may also award CLE credit upon attendee request.

Following the live event, a recording of the webinar will be available to view for one year at fitcheven.com.

Register for the webinar.

Hall Estill of Oklahoma is expanding its oil and gas practice with the addition of Leah Rudnicki to the firm’s Oklahoma City office.

“Leah’s distinctive background as in-house counsel, leader of an oil and gas company and extensive litigation experience will further enhance our expanding oil and gas practice,” Michael D. Cooke, Hall Estill’s managing partner, said. “She will provide our clients valuable strategic business advice along with superb litigation counsel.”

Rudnicki, who was most recently a partner at Reed Smith in Houston, is an Oklahoma native who graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2001.

“I have a long history with Hall Estill beginning in 1997 with a summer job while completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Oklahoma, and I’m grateful to be back,” Rudnicki said. “Hall Estill has a solid vision and robust strategy for the future, and I look forward to serving our clients on issues that are important to their business.”

Less than 10 years after law school, Leah was president of a private independent oil and gas operator with operations assets in Oklahoma and Texas. Under her management, the business grew from 17 operated wells in Oklahoma to nearly 300 operated wells in Oklahoma and Texas and from two to more than 30 employees.

In a release, Hall Estill said that, as a litigator in private practice, Rudnicki has represented, counseled and advised a diverse range of clients, from small independent businesses to Fortune 500 companies in various disputes in front of state courts, federal multi-district panels, arbitration panels, and local and federal administrative agencies. Most recently, her practice has focused on general advice, litigation, and dispute resolution for oil and gas clients, including, landowner/joint venture disputes, drilling in city limits, alleged breach of joint operating agreements and lease agreements, issues related to horizontal drilling, fracking and disposal wells (water pollution/earthquakes), and royalty/JIB accounting disputes.

Rudnicki previously worked as in-house litigation counsel for a Fortune 500 oil and gas services company. In this position, she advised the company’s corporate litigation department and health, safety, environment, and security departments on a wide range of issues, including responding to potential new regulations affecting the oil and gas service industry. She was instrumental in updating, implementing, and communicating internal policies, preparing a strategy for effectively managing a national toxic tort docket and assessing successor liability claims.

As a part of its complimentary HIPAA education series, Compliancy Group will present a webinar on best practices for preparing for upcoming 2016 HIPAA audits, with lessons and examples from past breaches and fines.

The webinar will be Thursday, Jan. 28, beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern time.

“With 2016 audits looming in the headlines there is no doubt you should be prepared for the long overdue, stricter audits.” the company says on its website. “Past violations will be analyzed: causes of the incidents, gaps, and remediation. Learn from experts about how to stay out of the headlines, avoid penalties and protect your reputation.”

Register for the webinar.

Platts has posted an on-demand webinar reviewing the natural gas markets winter-to-date and a taking forward look at the first quarter of 2016. Storage started the winter at all-time record levels and prices have seen dollar handles, but with a strong El Nino in effect, what will the beginning of 2016 have in store?

Analysts Jeff Moore and Bob Yu discuss:

• Storage: How will year-ending storage inventories look? Will we reach capacity in 2016?
• Prices: What’s the price outlook for the beginning of next year? Could 2016 be the first year on the road to recovery?
• Demand: How are freeze-offs affecting winter production? When will LNG demand show up in 2016?
• Weather: How is El Nino affecting the energy markets so far? What are some scenarios for 2016?

Watch the on-demand webinar.

Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP will hold a complimentary webinar, “The Newly Amended Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: Making Sense of the Changes,” presented by Fitch Even partner Joseph F. Marinelli. The webinar will be Thursday, Jan. 21, at 9 am PST / 10 am MST / 11 am CST / 12 noon EST.

On Dec. 1, 2015, significant amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure went into effect. These changes are intended to make civil litigation more efficient by changing early case management procedures and discovery planning, clarifying the scope of discovery, and revamping the rules regarding the preservation of electronically stored information.

In this webinar, participants will take a closer look at the December rule changes, discussing what you need to know and the practical impact the rules may have on your practice, covering the following topics and more:
•Reorganization of Rule 26(b)(1) to bring proportionality factors to the forefront of scope considerations and elimination
•Change to Rule 26(d) that now permits a party to issue document requests in advance of parties’ Rule 26(f) discovery conference
•Revision of Rule 34 to require more specific objections and responses to document requests
•Revamp of Rule 37(e) to better address ESI preservation and loss
•Elimination of Rule 84 and the Appendix of Forms leading to a potential change in pleading requirements in patent infringement suits

The speaker will be Fitch Even partner Joseph F. Marinelli, an IP litigator with more than 15 years of hands-on courtroom experience and a diverse intellectual property law practice covering all aspects of IP creation, management, enforcement, and licensing. Marinelli has extensive experience litigating in popular patent venues including the Northern District of California, the Western District of Wisconsin, and the Eastern District of Texas, as well as representing clients in post-grant procedures before the USPTO.

CLE credit has been approved for California, Illinois, and Wisconsin, and is pending in Nebraska. Other states may also award CLE credit upon attendee request. There is no fee to attend, but please note registration is required.

Following the live event, a recording of the webinar will be available to view for one year at fitcheven.com.

Register for the webinar.

The third program in Norton Rose Fulbright‘s global litigation school web seminar series discusses unconventional oil and gas development in the United States and the dramatic rise in claims associated with that activity.

“These claims have ranged from environmental claims alleging that hydraulic fracturing, a process used in unconventional oil and gas development, is causing contamination to underground fresh water aquifers to claims for nuisance due to the increased noise and dust associated with the drilling,” the firm says on its site. “It has also led to an increase in the number of heavy truck accidents and lawsuits involving crude by rail and several high profile derailments.”

Watch the video.

Corporate Compliance Insights presents a short film about Richard Bistrong’s journey through the dark side of international business, “getting caught” and what that might mean for today’s compliance challenges.

Richard Bistrong is a former sales and marketing executive in the law enforcement and defense sector for more than 15 years, most of which was as VP for international sales. He pleaded guilty and sentenced to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA, including books and records as well as exporting goods without authorization.

Watch the film.

Principal Energy Institute has posted a free on-demand webinar designed to help energy project developers, operators and investors understand the risks associated with those projects, and how to mitigate them. The presenter is energy risk expert, Christopher Lohmann , VP of Alternative Energy Solutions, Energi, Inc.

Large renewable energy projects require substantial capital investments, and depend on predictable, long-term cash flows in order to provide investor returns that can attract that capital, the institute says on its website.

The webinar addresses the questions of:

• What are the risks in renewable energy projects, and to which party can they be assigned?
• How can risks be managed, and at what cost?
• Which risks can be eliminated?

Watch the on-demand webinar.

Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP will hold a complimentary webinar, “Navigating Patent Potholes Along the FDA’s Proposed ANDA / 505(b)(2) Pathway,” presented by Kendrew Colton and James Zak. The webinar will be Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015, at 9 am PST / 10 am MST / 11 am CST / 12 noon EST.

The FDA has released new rules regarding the procedures for approval of ANDA and 505(b)(2) applications implementing the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA). The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in turn has created new procedures and other ways by which they cancel, modify, and administer patent rights. The USPTO’s actions have created potholes along the FDA-proposed pathways for pharmaceuticals companies and generics manufacturers attempting to maintain monopolies. Their activities may also provide an express lane for new startups in the pharmaceutical space.

The webinar will cover these topics and more:
• Newly listed patents in the Orange Book and the ability to catch up to first applicants
• Breaking through settlement roadblocks with AIA post-grant procedures
• Newly listed and issued patents downshifting ANDAs into tentative approvals
• Express lane for 505(b)(2) applicants

The speakers will be Fitch Even attorneys Kendrew H. Colton and James A. Zak. Colton has extensive IP counseling and litigation experience, with a focus on designing strategies to achieve market exclusivity and freedom to operate for clients working with chemical and biochemical technologies. Zak chiefly focuses his practice on the intersection of intellectual property and FDA law, often working with startups in FDA-regulated industries to develop and align their IP and FDA market approval strategies while simultaneously developing robust patent portfolios.

CLE credit has been approved for California and Illinois and is pending in Nebraska. Other states may also award CLE credit upon attendee request. There is no fee to attend, but please note registration is required.

Following the live event, a recording of the webinar will be available to view for one year at fitcheven.com.

Register for the webinar.