CLE: Ethics and Compliance

This inaugural CLE program discussed three key topics applicable to all in-house corporate and litigation counsel. 

Topics

Ethics Issues Facing Corporate Counsel (Approved for 2.0 Hours Ethics Credit)
In this interactive program, Tom Spahn explored the most basic question that all corporate in-house and outside lawyers must answer: Exactly who is the "client"? Among other things, the program discussed:

1. Who is the corporate lawyer's client within the corporate entity, and can lawyers be retained by a constituent such as an Audit Committee or group of independent directors?
2. Who is the client within a corporate family, can outside lawyers be adverse to one corporate family member while simultaneously representing another on an unrelated matter, and can in-house lawyers automatically represent their corporate employer's affiliates?
3. What is the impact of client identity in corporate transactions, including ownership of the attorney-client relationship (and the accompanying privilege) in stock and asset sales, and what is the effect of joint representations in selling or spinning off subsidiaries?
4. Can corporate in-house and outside lawyers also represent corporate employees, what are the implications of such representations, and how does a lawyer avoid accidentally creating such representations?
5. Can corporations' shareholders ever be considered the corporate lawyers' "clients" (including the fiduciary exception's application)?

Tom wrote the book, literally, on attorney-client privilege. Due to his incredible knowledge of the topic and entertaining speaking style, Tom’s program always receives rave reviews.

Creating Cybersecurity Momentum (Applying for 1.0 PA Substantive Credit Hour)
Corporate counsel and their clients, while beginning to appreciate the gravity of cybersecurity challenges, are fatigued by perpetual cybersecurity alarms. They want to stop admiring the problem and start doing something about it. In this program, Mike Adams discussed how organizations can overcome a reactionary cybersecurity culture and build momentum toward tangible, practical solutions. Based on his experience as first responder to some of the most sophisticated cyber threats in existence, Mike helped corporate counsel push past the weight of “cyberphobia” and lay the groundwork for preparedness and intelligent management of cybersecurity risk.

Mike served for 20 years as the national security advisor in the U.S. Navy, and more recently, as the Deputy General Counsel of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Lessons Learned Defending Banks During the Credit Crisis (Applying for 1.5 PA Substantive Credit Hours)
In this program for in-house corporate and litigation attorneys, financial services litigators Mary Hackett, Issac deVyver, Jarrod Shaw and Melissa Taylor discussed lessons learned from defending banks across the United States over the past 10 years, and provided practical tips to help in-house corporate counsel and litigators to better position their companies in litigation, including contract revisions, media strategies and legal department best practices.

These Pittsburgh-based litigators have handled hundreds of cases for financial services companies over the past decade, and the program itself has received great reviews for its speakers, practical tips and ideas, particularly for corporate lawyers.