Thank you for visiting Dorsey’s Minneapolis Corporate Counsel Symposium web page. We have posted information, including copies of presentation materials and related resources.
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In Privileged Company: Protecting Attorney-Client Privilege in Corporate Families, M&A Transactions and More
Speakers: Susie S. Byers, Vice President, Litigation and Employment Law, Carlson, Inc.; James Howard and Kenneth L. Jorgensen, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Description: What can corporate counsel do to protect attorney-client privilege within the corporate client and in dealings with corporate parents, subsidiaries and affiliates? What can counsel do to preserve privilege when a corporate unit is sold to new owners? Learn the answers to these questions and much more, when our legal ethics panel focuses on the special ethical concerns faced by in-house counsel dealing with corporate families and corporate transactional practice.
Resources: Download Full Set of Materials
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A Year of Re-Invention: The Current State of Patent Reform
Speakers: Alicia Griffin Mills, Director of Legal Affairs - Intellectual Property, Imation Corp.; David M. Weirich, Associate General Counsel, Oral Care, Hair Care and Beautronics, The Procter & Gamble Company; Peter M. Lancaster, Kenneth E. Levitt and J. Thomas Vitt, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Description: It has been one year since Congress enacted the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, the most sweeping and dramatic revision of U.S. patent law in over 50 years. What has the last year shown us about re-shaping IP strategies to achieve success under the new regime? A panel of IP veterans survey the legal landscape one year after the reform tsunami and discuss important, emerging trends in patent litigation.
Resources: Download Full Set of Materials
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M&A Under the Microscope: Getting the Deal Done in Uncertain Times
Speakers: John C. Carr, Vice President & General Counsel, Smarte Carte, Inc.;
Louis B. Lambert, Assistant General Counsel, Mergers & Acquisitions, General Mills, Inc.; Taiesha McBroom and Jonathan A. Van Horn, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Description: Eurozone currency crises, continued weakness in the U.S. economy, a zealous class-action plaintiffs’ bar and an army of acronyms (CFIUS, FCPA and more) all conspire to constrict M&A deal activity. Despite these headwinds, other significant drivers of M&A activity (including stabilization in the capital markets since the 2008 crisis, the low cost of debt capital, large amounts of deployable cash held by strategic and private equity acquirers) have never been more favorable. Our panel of experienced M&A deal lawyers discuss recent trends in the M&A marketplace, developments in key deal points and common “pinch points” in the dealmaking process and will offer practical tips for the M&A dealmaker tasked with getting the deal done amid uncertainty.
Resources: Download Full Set of Materials
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Five by Five: Top Strategies for Reducing Employment Litigation in a Difficult Economy
Speakers: Dionne Blake, Group Manager and Senior Counsel, Employee Relations, Target Corporation; Andrew P. Coffey, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, NCS Pearson, Inc.; Christine L. Meuers, Deputy General Counsel, Wells Fargo & Company;
Mandana Massoumi and Melissa Raphan, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Description: What are the top ways to prevent and reduce employment litigation in a difficult economy? A group of five labor and employment veterans offer their top five suggestions. Don’t miss this rapid-fire discussion of the hottest labor and employment topics of today, including:
- Class Action Waiver Agreements: Pros and cons of alternative dispute resolution and arbitration agreements after AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion.
- Department of Labor and Enforcement Update: Strategy and feedback in responding to government audits and charges.
- Staying Ahead of the Whistle: Preventive practices to reducing whistleblower and retaliation claims.
- Cooling the Hotbed of Wage-and-Hour Litigation: Trends and strategies in preventing and defeating class certification motions in light of Wal-Mart v. Dukes.
- Dealing with the e-Workplace: Internet security, privacy and social media policies, and the hot button NLRA issues (for union and non-union employers).
Resources: Download Full Set of Materials
- Panel PowerPoint
- Mandana Massoumi, Enforceability of Class Action Waivers Post-Concepcion, Dorsey & Whitney LLP (October 30, 2012)
- Melissa Raphan and Jennifer Cornell, Department of Labor and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Enforcement Update: Strategy in Responding to Government Audits and EEOC Activity, Dorsey & Whitney LLP (October 30, 2012)
- Melissa Raphan and Jennifer Cornell, Staying Ahead of the Whistle: Preventive Practices to Reducing Whistleblower and Retaliation Claims, Dorsey & Whitney LLP (October 30, 2012)
- Mandana Massoumi and Cherise S. Latortue, Life After Brinker: The California Supreme Court’s Decision in Brinker and Recent Decisions That Have Followed, Dorsey & Whitney LLP (October 30, 2012)
- Melissa Raphan and Jennifer Cornell, Dealing with the e-Workplace: Internet Security, Privacy and Social Media Policies, and the Hot Button National Labor Relations Act Issues (for Union and Non-Union Employers), Dorsey & Whitney LLP (October 30, 2012)
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Beyond November 6: What’s Next in Government Regulation?
Speakers: Thad C. Johnson, Chief Legal Officer, UnitedHealthcare Inc.;
Scott M. Wilensky, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Xcel Energy Inc.;
Leslie J. Anderson, B. Andrew Brown and L. Joseph Genereux, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Description: Government regulation of the energy, health care and financial services industries has been a hotly contested part of the debates leading to the 2012 election. Whatever the outcome on November 6, regulation will remain part of the business environment, but the shape of that regulation could vary dramatically in the future depending on who wins. Attorneys who work in energy, health care and financial services will explore what’s happening in their industries, what the upcoming election may do to change what’s happening and what it all might mean for your business.
Resources: Download Full Set of Materials
- Leslie Anderson, Jessica Forbes Olson, Tim Goodman and Jordan Martell, Health Care Reform – Approaching Deadlines & Decisions – 2012, 2013, 2014 PowerPoint, Dorsey & Whitney LLP (October 2012)
- On the Horizon: Health Reform Changes for Fully Insured Large Group Employers, UnitedHealthcare (September 6, 2012)
- On the Horizon: Health Reform Changes for Fully Insured Small Group Employers, UnitedHealthcare (September 6, 2012)
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Death, Taxes and M&A Litigation: How to Prepare for the Inevitable
Speakers: Keyna P. Skeffington, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary, Medtronic, Inc.; Peter W. Carter, Michelle S. Grant and Matthew J. Knopf, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Description: Today nearly every public company M&A transaction finds itself subjected to litigation alleging insufficient board process, inadequate disclosure, too low a price or other defects. Often the lawsuits are brought in multiple jurisdictions, and in almost all cases the plaintiffs seek to enjoin the transaction. A panel of experienced M&A deal and trial lawyers will provide an overview of the latest developments in the law, explain how recent Delaware case law has impacted the way deals are done and provide practical tips about what to do when your board or company is subjected to such a claim. Some call it greenmail, others call it justice for shareholders; whatever your perspective, be ready for what appears to be inevitable.
Resources: Download Full Set of Materials
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Dodd-Frank – The Gift that Keeps on Giving: New SEC Disclosure Rules and Continuing Corporate Governance Issues for 2013
Speakers: Trevor V. Gunderson, Deputy General Counsel, General Mills, Inc.;
Lee R. Mitau, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, U.S. Bancorp; Robert A. Rosenbaum and Amy L. Schneider, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Description: Although the SEC has fallen so far behind on its Dodd-Frank rulemaking that it scrapped its calendar earlier this year, it has recently adopted significant disclosure rules, and practitioners are still expecting to see a raft of new rulemaking, that will perplex disclosure lawyers and delight law professors. In addition, Year Two of proxy access “private ordering” and Year Three of Say-on-Pay promise to keep corporate secretaries up at night once again. A panel of disclosure and governance veterans explore these topics and more to help you prepare for another wild-and-woolly year in corporate governance.
Resources: Download Full Set of Materials
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Stranger in a Strange Land: Managing Legal Risks in Global Operations
Speakers: David A. Robertson, Assistant Vice President, North America Deputy General Counsel, Cargill, Incorporated; James M. Zappa, Associate General Counsel, International Operations, 3M Company; C. Christopher Bercaw, Kenneth K. Kwok and Tim Maloney, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Description: As businesses grow internationally, in-house counsel are charged with managing legal risks in foreign jurisdictions. A lively panel, including senior counsel from two of Minnesota’s largest multinational companies, will share insights on identifying commercial and compliance risks around the world, responding to unpleasant surprises and effectively utilizing internal and external legal resources to minimize risk and manage troubles abroad.
Resources: Download Full Set of Materials
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Facebook Forensics: Social Media in the Workplace and the Courtroom
Speakers: Daniel S. Goldman, Legal Counsel, Mayo Clinic; Mary B. Thomas, Senior Director, Legal, Best Buy Enterprise Services, Inc.; Douglas R. Christensen and Marilyn Clark, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Description: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, blogs and other forms of social media have become an important part of marketing and brand development for many businesses and a pervasive presence in the workplace. Social media use in business and the workplace can, however, give rise to legal issues ranging from privacy, to intellectual property, to content ownership, to employment and to regulatory compliance. Social media has also become a routine part of electronic discovery and evidence in court. This panel will discuss strategies for navigating the legal risks of social media and for dealing with social media in litigation.
Resources: Download Full Set of Materials