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Testing 1-2-3: Get an In-House Ethics Tune-Up 


Speakers:
  Holly S. A. Eng, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Cargill, Incorporated; Ann Curme Shaw, Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Ethics Officer, Ceridian Corporation; Kristina L. Carlson and Kenneth L. Jorgensen, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Description:  Take the in-house counsel ethics exam and answer multiple choice ethics questions relating to house counsel issues under timed "bar exam-like" conditions. Our diverse and expert panel won't make you wait months for the results or the answers. Topics will include attorney-client privilege transfer upon sale or spin-off, disqualification of counsel in post-sale disputes, conflicts and disqualification relating to in-house counsel hiring and movement and much more.

Resources: Download full set of session materials


Duking It Out: Key Litigation Developments in 2011

Speakers: David R. Garfield, Deputy General Counsel, Wells Fargo & Company; Lori J. Marco, Vice President of External Affairs and General Counsel, Hormel Foods Corporation; Stephen P. Lucke, Heather D. Redmond and Steven J. Wells, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Description: From Dukes to Concepcion, the U.S. Supreme Court has produced one game-changer after another in the last year! These and other key decisions may have a significant impact not only on your company's litigation strategy but also on its business strategy. Courtroom and appellate veterans discuss the 2011 developments that are reshaping the future of business litigation and reveal what you should be doing NOW to protect your company as the rules of engagement evolve.

Resources: Download full set of session materials    


The State of Capital Markets: Should Issuers and Investors Take the Plunge?

Speakers: Neil A. Riley, Managing Director, Equity Capital Markets, Piper Jaffray & Co.; W. Jefferson Stuart, Executive Vice President and Head of Capital Markets, U.S. Bank; Jonathan B. Abram and Steven Khadavi, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Description: The recent turmoil in the capital markets has taken a toll on issuers, investment banks and investors. Dealmakers are extremely concerned about the future. Are the markets on the road to recovery or to a “double-dip” downturn? Enter the minds of experienced bankers and deal lawyers as they explore recent developments in the capital markets and share their thoughts about what the future holds.

Resources: Download full set of session materials


The New Frontier: Strategic Acquisitions and Divestitures 2011

Speakers: Eric Halverson, Corporate Counsel - Mergers & Acquisitions, Best Buy Enterprise Services, Inc.; Thad C. Johnson, General Counsel, UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual; Matthew J. Knopf, John Marsalek and Taiesha McBroom, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Description: A panel of experienced M&A practitioners focus on the increasingly robust area of strategic M&A, both acquisition-side and divestiture-side, reviewing current trends in valuation, diligence and documentation and pitfalls for the unwary in times of economic and regulatory uncertainty. Discussion will cover special issues in some of the most active industry sectors, including healthcare, software and cloud computing.

Resources: Download full set of session materials

Employees Gone Wild!

Speakers: Christine N. Esckilsen, Assistant General Counsel and Managing Director, Piper Jaffray & Co.; David J. Lauth, Senior Associate General Counsel, Employment Law, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated; Paul G. Omodt, Vice President, Crisis and Critical Issues, Government Affairs and Media Relations, Padilla Speer Beardsley; Zachary W. Carter and Roy A. Ginsburg, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Description: Employees, from the most junior to the CEO, occasionally act unpredictably, imprudently and bizarrely. When employees' antics make news, immediate personnel actions may be warranted and criminal prosecution may result. In certain situations, employee conduct may affect a company's stock price or even jeopardize its existence. An interdisciplinary panel examines eight real-life situations where employees' actions have created serious employment, criminal and public relations problems. Learn from the mistakes of others!

Resources: Download full set of session materials


Making the Right Moves: Winning Strategies in Parallel Investigations 

Speakers: Jean F. Holloway, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, CVG, Medtronic, Inc.; Theresa M. Bevilacqua, Thomas O. Gorman and William Michael, Jr., Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Description: Parallel investigations by the Department of Justice and agencies like the SEC, EPA and FDA are like 3D chess matches for companies. One false move can have dire consequences on multiple levels. A panel of grand masters explains the best defensive moves, from openings to endgames, when your company is being double-teamed.

Resources: Download full set of session materials


The Hangover Part III: Proxy Access, Say-on-Pay and What Else to Expect in 2012 Corporate Governance 

Speakers: Lisa Beth Lentini, Senior Corporate Counsel and Assistant Secretary, Best Buy Co., 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: Corporate America has survived, with a few front teeth missing, the first year of the Dodd-Frank-inspired changes to corporate governance. While the SEC woke up in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals with a black eye over the failed rulemaking, commentators believe that activists and institutional investors are far from throwing in the towel on proxy access. The issue of corporate political contributions, among others, is also expected to pick up steam in 2012. A panel of corporate governance veterans discuss what to expect in the coming year and what public companies should be doing now to anticipate those challenges.

Resources: Download full set of session materials


The Path to "Wealth" 發 and "Double Joy" 囍 : Eight Contract Clauses That Will Help Protect You in the PRC and the EU 

Speakers: Timothy A. Beastrom, Deputy General Counsel - Corporate, The Valspar Corporation; Ann Marie Hanrahan, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Compliance and Business Conduct, 3M Company; Peter Corne, Frances P. Doherty and Paul B. Klaas, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Description: Legal and regulatory developments in China, Europe and elsewhere present perils to U.S. businesses abroad. Some are unavoidable, but some can be averted or minimized by contract. On this panel, in-house counsel from multi-national corporations headquartered in Minnesota with long and varied experience overseas, along with Dorsey partners from Shanghai, London and Minneapolis, identify eight perils and recommend eight contract clauses to deal with those perils.

Resources: Download full set of session materials


Arms Around the Tempest: E-discovery, Cost Control and Legal Project Management 

Speakers: Kim J. Myrdahl, Vice President, Litigation, Regulatory and Compliance, SUPERVALU INC.; Peter H. Walsh, Senior Deputy General Counsel – Chief Litigation Counsel, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated; Shari L. J. Aberle, Caroline B. Sweeney and Thomas P. Swigert, Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Description: As the winds of e-discovery continue to change the litigation landscape, companies are left to struggle with inconsistent legal standards across jurisdictions and mounting costs associated with trying to comply with the most stringent requirements. Experienced e-discovery and project management counsel discuss the latest trends in e-discovery law, how those trends affect the bottom-line in a company's litigation budget and project management techniques for effectively and efficiently getting your arms around this increasingly expensive part of the case.

Resources: Download full set of session materials