Law Firm Roundtables

Focus on International Risk Management

Date: November 18, 2008
Location: New York
Time: 9am - 11am

The practice of law is increasingly an international affair. Several US-based firms are looking at overseas expansion and business development as an opportunity for growth. However, as firms work across borders they face new risk and compliance challenges tied to information management, including a variety of jurisdictional rules, government regulations and cultural considerations.

Confronting these issues presents new uncertainties and risks. For example, in various UK jurisdictions, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has significantly greater responsibility and authority over law firm information management than its US counterpart, including firm audit rights it is increasingly exercising.

This session will provide law firm General Counsel, Loss Prevention and Risk stakeholders with an overview of key issues relating to information management that they should understand and plan for as their firms practice law internationally.

The roundtable format will also provide an opportunity for peer interaction, education and discussion.

Topics covered will include several jurisdictional concerns as well as regulatory requirements firms may need to address in Europe and other key geographies, such as:

• Market Abuse regulatory requirements for price-sensitive matters
• Data privacy
• Client confidentiality and information barriers
• Professional ethics standards
• Matter inception and conflicts rule

The Roundtable will feature a presentation by Sam Suri. Sam is the director of It Matters Consulting, an international consultancy based in the UK, and has worked with top global firms to address information management, risk and compliance challenges. She has participated in several industry initiatives, including the development of electronic information management best practices and standards, working on behalf of the LITIG (the Legal IT Innovators Group), in collaboration with the Law Society of England & Wales and the English Bar Council. Prior to establishing It Matters Consulting, Sam was a corporate attorney at Allen & Overy LLP.

Law Firm Roundtables

Firm Growth and Risk Management – Mergers, Lateral Hire and Expansion

Locations: Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC

If your firm is pursuing a growth strategy, it’s facing a number of risks. Some are fundamentally strategic -- is growth the best way to achieve desired gains in capability, efficiency or profitability? Others are operational -- what issues jeopardize successful expansion and how can the organization address them?

No matter the scale of expansion, poor risk management can significantly impact firm performance, attorney productivity, and client satisfaction and retention.

This session will explore practical approaches for identifying and managing operational risks as firms grow. It will include case studies, insider perspectives, and best practices developed by top-ranked firms, including insights collected from risk professionals responsible for six of the largest mergers in 2007.

These Session Will Explore Topics Including:

• Conflicts: Streamlining conflicts identification, management and clearing during mergers and major lateral hire initiatives
  
  
• Clients: Managing client expectations and service experience amidst changing firm composition
  
  
• Confidentiality: Protecting confidential information as new resources join (or leave) the firm
  
  
• People: Accelerating productivity and avoiding poor impressions when bringing on lateral resources

Are your law firms taking sufficient steps to protect your sensitive business information? In recent years, several high-profile disclosures, data leaks and ethical slips have highlighted gaps in current law firm confidentiality practices. Such incidents not only cost firms dearly, they also expose clients to significant risk and expense. Increasingly, corporate law departments are mandating specific confidentiality controls and auditability standards they expect firms to adhere to — a model of "trust but verify."

This seminar will explore current state-of-the-art and evolving best practices in law firm confidentiality management. Corporate law department leaders will discuss requirements their organizations are incorporating into outside counsel guidelines, RFPs and engagement letters. Industry risk management experts will also explore practices clients should expect firms to adopt to better protect their information and interests. They'll also provide practical guidelines and a roadmap for engaging firms on this important subject. 

By the end of the session, you’ll have a clear understanding of the state of the industry on this increasingly important topic as well as materials that you can take back to your organization and incorporate into your business relationships with outside counsel.

Kelley Young
Managing Director,
Bear Stearns

Michael Guernon
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Nancy Beauchemin
President,
InOutsource, LLC

John Hall
CEO,
IntApp, Inc.

Richard May
Managing Director,
Marsh

Nancy Beauchemin
President,
IntOutsource, LLC

John Hall,
CEO,
IntApp, Inc.