West Virginia CLE Course Catalog

As the courts reopen and in-house counsel reevaluate their caseloads, we will take a look at what legal departments have been experiencing on the litigation front in terms of “old” as well as newly-brought cases.

During this discussion, a panel of experts will share their views on the difficult decisions that in-house, especially general counsel, face as they weigh the cons and pros of whether and when a dispute is better suited for public litigation or private arbitration. Additionally, they will provide tips on what factors, in their experience, tend to sway the decision-making process one way or another.

The SEC’s action of re-instituting the delegation of investigative enforcement authorities signals the potential for an uptick in both investigations and enforcement actions.

As legal departments around the country look to develop more inclusive work environments, the question becomes how to maintain the momentum so that the initiatives of today elicit positive change in the generations to come. The discussion will center around avoiding pitfalls and fatigue when developing effective and lawful DEI programs as well as how to operationalize these diversity efforts.

There is a growing need for legal professionals to simplify the complexities of their contract management. In particular, the desire to speed up contracting while better managing contractual risks and also freeing up invaluable to focus on higher-value, strategic work. This way, they can provide better risk guidance to steer important business decisions and ultimately drive revenue growth.

In the face of considerable cultural shifts and changing political landscapes spurring civil unrest, activist movements, etc., many companies are beginning to feel that it is expected of them to fortify their corporate citizenship status by making a stand. Additionally, it is expected of them to make good on that stand by changing their own internal culture and if needed, the way they do business. It then becomes a question from where within a company should these changes originate and who/which department should be responsible for implementing those changes?

Even though Special Purpose Acquisition Companies have existed for years, their utilization in the recent years has taken the M&A world by storm. Our experts will explain what they are and the use behind them.

The volatility of the last year has been felt especially hard for those in labor and employment. Navigating the tricky landscape of labor & employment regulations can feel especially challenging with a changing workplace.

As countries around the world develop and others tighten already existing privacy guidelines, in-house counsel will need to quickly adapt and be clear on how all that activity impacts their particular business. In this session, the panel will discuss the most important data privacy regulations regulations and initiatives.