The Massachusetts Bar Association will be holding its 13th
Annual In-House Counsel Conference on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 9
a.m.-1 p.m., at the Westin in Waltham. As with prior conferences,
this year's conference will feature several high-level speakers on
topics critical to in-house counsel.
The theme for the 2015 conference is "Managing Growth in
Changing Times." In-house counsel must adapt to various challenges
that arise from growth in operations, new business risks and
changes in the regulatory environment. In addition, in-house
counselors are expected to anticipate problems, influence company
policies and effectively manage risk, frequently with limited
resources.
This year's conference will open with remarks from Judge Timothy
S. Hillman of the United States District Court for the District of
Massachusetts. The keynote address will be delivered by Peter
Macdonald, executive vice president and general counsel of
loanDepot.com LLC.
The In-House Counsel Conference will include a panel discussion
regarding data security and management of cybersecurity risks.
Panelists will include Stephen Cesso, U.S. general counsel of
Computershare; and Jonathan Miller, chief of Public Protection
& Advocacy Bureau, Office of the Massachusetts Attorney
General. Conference co-chair James C. Donnelly Jr. of Mirick,
O'Connell, DeMallie & Lougee LLP, will moderate the panel
discussion.
Conference co-chair Robert Kerwin, chief legal officer of
Mortgage Master, will moderate a panel discussion regarding
controlling litigation and other outside legal costs. This panel
will feature Douglas Denny-Brown, general counsel and director of
Regulatory Affairs of Mint Energy; J. Christopher Collins, former
senior vice president and general counsel, Unum U.S.; and Deborah
Gray, general counsel of The Achievement Network.
There will also be a panel discussion, moderated by conference
co-chair David Parke, regarding effective contract management by
in-house counsel. This will include determining what is market in
standard commercial contracts. We are fortunate to have as
panelists Jack Healy, vice president of PerkinElmer; Doug
Denny-Brown; and Charles J. Gray, vice president and general
counsel of Teradyne Inc.
Finally, there will be a presentation on the important topic of
the Massachusetts independent contractor standards and related
wage-hour issues. Robert Kilroy of Mirick, O'Connell, DeMallie
& Lougee LLP and Jonathan T. Mann, vice president and general
counsel of the Eliassen Group will make that presentation.
This year's full agenda promises to continue a tradition of
providing, in a half-day conference, a wealth of valuable
information that is responsive to in-house counsel's needs. Please
plan to arrive early, and stay after the conference for a
complimentary lunch, to meet and network with fellow in-house
counsel.