Message from the Chair, Karl J. Ege

Those of you who regularly read this column know I have made repeated mention of the Section's top priority, maintaining relevance in the rapidly changing and challenging legal environment currently facing each of our 60,000 members around the world. Last month, at the Section's 2009 Midwinter Leadership Meeting, your Officers and Council approved a series of initiatives designed to enhance our relevance, and I'll share with you the directions in which we are headed.

Furthering the recommendations contained in the Strategic Plan adopted last year, in August the Section established a new Committee on Content and appointed Scott Ludwig of Birmingham, Alabama (Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP) as the Section's first Content Officer. During the last five months, Scott and his hard-working committee have been meeting regularly to develop a comprehensive Content Delivery Plan that is focused on distributing to our members our Section's rich and valuable content in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. A full report on the plan will be delivered at our Council Meeting in April, with implementation beginning shortly thereafter. I am delighted that the Committee has acted promptly and deliberately to address this most important issue.

The Section's leadership is committed to updating annually the Section's Business Plan. I am pleased to report that the Council Committee on Strategic Planning ably chaired by the Section's Chair-Elect, Nat Doliner of Tampa, Florida (Carlton Fields PA) has been meeting regularly as well and will also be presenting the 2009-2010 Section Business Plan to the Council for consideration and approval in April.

Last fall, the Section's leadership determined that it was important to create a task force of experienced lawyers to focus on the trends that are emerging in the practice and to recommend to the Section's leaders possible changes in or additions to the Section's existing committee structure to ensure that the Section's organization reflects the dynamic changes in the legal marketplace in which business lawyers operate. A Task Force on Emerging Trends was created, chaired by Bruce Mann of San Francisco, California (Morrison & Foerster) a long-time Section leader with a keen eye for the rapidly changing legal landscape. Bruce and his Task Force have recommended a number of action steps for the Officers and Council to consider. First and foremost, the Task Force has urged the Section to create a series of moderated discussion groups open to all Section members and focused on specific topics of current interest. The ABA is currently working to install the appropriate technology to support these on-line discussion groups. We expect the first of what will eventually be several such groups, a Discussion Group on TARP (the Troubled Asset Relief Program) to be on-line within the next few weeks. Other discussion groups covering a wide range of topics will follow in due course. I am delighted that the Section will be offering collaborative tools that will enable our members to share important information and best practices on topics of current interest to their clients. In addition to creating a variety of topic-specific discussion groups, the Section is considering the formation of a new committee focusing on the issues addressed by those lawyers who are engaged in government affairs practice at either the federal, state or local level, as well as a new committee focused on the issues confronting those lawyers who represent institutional investors either as in-house or as outside counsel. You will hear more about these and other new developments from the Section as the year unfolds.

As reported last month, the Section remains committed to its global business initiatives and has finalized arrangements for its second Global Business Law Forum, which will be held this year in Hong Kong from June 10-12, 2009. We are delighted that the Inter-Pacific Bar Association has agreed to co-sponsor the Hong Kong Forum. Representatives of the IPBA have been regularly involved in the planning of the Hong Kong programs, and we are confident that business lawyers from throughout the Pacific Rim will find the Hong Kong Forum to be an excellent opportunity to gain insight into the key legal issues facing clients in today's dynamic and challenging global business environment. Click here to view the meeting Web site, download the brochure, register, or send meeting information to your colleagues.

Our Section 2009 Spring Meeting will be held in Vancouver, Canada from April 16 - 18 at the newly completed Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Center. This superb facility is capable of accommodating all of our meeting activities, and is adjacent to our three meeting hotels, the Fairmont Waterfront, the Pan Pacific, and the Marriott Pinnacle. I urge each of you to attend what will be a truly memorable meeting in Vancouver. The "Early Bird" deadline for reduced-fee registration ends February 27th. Visit the meeting Web site to register today.

Please feel free to contact me at kege@perkinscoie.com with your suggestions as to how we can continue to improve the Section's relevance to your practice.

Best wishes,