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CHICAGO, April 12, 2006 -- Business leaders will gather May 11 - 13 in New York City to discuss how changes in the legal landscape have affected the behavior of corporate boards and management, responsibilities of general counsel, litigation risk and exposure, profitability, internal controls and executive compensation decisions. Attendees will hear from experts who will examine national and international trends and challenges, and will focus on ways to foster a meaningful dialogue among directors, executives, insurance professionals, accountants, regulators and politicians.
“BEYOND LEGAL: A Business Approach to Corporate Governance,” presented by the American Bar Association Section of Tort Trial & Insurance Practice, will be held at Le Parker Meridien Hotel.
Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell, chairman of the board of the Walt Disney Company, will be the featured speaker at a luncheon on May 12.
On May 11, three panels will examine a wide range of issues and challenges facing corporations in the new business environment being created in the wake of new corporate guidelines, regulations and legislation.
The panels are:
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Bad Data – Bad Decisions – The Adequacy and Accuracy of Information Flow to the Board - Panelists Richard Dicerni, former corporate secretary and president of Ontario Power Generation; Geraldine Ferraro, senior managing director of the Global Consulting Group; John P. Manley, P.C., former deputy prime minister and minister of finance of Canada; and Ernest Rubenstein, managing director of Carl Marks & Co, Inc., will focus on the information boards need to make decisions and the downside of not having complete or accurate information.
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Corporate Governance: Preventive Medicine or Placebo? Speakers will examine how governance interacts with litigation, and how good governance can limit exposure. Addressing these complex issues will be Eric Talley, USC Law School and Marshall School of Business Ivadell and Theodore Johnson Professor of Law and Business; George Dallas, managing director and global practice leader of Standard & Poors Governance Services Unit, London; Donald Langevoort, Thomas Aquinas Reynolds Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law School; Nell Minow, The Corporate Library, and editor in chief of Board Analyst; and Patrick McGurn, executive vice president, Institutional Shareholders Services.
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Internal Controls: Are There Holes in Your SOX? Panelists will examine internal controls that have been implemented to meet regulatory and legal demands and the role of auditors. For a view of what is working and what is not, attendees will hear from Jeffrey Brodsky, co-founder and managing director of Quest Turnaround Advisors LLC, chairman, president and CEO of PTV, Inc., non executive chairman of the board of AboveNet, Inc., and chair of the AboveNet, Inc. Audit Committee; Douglas Lankler, Pfizer, Inc.; and Daniel V. Dooley, partner, Dispute Analysis & Investigations and Miles Everson, partner, Governance Risk & Compliance, both at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
On May 13 two sessions will focus on executive compensation and corporate culture and emerging issues.
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Does the Top Set the Tone?: Executive Compensation and Corporate Culture. With recent public focus on the compensation packages of corporate executives, this session promises to provide a thorough analysis of severance and compensation packages, the legal duties of directors and best practices for corporate governance. Through examination of a hypothetical case, panelists will offer insight into research and focus on the impact of compensation structures, performance, corporate structure and corporate governance. Speaking will be Wayne Brody, chief compliance officer and vice president for legal affairs, Arrow Electronics; Professor Ying Li, Baruch College of the City University of New York; Alan Rudnick, program chair, The Conference Board Directors’ Institute; and Professor Eric Talley.
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Looking to the Future: Emerging Issues in Corporate Governance. Panelists will examine where corporate governance is headed and what business leaders can do and expect. Speakers include Martin D. Payson, former vice-president and board member, Time Warner, Inc., former president and general counsel, Time Warner Communications, Inc., and member of a number of corporate boards; Ernest Rubenstein; and Raymond S. Troubh, former chairman of Enron Corporation who was named Director of the Year by the National Association of Corporate Directors.
A full brochure for the meeting, including a list of speakers, can be found at www.abanet.org/tips/corpgovern/home.html.
The ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section is the only national professional group to bring together plaintiffs’ lawyers, defense lawyers and insurance and corporate counsel for the exchange of information and ideas. The section has more than 36,000 members and 34 general committees that focus on substantive and procedural matters in areas including aviation and space law, fidelity and surety law, medical malpractice, transportation law and others.
With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law in a democratic society.
Editors Note: Reporters are invited to cover sessions at the TIPS corporate governance meeting free of charge. Media credentials can be obtained by contacting Deborah Weixl, ABA Division for Media Relations and Communication Services, at 312/988-6126 or e-mail weixld@staff.abanet.org.
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