May 8-9, 2008
Sheraton New York
Hotel and Towers
New York, NY

 

CLE

KICK-OFF SPEAKER: DENNIS W. ARCHER— THE MANY FACES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
You may know Dennis W. Archer for his governance experience as the former Mayor of Detroit, Chairman of Dickinson Wright PLLC or as President of the American and National Bar Associations. Mr. Archer is also significantly involved in corporate governance issues and currently serves on the boards of directors of three publicly traded corporations, Johnson Controls, Inc., Compuware Corp. and Masco Corp. where he has been a member of Nominating, Governance and Audit Committees. He will bring his unique perspective on corporate governance to our conference topics to ignite our discussions.

CORPORATE INVESTIGATIONS: DEAL OR NO DEAL—IS THERE REALLY A CHOICE?
Internal investigations present corporate executives, lawyers and regulators with complicated ethical, legal, and strategic decisions. How can these often competing interests be juggled without losing focus of a company’s business mission and duties owed to shareholders? Panel members with extensive SEC, general counsel and outside advisor experience will examine approaches for addressing these challenges including general counsel’s need for independence during an internal investigation while simultaneously keeping the board informed of constantly changing developments; how to satisfy the expectations of government regulators and possible responses to a regulator’s request that the corporation waive the attorney-client privilege.

DIVERSITY IN THE BOARDROOM
There is a growing body of research which correlates board diversity with best corporate governance practices and board and management diversity with superior economic performance. Our speakers are actively involved in conducting this research and educating businesses and board members as to the value of diverse boards. This is an opportunity to hear from the insiders on this issue and have access to information they are providing to corporate America.

IDENTIFYING, PREDICTING AND MINIMIZING SECURITIES LITIGATION RISK
While the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other measures sought to reform corporate governance, the conduct of various companies still falls along a spectrum of risk exposure. Unfortunately, the identity of companies that are at the greatest risk may only be apparent after problems arise. This panel examines whether there are tools available to identify the companies at risk before problems arise and whether there are practical steps that companies can take to reduce the likelihood of the companies’ involvement in securities litigation.

HOT TOPICS IN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: THE IMPACT OF SUBPRIME LENDING CRISIS AND STOCK OPTION BACKDATING
Options backdating problems and executive compensation concerns in general have ravaged the officer ranks of companies just as the subprime crisis is now ravaging the officer ranks of certain major financial institutions. Both subjects raise a host of corporate governance issues: adequacy of board oversight, management's risk analysis of the various business activities and propriety of executive compensation agreements. Our experienced panel will address these “hot topics” in corporate governance.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND THE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION: EVOLVING REGULATORY AND ACCOUNTABILITY DEVELOPMENTS WORLDWIDE
Many non-U.S. countries have enacted corporate governance laws, regulations applicable to securities transactions, and standards for more accountability for directors’ and officers’ conduct. This panel will address the different types of corporate governance laws and regulations internationally, the resulting exposure faced by companies and directors and officers in those nations, how large international companies are structuring their corporate governance and risk management activities, and the potential impact of such global changes on corporate governance and potential exposure to companies and directors and officers in the U.S.

ADVISING THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE: ARE “BEST PRACTICES” THE BEST PRACTICE TO FOLLOW?
Executive compensation decisions have become a focal point in the attacks on boards and the effectiveness of their corporate governance. Our experienced panel will discuss the challenges facing boards, compensation committees and those who advise them in this area of significant public scrutiny.

Hotel

Hotel Deadline: April 7, 2008
Advance Registration Deadline: April 25, 2008

For Reservations call 212-581-1000. A limited number of rooms have been blocked for program registrants of the TIPS 2008 Corporate Governance Program at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers for a hotel room rate of $309 single/double, plus 13.625% tax and a $3.50 per night surcharge. For reservations, please call the hotel directly at 212-581-1000. The room block will be held until exhausted or until Wednesday, April 7, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. (CST). After the meeting specified hotel deadline, reservations will be confirmed based on availability. Please refer to the TIPS 2008 Corporate Governance Program when calling the hotel to make reservations. Hotel check-in is 3:00 p.m. and checkout is 12:00 p.m. (noon). All reservations must be guaranteed by credit card or deposit check. Individuals with guaranteed reservations must cancel their reservations by 72 hours prior to the scheduled day of arrival to avoid a one-night cancellation charge.

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Registration

You can Register online or download the registration form in the brochure and mail, or fax to 312-988-6230 by April 25, 2008. The 2008 National Program on Corporate Governance will be held at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers. The registration fee includes admission to the program, course materials, continental breakfast, lunch, breaks, and welcome reception. If you wish to have your name appear on the pre-registration list distributed at the program, all registration forms must be received no later than the registration deadline of April 25, 2008. Registration reservations will be confirmed in writing within 10 business days.

Register Online Today!

* For questions regarding this program, please contact: Donald Quarles at 312-988-5708.

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