Conference programme Day One: Tuesday 15 September
09:30 Chairman’s welcome
Jeremy
Barton, general counsel & head of risk management, The Boston
Consulting Group. Hear Jeremy introduce this year's Corporate Counsel Forum
Europe >>
View
the video
09:40 Managing the fallout: Impact of the macro economy on the micro
corporate world
Reality has bitten and the corporate world is changing beyond levels
previously envisaged, so what is the likely impact on European business and what
factors will emerge as the key economic trends impacting the work of in-house
counsel? Gain a concise future perspective from one of the leading economists on
how current market conditions will develop over the forthcoming year.
Dennis Turner, chief economist, HSBC
10:15 Keynote: Are you delivering the results and meeting the needs
of the board?
The deep-rooted nature of the current global economic crash has intensified the
pressure on in-house legal teams to offer increased added value on a smaller
cost base. Such demands have increased the momentum of change in the role of
in-house counsel including more emphasis on corporate governance and risk. Join
one of the most respected business leaders in Europe as he explains the
requirements of today’s boardroom on corporate counsel as a legal guardian and
business leader.
Peter Kurer, former chairman, UBS
10:55 Panel session: Are law firms doing enough to help you deliver
on business demands?
In the current climate, in-house counsel are going to be scrutinising
the return on investment of all work sent out to external counsel. Now more than
ever, both in-house and external counsel need to work closely as a team, have a
full appreciation of each other’s role and understand the business context
around any given transaction in order to foster a symbiotic relationship. Join
senior figures from both sides of the fence as they debate the evolving
relationship between in-house and external counsel.
Chair: Jeremy Barton, general counsel & head of risk
management, The Boston Consulting Group
William Downs, international department head, corporate
strategy & finance, Hammonds
Richard Given, director, legal - emerging markets, CISCO
Alison Hampton, general counsel, Hg Capital
Michael T. Williams, executive vice president & general
counsel, Sony Electronics
11:40 Morning coffee
12:00 Interactive focus group sessions
A) Strategic management: alternative billing methods to establish
clear parameters and transparency
The pressure on corporate legal departments to reduce costs has led to increased
scrutiny over billing structures and prompted extensive panel reviews. Has the
time run out for the traditional billing structures in this new and demanding
buyers’ market? If so, how do you review your budget and restructure your
billing systems to reduce your external counsel cost base? Hear from senior
counsel on the challenges and best practice methods of curbing external legal
costs.
Christopher Barnard, general counsel EMEA, Coca-Cola
Ian Leedham, senior counsel – commercial, National Grid Legal
Services
Jerome Raguin, territory manager - EMEA, DataCert Europe
B) Risk management: Financial services - Meeting the call for tighter financial
services regulation - is it going to be effective?
In view of the high number of financial failures in the past year and the
introduction of MiFID, further regulation in the financial services market is
more a case of when than if. Whether you work in banking, private equity or
hedge funds, your role as in-house counsel will gain increasing emphasis towards
advising on these new acts of regulation and ensuring compliance. Hear senior
representatives from financial institutions and regulators outline the likely
shape of EU and national reform to give you a head start on structuring your
corporate governance approach.
Michael Ellis, director and associate general counsel, GlobeOp
Peter Kurer, former chairman, UBS
Jérôme Herbet, partner, Winston & Strawn
C) Strategic management: Exploring the challenges and benefits of
alternative sourcing models of legal processes
In an attempt to curb the cost of external counsel, companies are
increasingly looking to expand their offshore legal function in countries such
as India and Latin America. How do you know if offshoring is right for your
business? What work is suitable for contracting out? And, how do you get the
most from an offshore legal strategy? Gain answers to these questions and more
in this topical and interactive session.
Leah Cooper, managing attorney, Rio Tinto
Jack Diggle, partner, OMC Partners
Richard Hennity, head of legal – group counsel, HSBC
13:15 Lunch
14:30 Interactive focus group sessions
A) Strategic management: Defining a vision statement that inspires
department success and permeates corporate culture
To get a clear idea of what needs to be achieved in the present it is critical
to have a solid focus on future goals. As in-house teams are looking to form a
strategic alliance with the businesses, the effectiveness of such moves will be
determined by clear definition of a vision statement.
Jeremy Barton, general counsel & head of risk management,
The Boston Consulting Group
Jeremy Evans, general counsel (acting), Streamserve
B) Risk management: Permeating anti-corruption ethics through your
business culture
It is widely believed that in harsh economic climates, acts of corruption become
more prevalent. As employees are under more pressure to hit business targets it
is the role of in-house counsel to make sure checks and balances are in place
and anti-corruption ethics are clearly communicated as part of the business
culture. Join leading general counsel as they explore the critical success
factors of mitigating the risk of corruption at all levels of a business.
Richard Hennity, head of legal – group counsel, HSBC
David Stulb, head of fraud investigations, Ernst & Young
Robert Amsterdam, founding partner, Amsterdam & Peroff
C) People management: Expanding team competencies to bring more work
in-house whilst optimising staffing levels
In an attempt to reduce external legal costs, many in-house teams are
looking to expand the amount and type of work they are handling. This focus
group will look into the various methods of expanding a team’s competencies and
aligning them with the immediate needs of your organisation.
Christopher Barnard, general counsel EMEA, Coca-Cola
15:45 Afternoon tea
16:00 Panel session: Lessons from the frontline - the role of
in-house counsel when crisis hits
Since the Lehman Brothers weekend, crisis has been an increasingly real prospect
for many corporate entities around the world. Some companies have made it
through and others have failed, but when crisis hits, what role does the legal
department play and what are the key priorities that will provide optimum value
for the company as a whole? Hear from this unique selection of general counsel
as they draw on the power of hindsight to identify best practice in crisis
handling and risk management.
Chair: John Malpas, editor-in-chief, Legal Week
Ian Jameson, managing director & european corporate
counsel, Lehman Brothers
Michael T. Williams, executive vice president & general
counsel, Sony Electronics
Jeremy Barton, general counsel & head of risk management,
The Boston Consulting Group
17:00 Keynote: Leading a winning team through an adverse business
climate
Thomas Werlen, general counsel, Novartis
17:30 Chair’s closing comments
17:45 End of day one
19:30 Drinks reception
