Securities Law Institute Looks at Board Governance

CHICAGO --- Board oversight and dealing with shareholders in a changing governance environment are among the key topics to be covered during the 30th Annual Ray Garrett Jr. Corporate and Securities Law Institute, held Thursday and Friday, April 29 and 30, at Northwestern University School of Law, 375 E. Chicago Ave., Thorne Auditorium.

Led by top corporate law practitioners, this year's institute includes perspectives from board members, in-house and private-practice attorneys, and regulators about the ever-changing developments in the current legal and regulatory environment.

Board members from publicly held companies, including Sara Lee Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp. and Comverse Technology, Inc., will participate in panels analyzing executive compensation and risk management. The hypothetical boardroom counseling session, "Risk Management - What is a Board to Do?" features two independent directors and will be held at noon Friday, April 30.

Last year's popular mock trial returns with Stephen Lamb, (retired) vice chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery. Arguments will be heard in a preliminary injunction setting addressing the (ir)relevance of Revlon, post-Lyondell. Litigators, William Savitt of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, and Gregory P. Williams of Richards, Layton & Finger, will participate at 2:45 p.m. Thursday, April 29.

Meredith B. Cross, director of the division of corporation finance at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), will participate in a conversation at 8:45 a.m. Friday, April 30, on current activities within the division, including the asset-backed securities rule proposals, the proxy disclosure enhancements rulemaking and other proxy initiatives. 

"Considering the ever-changing climate of regulatory reform and increasing activity in the markets, it's imperative for practicing attorneys to stay attuned to current developments," said Claudia H. Allen, institute chair and partner at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP. "The Garrett Institute provides the optimal environment to hear directly from those who are influencing these developments." 

Other issues that will be addressed at the Ray Garrett Jr. Corporate and Securities Law Institute include counseling the board on shareholder activism, mergers and acquisitions, disclosure and more; the capital markets today; financing and the return of the equity market; securities litigation update; and regulatory reform and its implications for existing business models.

For more information, including a complete schedule, registration instructions and continuing legal education (CLE) information, visit http://www.law.northwestern.edu/garrett/.

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