35th Annual Corporate Law Symposium

We are excited to announce the 35th Annual Corporate Law Center Symposium at Cincinnati Law! The event brings together scholars, senior in-house counsel, practitioners, alumni, and law students to exchange ideas, debate pressing issues, and share ongoing research and scholarship on current topics in corporate law.

This year, our spotlight will turn to Corporate Ethics and Compliance and feature exploration of critical issues and best practices in developing and maintaining effective compliance systems.  The opening address will be delivered by Neil Taylor '91, Director of the Corporate Law Center, who worked globally in corporate compliance for over 25 years.

Symposium Overview 

The Delaware Chancery Court issued its seminal decision, In re Caremark, in 1996.  The court stated that any rational corporate fiduciary would consider the federal organizational sentencing guidelines, which allowed for reduced penalties for corporations who had maintained an effective compliance plan. The case was widely considered a launch pad for the compliance industry, with intended and unintended consequences.  The symposium will explore many of those consequences with regard to anonymous reporting mechanisms as a requirement of an effective compliance plan, development of corporate policy in compliance and ethics, the value of the Caremark precedent in promoting good corporate governance in established companies, start-ups and in mergers and acquisitions, and best practices in creating and administering corporate ethics and compliance programs.

Agenda

8:00-9:00        Registration and Networking Breakfast

9:00-9:05        Introductions

9:05-10:00      Opening Address - Neil Taylor, Law '91, Director of the Corporate Law Center,                                        University of Cincinnati College of Law

10:00-11:00    Panel A: “Whistleblowing might be bad for Whistleblowers:  Is there a Better Way to                                have an Ethical Culture than Promoting Whistleblowing?” 
                       

                        Anne Lofaso, Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law
                        Louise Brock, former General Counsel, Labor & Employment, Bridgestone                                                Americas
                        Nicholas Gonzalez, SVP & Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, The Kroger Co.
                        Breck Weigel, Law '95, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
                        Scott Young, Partner, Thompson Hine

11:00-11:15    Break

11:15-12:15    Panel B: “The Efficacy of Zero Tolerance Policies: Is Adopting a Zero Tolerance Policy a                          Coherent Strategy?”  

                        Stephen Ewald, A&S ’91, Law ’94, General Counsel, MedpaceAmilcar Medina –                                        Compliance Manager, Nissan
                        Ben Glassman, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
                        Shawn Burton, GE Aerospace       

12:15-1:15      Lunch

1:15-2:15        Panel C: The Value of the Caremark Precedent in Light of Changing Conditions  

                        Kate Jackson, Associate Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law
                        Ronald Brown, UCBA '73, Bus '75, Ret. Chairman & CEO of Milacron Inc.
                        Kasey Ingram, Law '02, SVP, Compliance, General Counsel & Secretary, ISK Americas
                        Michael Moeddel, Law '02, Partner, Taft Law
                        David Willbrand, Law '96, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary, Pacaso, Inc.

2:15-2:30        Break

2:30-3:30        Panel D: What Works: Best Practices in the Creation and Administration of Corporate                           Ethics and Compliance Programs

                     Joseph Pitstick, Law '93, Director of Compliance and Business Integrity, Porsche                                     Financial Services 
                       Todd Haugh, Associate Professor of Business Law & Ethics, Indiana University
                       Patrick Hayes, Law '08, Partner, Calfee, Halter & Griswold
                       Bridget McGraw, Law '03, General Counsel, Technology & Operations, GE Aerospace
                       Megan Gaffney Painter, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs

3:30                Closing Remarks