Top ACC Sessions for forward-thinking corporate counsel

If you’re interested in seeing what’s new in the legal tech marketplace and the benefits of integrating modern technology into your legal operations process, register for the upcoming ACC Annual Meeting. The world’s largest gathering of in-house counsel is set to take place from October 15th to 18th in Washington DC, and provides two and a half days of trailblazing education from legal thought leaders. Plus endless chatskis, happy hours, and demos from sponsors (like us!).

With so many sessions to choose from, we hand picked a few that forward-thinking corporate counsel won’t want to miss. And with legal operations having a dedicated curriculum track for the first time in ACC history, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to highlight a few sessions for the fast-growing role.

Sessions for Monday, October 16th

Session 101

Innovation in Client-firm Collaboration; Integrated Approaches that Improve Outcomes
Time: 10am to 11:30am

Speakers:
Urmila Paranjpe Baumann, Assistant General Counsel, Litigation Express Scripts
Brad Lundeen, Senior Corporate Attorney, Cabela’s Inc.
Jami Segota, SVP General Counsel and Secretary, Ricoh USA, Inc.
Mick Sheehy, General Counsel Finance, Technology, Innovation & Strategy, Telstra

Why Attend: One theme that’s becoming more common among the in-house community is the pressure to deliver more value with fewer resources and limited budget. To meet these demands, in-house departments must learn how to leverage technology to effectively manage law firms and gauge their performance for more controlled and predictable costs.

Session 201

Legal Operations Excellence; Combining Value Strategies to Control Costs and Improve Outcomes
Time: 11:45am to 1:15pm

Speakers:
Richard Dammery, Chief Legal Officer & Company Secretary, Woolworths Ltd.
Jessica DeBianchi Rivera, Vice President & Senior Counsel, Bankrate Inc.
Catherine Moynihan, Senior Director, Legal Management Services, Association of Corporate Counsel
Beth O’Callahan, Vice President, NetApp
Michael Tucker, General Counsel, Avis Budget Group

Why Attend: With GCs and executives placing more focus than ever on the legal operations role, it’s necessary to learn how the many strategies for controlling spend, specifically those leveraging technology, work together to achieve the right goals. This session is sure to provide actionable advice and quick tips to empower legal operations professionals to be as efficient and effective as possible.

BONUS: Session 410

Transformational Payment Services: How FinTech and New Payment Regulations are Impacting Transactions in Europe and Around the World
Time: 4:30pm – 6pm

Speakers:
Randi Adelstein, Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory Affairs, MasterCard
Scott McInnes, Partner, Bird & Bird LLP
Lupe Sampedro, Partner, Bird & Bird LLP
Crissy Solh, Product and Commercial Counsel, Square, Inc.

Why Attend: Slated to be an extremely helpful and informative session for global companies managing payments from around the world, this is our bonus session pick for corporate counsel. Getting information regarding how new regulations will shape the industry’s future and impact the way organizations do business will ensure your legal department has a jumpstart on navigating these new waters.

Sessions for Tuesday, October 17th

Session 506

What to Deploy Now: A Candid Discussion about the What, Where, When and How of Deploying Existing Technologies in Your Legal Department
Time: 9am to 10:30am

Speakers:
Stephanie Lambert, Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Staples, Inc.
Ravi Kiran Mamidanna, ILO Operations Director & Senior Counsel, Abbott Laboratories
Ann Marie McLaughlin, Director of Legal Knowledge and Vendor Management, Liberty Mutual Group
Albert Oaten, Vice President, Market Development, ContractWorks

Why Attend: The legal technology space is new, but constantly evolving. Understanding what your options are and what outcomes such technologies can provide your in-house team is a great starting point for groups looking to build efficiencies into current processes with technology.

Session 608

Uncover the Hidden Potential in “Little Data”
Time: 11am to 12:30pm

Speakers:
Kristen Cook, Senior Counsel, 7-Eleven
Kim Craig, Managing Director, Lean Solutions, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Liz Lugones, Director Legal Operations, Becton, Dickinson

Why Attend: e-Billing platforms are a gateway to a wealth of valuable data related to legal spend. However, it’s important to utilize all available tools, even those you may not think can help you manage legal spend, so you’re able to leverage all the information available to you for a comprehensive approach to legal operations management.

BONUS: Session 701

AI for Corporate Law Departments: What is Real Now?
Time: 2:30pm to 4pm

Speakers:
Rose Battaglia, Managing Director, Global COO Legal, Deutsche Bank
Sirisha Gummaregula, Chief Operating Officer, QuisLex
Suchitra Narayen, Legal Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Oracle
Julie Sullivan, Director, Legal Operations, Rimini Street, Inc.

Why Attend: This year’s ACC Annual Meeting highlights legal operations for the first time in the event’s history – and we couldn’t be more excited. Along with demonstrating the growing importance of the legal operations role as a strategic adviser within organizations, it highlights the need for these departments to also be tech-savvy. It’s a session we just couldn’t overlook!

Session for Wednesday, October 18th

How to Gain Traction; A Boot Camp For Leaders of Early-Stage Legal Operations Functions
Time: 8:30am to 1pm

Speakers:
Reese Arrowsmith, Vice President, Head of Operations, Campbell Soup Company
Diana Barlow, AVP, Legal Operations, Voya Financial
Nicholas Bunin, Vice President Legal Operations & Technology, Fox Entertainment Group
Tania Daniels, Head of Global Legal Operations, The Walt Disney Company
Patricia Driscoll, Law Department Operations, Brother International Corp.
Dan Hendy, Associate General Counsel, General Electric Company
Elizabeth Jaworski, Director, Legal Operations, Astellas US LLC
An Trotter, Senior Director of Legal and Compliance Operations, Harman International Industries Inc.

Why Attend: What better way to close out your time at the ACC than by attending a practical session lead by legal operations professionals with experience establishing the legal operations function. Because of small group, seminar setting, participation is subject to approval and limited to in-house department leaders, so those interested should reach out to Catherine J. Moynihan, Senior Director of Legal Management Services at moynihan@acc,com for more information prior to the event.

Schedule Time to Meet SimpleLegal or Stop by Booth #118

If you’re interested in seeing a new, modern way to manage your e-Billing and invoice processes, we’ll be happy to show you SimpleLegal during the event. Just stop by Booth #118 at the ACC Annual Conference and meet our team!