3 Reasons Not to Miss the Virtual Corporate Counsel Forum

If you’re a general counsel, in-house corporate counsel or know someone that falls into that category — listen up. Virtual Corporate Counsel Forum is tomorrow and you don’t want to miss this event. Okay, you’ll probably wondering what is a “virtual” event and why do I need to attend?

Virtual Corporate Counsel Forum is an online event that includes presentations, virtual booths, online networking, chatting, blogs and more. It’s everything a traditional tradeshow offers but you don’t have to leave your office. Registration is complimentary and is only open to general counsel and in-house corporate counsel. You can even see a demonstration of the virtual conference environment before tomorrow’s live event.

Still not convinced? Here are three more reasons we think it’s worth attending:

  1. Get connected with colleagues. Socializing in the networking lounge or in the exhibit hall is different than any tradeshow you’ve attended. Simply start a chat or join the group discussion and hear what colleagues are saying about the presentations, recent trends or innovative products they’ve seen in the exhibit hall.
  2. Learn about innovative technology. Stop by the exhibit hall to see the latest products, chat with vendors and register for booth give-a-ways. Just because it’s a virtual event, doesn’t mean you can’t win prizes! Be sure to visit the Onit booth for a chance to win a $200 Apple gift card — holiday shopping just got easier!
  3. Earn CLE credits without leaving your office. Log-on between 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST and attend the sessions relevant to your business. Here are a few we think will be extremely valuable.

10:15- 11:15 a.m.

Selecting the Right Fee Arrangement (CLE Eligible)

PresenterCharles R. Macedo, Partner, Amster, Rothstein & Ebenstein;
Author, The Corporate Insider’s Guide to US Patent Practice, published by Oxford University Press

In view of the high cost of litigation in the face of shrinking corporate budgets, the need to select the right fee arrangement for an organization’s disputes is becoming more and more important. Our speaker, an experienced patent litigator, will review the options available to in-house counsel and outside counsel in setting up the right kind of fee arrangement, including identifying:

– Factors involved in determining what kinds fee arrangement makes sense in the context of the particular dispute;

– Different kinds of fee arrangements which are potentially available and discussing the best circumstances for considering each kind of arrangement;

– Cost saving techniques to reduce unnecessary expenditures; and

– Best practices for matching litigation activities to client goals and resources

12:30- 1:30 p.m.
The Real Rate Report: Understanding the True Drivers of Legal Costs (CLE Eligible)

Presenters: Craig Raeburn, Vice President of Product Management
CT TyMetrix and Keith Brown, Esquire, Lead Business Consultant, CT TyMetrix

CT TyMetrix, in collaboration with The Corporate Executive Board’s Legal and Compliance practice/General Counsel Roundtable, brings you the industry’s first (and only) quantitative analysis of over $4 billion in legal spend from more than 4,000 law firms and 50,000+ individual billers. The 2010 Real Rate Report will provide corporate legal departments, claims organizations and law firms with the first reliable benchmark data on law firm pricing, staffing practices, and realized rates across geographies, practice areas, matter types and timekeeper types.

The session will discuss how putting data to work can provide perspectives on trends and practices. The session will highlight reliable benchmarks that can be used to evaluate and negotiate rates across geographies, practice areas, professional levels, and other segments, as well as other insights.

1:45- 2:45 p.m.
Management, Measurement and More- Best Practices for Maximizing Your Legal Spend

Presenters: Mary Clark, Vice President of Law, LexisNexis; Patrick Ryan, Director of Administration, City of Chicago Department of Law; Robin Sangston, Vice President, Legal Affairs and Chief Compliance Officer, Cox Communications, Inc.

As many law departments continue to face budget cuts, in-house counsel are challenged to find new ways to maximize their legal spend and control costs. Join LexisNexis CounselLink representatives and in-house counsel from leading law departments as they share their perspectives on:

– The impact of the dynamic economic climate on their law departments and the reporting tools used to optimize and justify spending decisions- comparing the decline in 2009 to the predicted upward trend in 2010

– Alternative fee arrangements and how the right data and reporting can help identify outside counsel that are underperforming

– In-sourcing versus outsourcing legal work, and the considerations and methods to make smarter decisions

– Managing relationships with outside counsel and how using metrics and reporting can help ease difficult dialogues and garner greater productivity

For a detailed schedule of all the sessions, click here.

For more information and registration details, visit the Corporate Counsel Forum website. We hope to see you online tomorrow.

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