Presented by: Beth Chiaiese, CRM, MLIS
Today's law firm is faced with many risk management challenges and requirements. This session will focus on the elements of an integrated risk management and compliance program for the modern firm. Attendees will learn about:
Presented by: Thomas Paradise and Jenny Schwendemann
This session will review the lateral hire process as well as touch upon integration issues. Discussion will focus on the criteria needed for conducting trustworthy due diligence and what information must be provided to run conflicts for potential new business and ensure ethical conflicts are avoided.
Moderated by: Bob Dolinsky
Panelists: Ann Ostrander and Jenny Schwendemann
New matter opening is an important client service, risk management and operations challenge. This session will focus on automating the new matter intake process and will address issues and challenges such as: assessing what attorneys don't like about the process, casting the right net for conflicts, managing and staffing new matter opening, ensuring that ethical walls are established, communicating with clients as well as internally, making the process efficient and how firms are successfully automating the process.
Moderated by: David Cunningham
Panelists: Dave Rigali, Beth Chiaiese, John Isaza, Esq., and Richard Patterson
This session explores the roles, responsibilities, and collaborative working arrangements appropriate for the IT department and risk management department (or similar) in the governance, risk management and compliance activities relevant to legal environments. Join industry experts from varying perspectives as they weigh in with their experience and case studies. Relevant areas of risk management to be discussed include legal, strategic, IT, practice, financial, operational, and environmental risks.
Presented by: Jon Neiditz
The cost of litigation continues to soar. Much of that expense occurs during discovery, and searches through e-mail are the major drivers of discovery-related expenses. Most e-mails, however, are transitory communications that are neither desirable nor necessary to keep. This session demonstrates why and how new communication technologies can reduce costs and risks to your organization, and explains how to implement these technologies in a manner that complies with law and protects against legal risks. Attend this session if you'd like to learn:
Seat Time: 450 Minutes
National Director of Loss Prevention, Foley & LardnerBeth Chiaiese has been Foley & Lardner LLP's National Director of Loss Prevention since 2001. During her 30-year career, Chiaiese has worked as both a practitioner and as a consultant helping firms develop work processes and technology based on best practices in the areas of records management, conflicts of interest, new business processing, and risk management.Chiaiese is a frequent speaker, addressing national conferences, such as the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA), ARMA International, the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), the American Bar Association (ABA), and the Attorneys' Liability Assurance Society (ALAS). She has also published articles and white papers for the National Law Journal, LawNet, and various ARMA International publications. Chiaiese is a co-author of Records Management in the Legal Environment, published by ARMA International in 2003, which extensively discussed the processes, technologies, and ethical concerns faced by law firm records and conflicts managers and administrators. Chiaiese is a former member of the Board of Directors for ARMA International, a Certified Records Manager (CRM), and holds a Master's Degree in Library and Information Sciences.
General Counsel, Fox Rothschild LLPAs general counsel for the firm, Tom's responsibilities include development and implementation of risk management programs and policies; management of professional liability and insurance issues; performance of ombudsman duties on behalf of the firm; presentation of seminars to the attorneys and staff throughout the year on ethics-related topics and best practice concepts; counseling to the Executive Committee on policies and procedures; and providing risk management assistance to the firm's 14 offices. Prior to his appointment as general counsel, he served as chair of the Professional Liability Defense Group. His practice involved a broad range of litigation matters, including: legal malpractice defense, personal injury, medical malpractice, and commercial litigation.
Director of Risk Management/ Pro Bono Services, Husch Blackwell Sanders, LLPSchwendemann's risk management responsibilities include researching and counseling on ethical and professional responsibility matters, supervising and providing training on conflicts clearing functions, drafting conflicts waiver letters, conducting risk management training and continuing legal education sessions, and reviewing the firm's website and promotional materials for compliance with ethical requirements. Schwendemann also promotes the firm's pro bono efforts by coordinating new pro bono opportunities with several nonprofit organizations and recruiting the firm's attorneys to handle these legal matters. Schwendemann provides in-house training on various issues, such as housing and family law matters, to ensure the firm's attorneys are qualified to handle the pro bono matters they are assigned. Further, Schwendemann maintains records of firm pro bono hours and accomplishments to confirm that the firm meets its required number of pro bono hours as stated in the Pro Bono Institute's Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge of which the firm is a Signatory Member.
Director, eSentio TechnologiesDolinsky is a director at eSentio Technologies with over 25 years of experience in providing technology consulting and management to law firms. Dolinsky assists law firms in a number of areas including technology planning, technology governance, risk management and assessment, organization and staffing, records management, litigation support, and business continuity planning. Dolinsky was also recently appointed to the prestigious fellowship in the College of Law Practice Management.
Loss Prevention Director, Kirkland & Ellis LLPOstrander has 20 years of experience with law firms in many roles that include the management of records, conflicts, new business intake, docket compliance, local office administration, facilities management, and a seven year stint as a technology consultant focused on providing solutions to law firms in the loss preventions areas listed above. She has held several leadership roles with ARMA International and is also currently a member of ILTA's Records Management Steering Committee.
Managing Director of Baker Robbins & Company Cunningham leads Baker Robbins' Strategic Technology practice. For 18 years, he has helped law firm leaders with assessments and plans focused on cost, risk, and lawyer effectiveness. He created the Law Firm Technology Scorecard to provide a fair and in-depth approach to benchmarking IT and the Law Firm Risk Register for a more comprehensive approach to risk management. For an upcoming book, he recently authored a chapter titled "Law Firm Risk Management" and was on a panel at ILTA to explore "Can Risk Management Improve a Firm's Profitability Even in These Economic Times?"
Manager of Information Technology, Thompson Coburn LLPRigali has over 15 years of experience managing law firm technology. An enthusiastic member of ILTA for most of his career, Rigali has presented at several ILTA conference sessions and webinars on topics ranging from project management to mentoring and why everyone should own a BlackBerry. Rigali currently sits on ILTA's Board of Directors as conference liaison.
Partner, Howett Isaza Law Group, LLPIsaza is a California-based attorney and partner of Howett Isaza Law Group,LLP, an international records and information management (RIM) consulting practice and law firm. Isaza is widely recognized as one of the country's foremost experts on electronic discovery, the revised Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and other RIM issues. Isaza has conducted regulatory research and worked in developing records retention programs for some of the most highly regulated Fortune 100 companies. Prior to forming a RIM practice, Isaza served as in-house General Counsel to a publicly traded medical device manufacturer. Isaza also has over a decade of experience as a trial lawyer specializing in business, environmental contamination, products liability and construction defects. During that time he served as Arbitrator for the Los Angeles Superior Court System. Isaza attended Boston College Law School, where he served as Editor of the International Law Review. At present, he is an active speaker in the ARMA, AIIM, ABA and IT compliance circuits. Isaza chaired the Chicago Program Committee for ARMA's 2005 international conference; he is a member of ARMA's Electronic Discovery Advisory Group; he is the immediate past president of the Greater Los Angeles ARMA Chapter; and, he is serving on the Board of Directors of ARMA International. At present, Isaza is the co-author of 7 Steps for Legal Holds of ESI & Other Documents, scheduled for release in 2009. Isaza is the 2008 recipient of ARMA's Britt Literary Award.
Director of Information Security, Sidley Austin LLPPatterson is the director of security for Sidley Austin LLP. He oversees the IT security, physical security, and business continuity and disaster recovery programs. Patterson has a Master's of Science from DePaul University in Computer, Network, and Information Security. Patterson spent 13 years as a Special Agent with the federal government; the last seven years were spent in Chicago working for the U.S. Secret Service specializing in electronic crime, identity theft, and computer forensics investigations. Prior to the Secret Service, Patterson spent five years with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division managing their Financial Crimes Program for the Fort Lee Resident Agency, Richmond, VA.
Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & ScarboroughNeiditz is a partner in Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough's Atlanta office and founder and co-leader of the firm's rapidly growing information management practice. Neiditz is known nationally as a trusted advisor on data management issues and for developing and implementing cost-effective information governance and management programs that effectively address the risks, costs, and opportunities associated with electronic information