Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Baskets and Escrow in Business Transactions

$75.00

Identifying and hedging the risk of the unknown is one of the biggest risks in business documentation.  If unknown liabilities arise – or known liabilities are greater than anticipated –parties want recourse to address the economic loss.  “Caps” and “baskets” are used to address this problem.  Caps are the the total amount for which one party may be liable to the other party post-closing. “Baskets” are the amount of loss one party must incur, if any, before seeking recourse to the other party. The variations and interplay between caps and baskets can be highly complex. This program will provide you with a practical guide to the uses, types, and drafting traps of caps and baskets in business transactions.   Types of “baskets” – “tipping baskets” v. “true deductibles” v. hybrids Negotiating “caps” – aggregates limits, specific carve-outs for fraud and other bad acts Intricate relationship between baskets and caps Drafting to reduce risk of dispute and enhance collectability of claims Use of escrow to ensure payment of indemnification claims   Speaker: Steven O. Weise is a partner in the Los Angeles office Proskauer Rose, LLP, where his practice encompasses all areas of commercial law. He has extensive experience in financings, particularly those secured by personal property.He also handles matters involving real property anti-deficiency laws, workouts, guarantees, sales of goods, letters of credit, commercial paper and checks, and investment securities.Mr. Weise formerly served as chair of the ABA Business Law Section. He has also served as a member of the Permanent Editorial Board of the UCC and as an Advisor to the UCC Code Article 9 Drafting Committee.

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 3/31/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Earnouts: Taking a Wait and See Approach to Valuation of Closely Held Companies

$75.00

The most highly negotiated provision of most transactions is price. Sellers want to maximize the value of the deal, putting the most optimistic spin historical and forward-looking projections.  Sellers take a more skeptical view, questioning the sustainability of growth and the accuracy of forecasts.  When differences over valuation cannotbe bridged, the parties may use an earnout, which allows them to both take a wait-and-see approach and still close the transaction. Earnouts generally involve a current payment from buyer to seller together with ongoing payments to the seller if the company performs as the seller projected.  But there are many drafting and operational traps when using earnouts.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to structuring and drafting earnouts to later disputes and litigation.   Most highly negotiated and litigated provisions in earnout agreements Post-closing operations – control by buyer, but informational access to seller Defining key metrics – objective, measurable and potential traps Relationship of earnouts to senior debt and other preferential returns Debt issues and how it impacts financial results – and post-closing payments How earnouts are different than escrow and holdbacks   Speakers: Frank Ciatto is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he has 20 years’ experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, limited liability companies, tax and accounting issues, and corporate finance transactions.  He is a leader of his firm’s private equity and hedge fund groups and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and earlier in his career worked at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.   Daniel G. Straga is an attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he counsels companies on a wide variety of corporate and business matters across a range of industries. He advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, venture capital, and governance matters.   James DePaoli is an attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where his practice focuses on corporate and commercial matters. He represents clients in the acquisition and disposition of assets and securities, mergers, and other business combinations and reorganizations. 

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/1/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Ethics and "Virtual Law Offices"

$75.00

Technology allows lawyers far more flexibility to practice law virtually – from home or in shared settings – than ever before.  No longer must they maintain freestanding offices, support staff, and libraries. Lawyers can set-up offices in their homes, communicate with clients, adversaries and the courts electronically, outsource overflow work to co-counsel or vendors, and establish web sites that can reach potential clients. These “virtual” practices are increasingly commonplace, but the relative ease with which they are established obscures many significant ethical issues.This program will provide you with a practical guide to significant issues when lawyers and law firms establish “virtual” law practices.   Disclosure to clients of the virtual character of a law practice Electronic communications, confidentiality, and ethical risks in virtual practices Ethical issues when lawyers share office space or other resources but practice separately How Web sites and a “virtual” presence implicate multijurisdictional practice issues Outsourcing work to vendors or co-counsel, and ensuring its competently performed Requirements and risks when offering legal advice across state lines Duty to understand law office technology as a duty of competence   Speakers: Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/2/2025
    Presented
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Course1

Lawyer Ethics When Clients Won't Pay Your Fees

$75.00

Attorneys and clients are in a confidential relationship, one that demands the lawyer’s absolute loyalty and zealous representation of client interests.  But what if the client refuses to pay his or her lawyer?  At that point, the broad and categorical demands of the ethics rules run up against the practical business of running a law practice. This clash of interests raises a range of substantial ethical issues.  How can the lawyer compel payment yet continuing representing a client?  Must he or she withdraw from the representation?  Can the lawyer sue the client or place a lien on client property?  Is the lawyer allowed to breach certain confidences in obtaining payment? This program will provide you with a guide to the ethical issues that arise when a client refuses to pay for a lawyer’s legal services, practical methods to ethically obtain payment, and best practices to avoid these disputes. Ethics when clients refuse to pay their lawyers’ fees How to manage the direct conflict with a client without breaching confidences Determining whether continuing a representation is permissible or required When and how a withdrawal from a representation is permitted in the cases of non-payment of fees Ethical issues when a lawyer places a lien on client property or sues the client Issues when no-payment relates to one of multiple representations of a client Understanding related attorney-client privilege issues Best practices in engagement letters and billing practices to protect lawyers   Speakers: Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a broad complex commercial, business and securities litigation practice. He also has a substantial practice advising businesses on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 20 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.     Matthew Corbin is Vice President and Director in the Professional Services Group of AON Risk Services, where he consults with the company’s law firm clients on professional responsibility and liability issues.  Before joining AON, he was a partner with Lathrop & Gage, LLP, where he was a trial and appellate lawyer handling professional liability, commercial, business tort, employment, construction, insurance, and regulatory matters. Before entering private practice, he served as a judicial clerk to Judge Mary Briscoe of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/3/2025
    Presented
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Course1

Contracts in Crisis: MAC Clauses Acts of God, and Planning for the Unexpected

$75.00

Material Adverse Change (MAC) clauses are common in most businesstransactions. These clauses allocate among the parties the risk of a MAC occurring between the execution of transactional documents and closing the underlying transaction.  Sellers want certainty that a sale or other transaction will close and argue that the MAC clause should be very narrowly drafted. Buyers want maximum flexibility and will argue that anything that makes the transaction unattractive should constitute a MAC.  Between those two opposing views are a host of narrow and technical but important details that need to be negotiated, details which will determine whether the transaction is successfully closed, efficiently and cost-effectively terminated, or devolves into dispute and litigation. This program will provide you with a practical guide using and drafting MAC clauses in transactions.   • Drafting “Material Adverse Change” provisions and carve-outs • Forms of MACs – closing conditions or representations? • Practical process of “proving” a MAC occurred, including burden of proof • What happens to the transaction if a MAC occurred? • Spotting red flags when drafting MAC clauses and best practices to reduce the risk   Speaker: Steven O. Weise is a partner in the Los Angeles office Proskauer Rose, LLP, where his practice encompasses all areas of commercial law. He has extensive experience in financings, particularly those secured by personal property.  He also handles matters involving real property anti-deficiency laws, workouts, guarantees, sales of goods, letters of credit, commercial paper and checks, and investment securities.  Mr. Weise formerly served as chair of the ABA Business Law Section. He has also served as a member of the Permanent Editorial Board of the UCC and as an Advisor to the UCC Code Article 9 Drafting Committee.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/4/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Ethics in Discovery Practice

$75.00

Discovery can be the most important phase of litigation, directing the course and outcome of the case.  How evidence is discovered, how it is used, and how mistakes in its handling are disclosed and remedied all raise very significant ethical issues. These issues – the risk of mishandling – are increased by the vast growth of ESI, electronically stored information. Litigators have certain obligations that their vendors comply with ethics rules. There are also issues surrounding the use of paralegals in discovery practice.  Failure to ensure ethics compliance during discovery can have a material adverse impact on the underlying litigation and draw an ethics complaint.  This program will provide you with a real-world guide to substantial issues ethical issues that arise in discovery practice and how to avoid ethics complaints.    Duty of candor to the tribunal during discovery Ethical issues when you learn that a client is dishonest Inadvertent disclosure privileged documents and their handling Ethics in depositions – conferring with witnesses, using video depositions and more Ethical issues in widespread data mining of discovery documents Issues involving metadata in electronic files – documents, email, text messages Attorney-client privilege and security issues of working with outside e-discovery vendors Ethics and social media discovery   Speakers: Elizabeth Treubert Simon is an ethics attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where she advises on a wide range of ethics and compliance-related matters to support Akin Gump’s offices worldwide.  Previously, she practiced law in Washington DC and New York, focusing on business and commercial litigation and providing counsel to clients regarding professional ethics and attorney disciplinary procedures.  She is a member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Professional Discipline and the District of Columbia Legal Ethics Committee.  She writes and speaks extensively on attorney ethics issues.    Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/7/2025
    Presented
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Course1

Generation Skipping Transfer Tax: Planning Opportunities and Mistakes

$75.00

This session provides a deep dive into the intricacies of the generation skipping transfer tax (GSTT), focusing on strategies to maximize tax efficiency while avoiding common planning mistakes. From understanding the core principles of GSTT to leveraging exemptions and trusts, this program offers tools to navigate the complexities of wealth transfer planning. Whether you're advising high-net-worth clients or managing family trusts, this session will provide actionable guidance.   Highlights:   An overview of GSTT rules, exemptions, and exclusions. Strategic use of trusts to minimize GSTT liability. Common drafting mistakes and how to avoid them. Recent regulatory developments and their implications.   Practical examples of GSTT planning in action.   Speaker: TBD

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/8/2025
    Presented
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Course1

Indemnity Provisions in Business & Commercial Transactions

$75.00

Indemnity provisions are a cornerstone of business transactions, and understanding their nuances is essential for protecting your clients. This session will explore how to draft, negotiate, and analyze indemnity clauses in business and commercial agreements. Learn how to identify potential risks and ensure that indemnity provisions align with your client’s goals.   Highlights:   The legal foundation of indemnity provisions and their purpose. Key considerations when drafting indemnity clauses. Common negotiation challenges and strategies to overcome them. Risk allocation and practical steps to minimize liability. Real-world examples of indemnity disputes and lessons learned.   Speaker: TBD

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/9/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: When Business Partners Want Out: Business Divorce, Part 1

$75.00

Business divorce can be as complicated, costly and dramatic as traditional divorce. When owners of a closely-held company decide they cannot or will not work together anymore, there are several alternatives for achieving the separation – a division of assets among the owners, a buyout of one owner or several owners by a third party or by the company itself, or a complete or partial sale of the company.  But these and other transactional forms come with risk – the risk that dividing the assets of an operating business will cause substantial destruction of value to the company or that strife will take its toll on operations and employees.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to the alternatives for achieving a business divorce, planning the process, containing the risk and preserving value.   Day 1: Overview of techniques to accomplish a divorce – buy-sell arrangements, redemptions, compensation, employment separation and retirement plan techniques Special considerations when the divorce involves LLCs, S Corps or partnerships Valuation methods and disputes in a business divorce Techniques for financing a buyout as part of a business divorce Minimizing adverse tax consequences in a business divorce   Day 2: Compensation and retirement plan-based techniques for accomplishing a business divorce Special issues when a business divorce involves a distressed business Role of confidentiality, non-competition, and non-solicitation agreements as part of the divorce Important intellectual property issues, including customer lists, goodwill and trade secrets Preservation of valuable tax attributes   Speakers: Frank Ciatto is a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he has 20 years' experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, limited liability cocmpanies, tax and accounting issues, and corporate finance transactions.  He is a leader of his firm's private equity and hedge fund groups and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and earlier in his career worked at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.   Norman Lencz is a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of Venable, LLP, where his practice focuses on a broad range of federal, state, local and international tax matters.  He advises clients on tax issues relating to corporations, partnerships, LLCs, joint ventures and real estate transactions.  He also has extensive experience with compensation planning in closely held businesses.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/10/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: When Business Partners Want Out: Business Divorce, Part 2

$75.00

Business divorce can be as complicated, costly and dramatic as traditional divorce. When owners of a closely-held company decide they cannot or will not work together anymore, there are several alternatives for achieving the separation – a division of assets among the owners, a buyout of one owner or several owners by a third party or by the company itself, or a complete or partial sale of the company.  But these and other transactional forms come with risk – the risk that dividing the assets of an operating business will cause substantial destruction of value to the company or that strife will take its toll on operations and employees.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to the alternatives for achieving a business divorce, planning the process, containing the risk and preserving value.   Day 1: Overview of techniques to accomplish a divorce – buy-sell arrangements, redemptions, compensation, employment separation and retirement plan techniques Special considerations when the divorce involves LLCs, S Corps or partnerships Valuation methods and disputes in a business divorce Techniques for financing a buyout as part of a business divorce Minimizing adverse tax consequences in a business divorce   Day 2: Compensation and retirement plan-based techniques for accomplishing a business divorce Special issues when a business divorce involves a distressed business Role of confidentiality, non-competition, and non-solicitation agreements as part of the divorce Important intellectual property issues, including customer lists, goodwill and trade secrets Preservation of valuable tax attributes   Speakers: Frank Ciatto is a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he has 20 years' experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, limited liability cocmpanies, tax and accounting issues, and corporate finance transactions.  He is a leader of his firm's private equity and hedge fund groups and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and earlier in his career worked at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.   Norman Lencz is a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of Venable, LLP, where his practice focuses on a broad range of federal, state, local and international tax matters.  He advises clients on tax issues relating to corporations, partnerships, LLCs, joint ventures and real estate transactions.  He also has extensive experience with compensation planning in closely held businesses.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/11/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Common Area Maintenance, Insurance, and & Taxes Provisions in Commercial Leases

$75.00

Common area expenses (CAM) are part of virtually every office and retail lease. These expenses cover everything from parking lots and reception areas to common meeting spaces and restrooms.  In triple net leases, landlords seek to recover these expenses from tenants.  This can be a significant component of a tenant’s lease expense.The scope of CAM, caps or other limitations, and audit rights are highly negotiated. Landlords and lenders are often reluctant to give any concessions. This program will provide you with a practical guide to negotiating and drafting CAM provisions in commercial leases.   Scope of common area maintenance (CAM) expenses Relationship to minimum maintenance standards Treatment of taxes and insurance Differentiating operating v. capital expenses in CAM recovery Caps on CAM, fixed CAM, gross-up considerations Audit and information rights for CAM Understanding landlord, lender, and tenant motivations and concerns   Speaker: Anthony Licata is a partner in the Chicago office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where he formerly chaired the firm’s real estate practice.  He has an extensive practice focusing on major commercial real estate transactions, including finance, development, leasing, and land use.  He formerly served as an adjunct professor at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and at the Illinois Institute of Technology.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/14/2025
    Presented
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Course1

Protecting Client Trademarks & Service Marks, Part 1

$75.00

This two-part series provides a comprehensive framework for protecting client trademarks and service marks, from registration to enforcement. You’ll gain insights into the latest trends in trademark law, best practices for managing portfolios, and strategies for addressing infringement and dilution. Whether you're managing domestic filings or navigating international issues, this program is tailored to meet your needs.   Part 1: The key steps in registering trademarks and service marks, including navigating the USPTO process. Strategies for managing client portfolios to ensure proper maintenance and renewal. Addressing challenges in trademark applications, including refusals and office actions. Insights into international trademark protection, including the Madrid Protocol. Part 2: Effective strategies for combating trademark infringement in both domestic and international markets. Understanding trademark dilution and how to build strong claims for enforcement. Responding to cease-and-desist letters and managing disputes effectively. The impact of new technologies and online marketplaces on trademark enforcement strategies.   Speaker: TBD

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/15/2025
    Presented
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Course1

Protecting Client Trademarks & Service Marks, Part 2

$75.00

This two-part series provides a comprehensive framework for protecting client trademarks and service marks, from registration to enforcement. You’ll gain insights into the latest trends in trademark law, best practices for managing portfolios, and strategies for addressing infringement and dilution. Whether you're managing domestic filings or navigating international issues, this program is tailored to meet your needs.   Part 1: The key steps in registering trademarks and service marks, including navigating the USPTO process. Strategies for managing client portfolios to ensure proper maintenance and renewal. Addressing challenges in trademark applications, including refusals and office actions. Insights into international trademark protection, including the Madrid Protocol. Part 2: Effective strategies for combating trademark infringement in both domestic and international markets. Understanding trademark dilution and how to build strong claims for enforcement. Responding to cease-and-desist letters and managing disputes effectively. The impact of new technologies and online marketplaces on trademark enforcement strategies.   Speaker: TBD

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/16/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Ethics in Trust and Estate Practice

$75.00

Trust and estate practice often sits at the intersection of money, aging clients, family drama, easy accusations of self-dealing and misdeeds, dispute – and anger.  This turbulent combination of circumstances can put attorneys in difficult ethical spots. Questions about the competence of aging clients in combination with family drama can easily lead to ethical complaints and eventually litigation. There are also issues of decision-making authority and confidentiality if someone other than the client is paying for the representation.  Conflicts of interest, especially where a longtime client may gift something to the attorney, are rife. This program will provide you with a practical guide to substantial ethical issues in trust and estate practice. Working with clients with diminished capacity and protecting against challenges Confidentiality – understanding what information is confidential and when and to whom it can be disclosed Conflicts of interest – joint and common representations, husbands and wives, multiple generations of a family Gifts from clients – what lawyers may accept, what should they decline? Special issues when someone other than the client pays for a representation   Speakers: Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750 page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.   Missia H. Vaselaney is a partner in the Cleveland office of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP, where her practice focuses on estate planning for individuals and businesses.  She also represents clients before federal and state taxing authorities.  Ms. Vaselaney is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has been a member of the Steering Committee for AICPA’s National Advanced Estate Planning Conference since 2001.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/17/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Secured Transactions Practice: Security Agreements to Foreclosures, Part 1

$75.00

Secured transactions are the most common form of commercial transaction and help finance businesses of every size.  They are governed by the complex provisions of UCC Article 9. Getting every detail in financing statements, security agreements, and perfection of credits is essential. Agreements can be costly and time consuming to draft, and full of risk. Failure to comply with UCC Article 9 in drafting security agreements, perfecting a creditor’s interest, or foreclosing a lien can easily cause the value of the underlying transaction to be lost.  This program will provide you with a real-world guide UCC Article 9 practice.   Day 1: Lifecycle of UCC Article 9 secured transactions Drafting cost-effective and enforceable security agreements What to do when something about the debtor changes – e.g., name, location, ownership Accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, intellectual property Anti-assignment provisions regarding collateral Enhancing enforceability of security agreements and reduce risks in foreclosure   Day 2: Framework for the foreclosure of personal property under UCC Article 9 Foreclosing on equipment, inventory, intellectual property, and accounts receivable Duties of junior creditors to senior creditors on foreclosure Rights to proceeds of foreclosure sales and reducing foreclosure costs Rights of guarantors Debtor remedies in the event of a secured party default Cost-efficient alternatives to foreclosures and circumstances when these alternatives are available   Speaker: Steven O. Weise is a partner in the Los Angeles office Proskauer Rose, LLP, where his practice encompasses all areas of commercial law. He has extensive experience in financings, particularly those secured by personal property.  He also handles matters involving real property anti-deficiency laws, workouts, guarantees, sales of goods, letters of credit, commercial paper and checks, and investment securities.  Mr. Weise formerly served as chair of the ABA Business Law Section. He has also served as a member of the Permanent Editorial Board of the UCC and as an Advisor to the UCC Code Article 9 Drafting Committee.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/21/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Secured Transactions Practice: Security Agreements to Foreclosures, Part 2

$75.00

Secured transactions are the most common form of commercial transaction and help finance businesses of every size.  They are governed by the complex provisions of UCC Article 9. Getting every detail in financing statements, security agreements, and perfection of credits is essential. Agreements can be costly and time consuming to draft, and full of risk. Failure to comply with UCC Article 9 in drafting security agreements, perfecting a creditor’s interest, or foreclosing a lien can easily cause the value of the underlying transaction to be lost.  This program will provide you with a real-world guide UCC Article 9 practice.   Day 1: Lifecycle of UCC Article 9 secured transactions Drafting cost-effective and enforceable security agreements What to do when something about the debtor changes – e.g., name, location, ownership Accounts receivable, inventory, equipment, intellectual property Anti-assignment provisions regarding collateral Enhancing enforceability of security agreements and reduce risks in foreclosure   Day 2: Framework for the foreclosure of personal property under UCC Article 9 Foreclosing on equipment, inventory, intellectual property, and accounts receivable Duties of junior creditors to senior creditors on foreclosure Rights to proceeds of foreclosure sales and reducing foreclosure costs Rights of guarantors Debtor remedies in the event of a secured party default Cost-efficient alternatives to foreclosures and circumstances when these alternatives are available   Speaker: Steven O. Weise is a partner in the Los Angeles office Proskauer Rose, LLP, where his practice encompasses all areas of commercial law. He has extensive experience in financings, particularly those secured by personal property.  He also handles matters involving real property anti-deficiency laws, workouts, guarantees, sales of goods, letters of credit, commercial paper and checks, and investment securities.  Mr. Weise formerly served as chair of the ABA Business Law Section. He has also served as a member of the Permanent Editorial Board of the UCC and as an Advisor to the UCC Code Article 9 Drafting Committee.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/22/2025
    Presented
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Course1

M&A with S Corps: Special Tax Issues

$75.00

Mergers and acquisitions involving S corporations present unique tax considerations that can be tricky to navigate. This session provides an in-depth look at these issues, offering guidance on structuring deals that minimize tax exposure while complying with IRS regulations. Gain insights into how to advise your clients effectively in this specialized area.   Highlights:   Key tax planning considerations for S corporation transactions. Strategies for minimizing tax liabilities during M&A. Understanding built-in gains tax and shareholder basis issues. Compliance with IRS regulations and avoiding common pitfalls. Practical examples of successful S corporation M&A transactions.   Speaker: TBD

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/23/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Construction Contracts: Drafting Issues, Spotting Red Flags and Allocating Risk, Part 1

$75.00

Construction contracts are among the most difficult agreements to draft or review, and negotiate.  At every stage, building is fraught with substantial risk – timely regulatory approvals, cost containment and price certainty, financing contingencies, building deadlines, and a host of other risks. If these risks materialize, as is common, the bargained for exchange among the parties and their expectations are radically unsettled. Construction contracts are a careful allocation of risks, a compromise between flexibility and price/cost certainty, and establish procedures for resolving disputes short of costly litigation. This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting the most important provisions of construction contracts.   Day 1: Reviewing and drafting essential provisions of construction contracts Use and common mistakes in using AIA contacts in negotiations with builders Defining the scope of a project and planning for modifications How fees and costs are structured – and allocating risk of modification Tying performance standards and timelines to payments   Day 2: Insurance and indemnification provisions of construction contracts Role of subcontractors and mechanics’ and materialmen liens Anticipating disputes between property owners and builders, and building in cost-effective dispute resolution Role and limitations of different type of damages   Speaker:  John Miller is the principal of John R. Miller, PLLC in the Charlotte, North Carolina and was for 39 years a partner with Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.  His practice encompasses corporate and securities law, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, and construction law.  He was selected by his peers for inclusion in "The Best Lawyers in America" and for inclusion in Business North Carolina Magazine's "Legal Elite" as one of the top business lawyers in North Carolina.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/24/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Construction Contracts: Drafting Issues, Spotting Red Flags and Allocating Risk, Part 2

$75.00

Construction contracts are among the most difficult agreements to draft or review, and negotiate.  At every stage, building is fraught with substantial risk – timely regulatory approvals, cost containment and price certainty, financing contingencies, building deadlines, and a host of other risks. If these risks materialize, as is common, the bargained for exchange among the parties and their expectations are radically unsettled. Construction contracts are a careful allocation of risks, a compromise between flexibility and price/cost certainty, and establish procedures for resolving disputes short of costly litigation. This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting the most important provisions of construction contracts.   Day 1: Reviewing and drafting essential provisions of construction contracts Use and common mistakes in using AIA contacts in negotiations with builders Defining the scope of a project and planning for modifications How fees and costs are structured – and allocating risk of modification Tying performance standards and timelines to payments   Day 2: Insurance and indemnification provisions of construction contracts Role of subcontractors and mechanics’ and materialmen liens Anticipating disputes between property owners and builders, and building in cost-effective dispute resolution Role and limitations of different type of damages   Speaker:  John Miller is the principal of John R. Miller, PLLC in the Charlotte, North Carolina and was for 39 years a partner with Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.  His practice encompasses corporate and securities law, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, and construction law.  He was selected by his peers for inclusion in "The Best Lawyers in America" and for inclusion in Business North Carolina Magazine's "Legal Elite" as one of the top business lawyers in North Carolina.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/25/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Evidentiary Issues with Text and "Chat" Messages

$75.00

Text messaging is mainstream. Clients generate virtual reams of data when they message with business partners, vendors, employees, and even public. This is a rich vein of electronically stored information that is potentially discoverable in formal litigation or pre-litigation.  Because texting is so convenient, casual and almost reflexive, the caution clients exercise in other forms of communication are often disregarded when texting, including when they text with their lawyers. This program will provide you with a practical guide to obtaining text messages, the risks of discovery in litigation, and related issues. Obtaining text messages – working with mobile carriers Timing – how long are texts kept and in what form? Discovery issues – obtaining texts from parties or other sources Issues related to encrypted messaging services How strategies differ for plaintiffs and defendants Speaker: Stanley E. Woodward Jr. is a partner in the law firm Brand Woodward Law, where he has a broad civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense practice.  He also conducts internal corporate investigations.  He serves as an adjunct professor of law at Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, where he teaches pre-trial litigation and employment law. Before entering private practice, he served as a judicial clerk to Judge Vanessa Ruiz of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and Judges Joan Zeldon and Judge Rufus King III of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/28/2025
    Presented
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Communicating in Opposing Counsel & the Courts: Professionalism and Ethics

$75.00

Effective communication is key to a successful legal practice, especially when dealing with opposing counsel and the courts. This session explores the ethical and professional responsibilities lawyers have in their communications, offering strategies to maintain professionalism even in contentious situations. Learn how to navigate challenging interactions while upholding your ethical obligations.   Highlights:   The ethical guidelines governing communications with opposing counsel. Best practices for clear and professional court filings and oral advocacy. Strategies for managing contentious or unprofessional opposing counsel. Avoiding ethical pitfalls in email and written correspondence. Real-life examples of communication missteps and how to avoid them.   Speaker: TBD

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/29/2025
    Presented
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LIVE REPLAY: How to Hold Business Interests in a Trust

$75.00

There are tax and other benefits to holding a closely-held company or other business interests in a trust.  But there are also substantial risks.  Trusts are typically required to diversify their holdings. But when a company is held in a trust there is almost a highly concentrated, and thus risky, position. Similarly, holding real estate or nontraditional assets also involves issues of liquidity and proper fiduciary and income tax administration. This program will provide you with a real world guide placing business interests in a trust. Dilemmas of operating companies in trusts – concentrated assets, speed, decision-making Concentrated assets and the fiduciary duty to diversify Counseling clients about the right trust for different asset classes Preserving S Corp status or other tax benefits in trust Business succession planning for family businesses Managing minority stakes in operating companies or assets Financial and tax administration traps Speakers: Michael Sneeringer a partner in the Naples, Florida office of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, where his practice focuses on trust and estate planning, probate administration, asset protection planning, and tax law. He has served as vice chair of the asset protection planning committee of the ABA’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Section and is an official reporter of the Heckerling Institute.   Missia H. Vaselaney is a partner in the Cleveland office of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, LLP, where her practice focuses on estate planning for individuals and businesses.  She also represents clients before federal and state taxing authorities.  Ms. Vaselaney is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has been a member of the Steering Committee for AICPA’s National Advanced Estate Planning Conference since 2001.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 4/30/2025
    Presented
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Non-Disclosure Agreements: Key Provisions, Tradeoffs, and Enforceability

$75.00

Many business transactions, employment agreements, and litigation settlement agreements rest on the bedrock of the parties agreeing to keep confidential the terms of the underlying agreement.  These agreements, sometimes considered extended exercises in boilerplate, are more properly a complex array of terms defining what’s confidential, what’s not, what constitutes a breach, and how long confidentiality must be maintained.  As importantly, these agreements are not self-executing.  How a contractual breach is redressed – damages and injunctive relief – must also be carefully considered to enhance practical enforceability.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements in a range of settings to enhance effectiveness and enforceability. Framework of law governing enforceability Defining the scope of confidential information – and what’s not confidential Key terms – persons covered, duration of confidentiality, forms of breach, damages Practical enforceability – what can be done at the drafting stage? Common traps that lead to unenforceability Speakers: Shannon M. Bell is a partner with Kelly & Walker, LLC, where she litigates a wide variety of complex business disputes, construction disputes, fiduciary claims, employment issues, and landlord/tenant issues.  Her construction experience extends from contract negotiations to defense of construction claims of owners, HOAs, contractors and tradesmen.  She also represents clients in claims of shareholder and officer liability, piercing the corporate veil, and derivative actions.  She writes and speaks on commercial litigation, employment, discovery and bankruptcy topics.       

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 5/1/2025
    Presented
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Alternative Ways to Acquire Commercial Real Estate: ROFRs, ROFOs & Options

$75.00

TBD

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 5/2/2025
    Presented
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LIVE REPLAY: Closely Held Company Merger & Acquisitions, Part 1

$75.00

Mergers and buyouts of closely held companies are complex, multifaceted processes.  Agreeing on a valuation can be very difficult because there is no regular market of buyers and sellers and information on comparable sales is scarce. Closely held companies are typically structured to benefit a few shareholders, often members of a family, and require their financial statements to be normalized. There can also be substantial issues of liability, including successor liability in asset deals, requiring carefully crafted reps and warranties. Confidentiality is often essential in these transactions as sellers try not to unsettle existing commercial relationships and employees. This program will provide you with a practical guide to major planning and drafting considerations in the mergers and buyouts of closely held companies.   Day 1: Confidentiality considerations in the sale and negotiation process Due diligence – financial, operational and workforce red flags Stock v. asset transactions and forms of consideration – cash v. equity Valuation of closely held companies in an illiquid market Use or of “earnouts” to bridge the gap in valuation   Day 2:  Reps, warranties, indemnity and basket issues common to closely held companies Successor liability concerns where assets are transferred Asset transfer issues – intangible assets, including intellectual property Transition issues – management, employees, business relationship, contract issues Escrow and post-closing issues   Speaker: Daniel G. Straga is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he counsels companies on a wide variety of corporate and business matters across a range of industries. He advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, venture capital, and governance matters.  He also have extensive experience in private equity and cross-border transactions.   Molly Merritts is an attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where she focuses her practice on a wide range of corporate law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing, and real estate investment trusts. She also advises clients on corporate governance matters, transactional and commercial contract negotiations, and corporate reorganizations.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 5/5/2025
    Presented
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LIVE REPLAY: Closely Held Company Merger & Acquisitions, Part 2

$75.00

Mergers and buyouts of closely held companies are complex, multifaceted processes.  Agreeing on a valuation can be very difficult because there is no regular market of buyers and sellers and information on comparable sales is scarce. Closely held companies are typically structured to benefit a few shareholders, often members of a family, and require their financial statements to be normalized. There can also be substantial issues of liability, including successor liability in asset deals, requiring carefully crafted reps and warranties. Confidentiality is often essential in these transactions as sellers try not to unsettle existing commercial relationships and employees. This program will provide you with a practical guide to major planning and drafting considerations in the mergers and buyouts of closely held companies.   Day 1: Confidentiality considerations in the sale and negotiation process Due diligence – financial, operational and workforce red flags Stock v. asset transactions and forms of consideration – cash v. equity Valuation of closely held companies in an illiquid market Use or of “earnouts” to bridge the gap in valuation   Day 2:  Reps, warranties, indemnity and basket issues common to closely held companies Successor liability concerns where assets are transferred Asset transfer issues – intangible assets, including intellectual property Transition issues – management, employees, business relationship, contract issues Escrow and post-closing issues   Speaker: Daniel G. Straga is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he counsels companies on a wide variety of corporate and business matters across a range of industries. He advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, venture capital, and governance matters.  He also have extensive experience in private equity and cross-border transactions.   Molly Merritts is an attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where she focuses her practice on a wide range of corporate law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing, and real estate investment trusts. She also advises clients on corporate governance matters, transactional and commercial contract negotiations, and corporate reorganizations.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 5/6/2025
    Presented
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Privacy Law 2025: An Update

$75.00

Stay ahead of the curve with this comprehensive update on privacy laws in 2025. This session covers new federal and state privacy legislation, emerging regulatory trends, and the evolving expectations for businesses handling personal data. Learn how to keep your clients compliant in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Highlights: Key updates to federal and state privacy laws. The impact of international privacy regulations, including GDPR. Best practices for data protection and breach response. Emerging trends in privacy litigation. Tools for advising clients on compliance and risk mitigation.   Speakers: TBD

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 5/7/2025
    Presented
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Data Security 2025: An Update

$75.00

With cyber threats escalating, data security remains a critical concern for businesses and their legal counsel. This session provides an in-depth look at the latest developments in data security law, offering practical tips for helping clients safeguard sensitive information. Learn how to navigate regulatory requirements and prepare for the unexpected. Highlights: Key legal developments in data security and breach notification laws. Practical strategies for developing and implementing cybersecurity policies. Addressing liability issues in the aftermath of a data breach. The role of legal counsel in incident response planning. Emerging trends in cybersecurity litigation and enforcement.   Speakers: TBD

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 5/8/2025
    Presented
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LIVE REPLAY: Lawyer Ethics and Email

$75.00

Email has become essential to law practice.  Communications with clients and colleagues is practically impossible – and absolutely inefficient – without email.  But the ubiquity of email may obscure many important ethical issues that arise when it is used in law practice, including issues related to confidentiality, metadata, and the attorney-client privilege. These and other substantial ethical questions will be discussed in this practical guide to the ethical issues when lawyers use email in their practices. Beginning an attorney relationship via email – intentionally and inadvertently Security and confidentiality when email is exchanged in the Cloud Inadvertently sent email and metadata embedded in email Discarding/deleting email and working with outside vendors Ex parte communications with represented adversaries Attorney-client privilege issues Speaker: Thomas E. Spahn is a partner in the McLean, Virginia office of McGuireWoods, LLP, where he has a substantial practice advising clients on properly creating and preserving the attorney-client privilege and work product protections.  For more than 30 years he has lectured extensively on legal ethics and professionalism and has written “The Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine: A Practitioner’s Guide,” a 750-page treatise published by the Virginia Law Foundation.  Mr. Spahn has served as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and as a member of the Virginia State Bar's Legal Ethics Committee.      

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 5/9/2025
    Presented
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LIVE REPLAY: Drafting Business Service Agreements

$75.00

Companies are increasingly focused on their “core competencies,” outsourcing all other functions – sales, bookkeeping, IT, customer and product support, warranty work – to third party professionals and their companies.  Drafting agreements to capture this work is unlike drafting a conventional employment agreement.  It requires a sophisticated understanding of the service, benchmarks for performance and reporting, and the protection of confidential business information. The underlying agreement must comprehend how all of these elements operate together.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting services agreements in business.  Drafting services agreements for “hard” and “soft” services Scope of services provided, modification of services, and relationship to fees Performance standards and timeliness of delivery of services Types of fee structures and common traps Ensuring ownership of key files, records, “know how,” customer lists, and trade secrets Issues related to sub-contracting, designation of agents, and assignment of the contract Conflicts of interest, limitation of liability, and indemnification  Speaker:   Joel R. Buckberg is a partner in the Nashville office of Baker Donelson, LLP.  He more than 40 years’ experience in corporate and business transactions.  His practice focuses on corporate and asset transactions and operations, particularly in hospitality, franchising and distribution.  He also counsels clients on strategic planning, financing, mergers and acquisitions, system policy and practice development, regulatory compliance and contract system drafting. Prior to joining Baker Donelson, he was executive vice president and deputy general counsel of Cendant Corporation.      

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 5/12/2025
    Presented
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