The Disputes Summit New York 2022, organized by The Legal 500, convened on September 20, 2022, at etc.venues, 601 Lexington Avenue, New York. This summit brought together in-house counsel from the region to discuss pressing challenges and opportunities in the legal landscape, focusing on topics such as whistleblowing, diversity, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations.
Key sessions included an examination of workplace misconduct investigations, led by Helen Gugel and Brian Blais of Ropes & Gray, alongside Shelby Cuomo from Meta. They delved into the complexities of addressing harassment and discrimination allegations, emphasizing best practices for creating safe and positive work environments. Another significant panel, featuring Russell Capone and Lindsay Jenkins of Cooley LLP with Stephanie Accousti from ABB, explored the expansion of whistleblower rights and protections in the U.S., discussing appropriate procedures for internal investigations and effective communication between in-house and external counsel. Additionally, Jason Halper and Sara Bussiere of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, together with Genie Cesar-Fabian from Ethic, addressed ESG governance, disclosure, and litigation, offering insights into best practices for directors and board committees in monitoring and reporting on climate change and social impact matters.
The event provided ample networking opportunities, allowing attendees to engage with peers and industry leaders. Notable speakers included partners from leading law firms and senior in-house counsel from prominent corporations, offering diverse perspectives on the evolving legal landscape. The summit was supported by Ropes & Gray LLP, Cooley LLP, and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, whose contributions were instrumental in facilitating these critical discussions.
This summit was particularly beneficial for in-house counsel and legal professionals seeking to stay abreast of current trends and challenges in the legal industry. Attendees gained valuable insights into managing workplace misconduct, navigating whistleblower protections, and implementing effective ESG strategies, equipping them to better address these issues within their organizations.
Speakers(10)
Brian Blais
Partner at Ropes & Gray
Brian Blais is a partner in the litigation and enforcement practice group at Ropes & Gray and a former federal prosecutor. His practice focuses on defending white-collar investigations by criminal authorities, enforcement actions and investigations by civil regulators, internal investigations, and civil litigation, particularly in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, medical device, financial services, private equity, and asset management industries. Brian began his legal career at Ropes & Gray in 2004 and rejoined the firm in 2021 after serving over a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York.
Chris Kay
Conference Producer at The Legal 500
Chris Kay is a UK-qualified solicitor and a conference producer at The Legal 500. He practiced as a solicitor for five years before moving to The Legal 500. Chris works with general counsel, barristers, and law firm partners worldwide to organize and moderate legal conferences.
Genie Cesar-Fabian
General Counsel at Ethic
Eugenie ('Genie') Cesar-Fabian is General Counsel at Ethic, a tech-enabled asset manager working toward a world where all investing is sustainable investing. Ethic enables wealth advisors to create custom equity portfolios tailored to investors’ unique values, tax preferences, and financial goals. Previously, Genie spent over a decade at Palladium Equity Partners, serving as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer before becoming a partner and transitioning into the role of Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Sustainability.
Helen Gugel
Partner at Ropes & Gray
Helen Gugel is a partner in the litigation and enforcement practice group at Ropes & Gray. She focuses on investigations, prosecutions, and enforcement activities related to market misconduct and potential violations of federal securities and commodities laws. Helen has substantial experience conducting investigations and advising clients on high-profile allegations of serious wrongdoing, including workplace harassment, sexual misconduct, and unlawful or unethical business practices. Her clients include global financial institutions, investment advisers, public companies, non-profits, schools, and individuals.
Jason Halper
Partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Jason Halper is the co-chair of Cadwalader’s global litigation group, head of the corporate and financial services litigation practice, and a member of the firm’s management committee. He also leads the firm’s climate change litigation and advisory practice. Jason is a lecturer in law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and a member of the advisory board of Harvard Law School’s program on corporate governance.
Lindsay Jenkins
Partner at Cooley LLP
Lindsay Jenkins is a partner at Cooley LLP and a former federal prosecutor with extensive experience overseeing complex, high-stakes criminal cases and government investigations. Over more than 15 years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Lindsay led prosecutions and investigations across a broad range of issues, including public corruption, bribery, extortion, mortgage, investment, and healthcare grant fraud, among others.
Russell Capone
Partner at Cooley LLP
Russell Capone is a partner at Cooley LLP and a former federal prosecutor with significant experience handling complex criminal cases, particularly those involving corruption, financial fraud, and other white-collar crimes. He served for over ten years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, most recently as Chief Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, overseeing significant and sensitive investigations and prosecutions.
Sara Bussiere
Associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Sara Bussiere is an associate in Cadwalader’s global litigation group. She represents financial institutions, corporations, alternative entities, and officers and directors in a range of complex litigation matters in state and federal court. Prior to joining Cadwalader, Sara practiced at a Delaware corporate boutique, representing clients in the Delaware Court of Chancery, Delaware Superior Court Complex Commercial Litigation Division, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
Shelby Cuomo
Lead Counsel, Special Investigations at Meta
Shelby Cuomo is Lead Counsel, Special Investigations at Meta Platforms, Inc., a global social media and technology company serving over 3 billion users. Before joining Meta, Shelby was an attorney in the government enforcement practice group at an international law firm, representing clients in governmental inquiries and managing internal legal matters.
Stephanie Accousti
Global Head of Integrity Investigations at ABB
Stephanie Accousti is the Global Head of Integrity Investigations at ABB, where she leads the company’s integrity investigations portfolio and the development and execution of its integrity risk detection and monitoring program. She manages a global team of attorneys, investigators, and data analysts. Before joining ABB, Stephanie held various positions at Weatherford, including Associate General Counsel for Compliance, responsible for the company’s ethics, compliance, data privacy, and anti-corruption and fraud programs.
Event Details
- Date
- September 20, 2022
- Location
- 🇺🇸 New York, United States
- etc.venues, 601 Lexington Avenue
- Audience
- In-house counsel and legal professionals
- CLE Credits
- 1.0 NY Transitional Ethics & Professionalism credit, 0.75 CA Ethics credit, 0.75 IL Professional Responsibility credit