You need new skills to thrive as an in-house counsel today. Join for this Conference designed for in-house counsel, and explore the main legal risks and technological developments essential for today's in-house counsel. Learn how to prepare to respond to emergency events, be updated on climate and ESG reporting requirements, privacy and cybersecurity as well examine as how to use data to improve operations across the organisation.
Session 1: Navigating Risks in the In-House Counsel World
Chair: Sian Wingate, Legal Operations and Compliance Specialist, Sian Wingate Advisory
9.00am to 10.00am After the Disaster: How In-House Counsel Need to be Prepared to Respond to Emergency Events
This session is presented by Jess Easton, former Legal & Commercial Manager at Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Jess has considerable experience with the legal aftermath of natural disasters and severe weather events, including the Whakaari eruption and the Edgecumbe floods, while she was recently seconded to Hawke's Bay Regional Council in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
- Gain insights into the immediate demands placed on in-house counsel after natural disasters and severe weather events
- Understanding the importance of legal project management and strategic advice through crisis and uncertainty
- Learn the importance of being ready for emergency events, as climate change increasingly impacts our communities and organisations
Presented by Jess Easton, Director & Legal Counsel, JE Consulting Ltd
10.00am to 11.00am The Digital Frontier: Privacy, Data, & Cybersecurity for In-House Counsel
The role of in-house counsel in safeguarding organisational interests has never been more critical. As custodians of legal strategy, risk mitigation, and compliance, you must navigate the complex landscape of privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity. Be equipped with a comprehensive understanding of the evolving challenges and best practices in these domains.
- Delve into the ever-evolving global regulatory framework surrounding data privacy from the Privacy Act 2020, Privacy Impact Assessments, and incident response and breach notifications
- Practical insights into compliance strategies
- Data governance and risk management
- The role of in-house counsel as champion of a culture of cybersecurity resilience within the organisation
Presented by Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal Lawyer, Gravity Lawyers
11.15am to 12.15pm Case Studies: How In-House Legal Departments Can Use Data to Improve Operations Across their Organisation:
Legal departments are no stranger to legal technology. But how can you leverage that technology to build bigger teams and add even more value as a shared service?
Discuss the types of decisions in-house teams across New Zealand are making and facilitating from the insights they gain from their technology:
- Gene Turner will share examples of how the data captured by legal is helping some organisations to improve overall business outcomes, and where further opportunities are
- Jess Easton will share how she used the data from her matter management tool to build a business case for a bigger team
- Sian Wingate will share how running contract management and legislative compliance from within legal places the legal function as a ‘must have’ function rather than a cost centre
Legal managers and teams can leverage the data captured from their tools to drive decisions. By the end of this session, you will have key insights into how you can place your legal function firmly at the centre of the organisation with the powerful data you have at your fingertips.
Panellists:
Gene Turner, Managing Director, LawHawk Limited
Sian Wingate, Legal Operations and Compliance Specialist, Sian Wingate Advisory
Jess Easton, Director & Legal Counsel, JE Consulting Ltd
Session 2: Hot Topics in the In-House Counsel World
Chair: Sian Wingate, Legal Operations and Compliance Specialist, Sian Wingate Advisory
12.15pm to 1.15pm Navigating Climate and ESG Reporting in New Zealand: Mandatory and Voluntary Disclosure Regimes, and the Trickle-Down Effect Coming Your Way
- Climate and sustainability reporting in New Zealand: An overview of the Climate-Related Disclosures Regime. Who has mandatory obligations and what are they? What does this mean for those in the supply chain?
- Voluntary climate and sustainability reporting in New Zealand: What frameworks and guidance are available to assist companies in preparing and publishing voluntary ESG, climate or sustainability disclosures, and why would you do this?
- How do you critically review someone else’s?
- Board briefing: How does climate and ESG reporting impact business at the governance level?
- Reform: What changes to the New Zealand regime could we see over the coming years?
Presented by Joanna Lim, Special Counsel, Simpson Grierson
2.00pm to 3.00pm How to Target Your Templates to Boost Efficiency of Your In-House Legal Function
Hear tried and tested techniques that all sizes of in-house legal departments can apply to build, host and maintain a template bank of user-friendly templates in their legal function.
- How to perform a template audit
- How to assess which templates can be 'self-service fill-in-the-blanks' for business units to use
- Ways templates can improve the effectiveness and the efficiency of the legal department
- How compliance can be embedded within templates to manage legal risk
- The options available to store and host templates
Presented by: Sian Wingate, Legal operations & Compliance specialist, Sian Wingate Advisory
3.00pm to 4.00pm Panel Discussion: Hot Topics in New Zealand Competition Law for In-House Counsel, and What to Look for in 2024
Join competition law experts to hear a panel discussion on the recent developments in competition law in New Zealand that you as in-house counsel should be across, including:
- An overview of recent legislative changes,
- Insights on the Commerce Commission's current investigative and enforcement priorities
- What in-house counsel should look out for in 2024
Presented by Petra Carey, Partner, Russell McVeagh and Bradley Aburn, Partner, Russell McVeagh
4.15pm to 5.15pm Modern Slavery: A New Zealand Update
- Modern slavery and worker exploitation issues globally
- The key features of modern slavery legislation in other jurisdictions
- Background/history to modern slavery legislation in NZ and where are we now
- The risks of getting it wrong
- Practical steps to position your organisation
Presented by Laura Scampion, Managing Partner, DLA Piper
Description
Attend and earn 7 CPD hours
11.00am to 11.15am Break
Learning Objectives:
- Consider what steps you need to take to be prepared to respond to emergency events
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of the evolving challenges and best practices surrounding privacy, data protection, and cybersecurity
- Learn how in-house legal departments can use data to improve operations across their organisation
- Understand climate and ESG Reporting, who has mandatory obligations and who can make voluntary disclosures
Learning Objectives:
- Improve clarity around the Boardroom dynamic and how you can best navigate it
- Learn about recent developments in competition law in New Zealand and what to look out for in 2024
- Receive an update om Modern Slavery provisions
4.00pm to 4.15pm Afternoon Break
Presenters
Dr. Maria Pozza, Director and Principal Lawyer, Gravity Lawyers
Dr Pozza is the Director and Principal lawyer of Gravity Lawyers. Her expertise includes: Commercial international space law, international military space law, domestic legislative frameworks over military and commercial uses in space as well as international law space law dealing with armed conflict and aggressive uses. She provides expertise in legal and technical frameworks concerning cybersecurity and IT, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and technology laws. She has been the course coordinator for the University of Victoria’s Cyber Security and International Relations, as well as a lecturer for the International Relations course. As a prolific publisher, Dr Pozza has edited and published a book on Risk Management in Outer Space Activities – An Australian and New Zealand Perspective, as part of her Book Series titled Space Law and Policy. She has been involved in the development of numerous space law publications that range from academic articles, professional publications, guidance materials, and books. Dr Pozza has supervised at master’s level and is currently supervising at the PhD level with the University of Otago. Her expertise on international and national space law, is often called upon by a wide range of domestic and international clients and institutions.
Mr. Gene Turner, Managing Director, LawHawk Limited
Gene is Managing Director of legal automation specialists LawHawk. LawHawk focus on helping lawyers and businesses to improve and automate their legal and business processes, to improve efficiency and quality. Prior to founding LawHawk in 2015, Gene was a corporate & finance partner of Buddle Findlay from 2009 until retiring from partnership in 2014. As well as acting on a number of complex transactions, Gene led a number of the firm’s knowledge management initiatives. Gene is a fellow of World Commerce and Contracting and has been on the Advisory Board for the College of Law’s Centre for Legal Innovation since 2017 and is a regular contributor to the Centre’s programme. In addition to a Bcom/LLB (Hons), Gene has an MBA (Distinction) from Victoria University.
Ms. Laura Scampion, Managing Partner, DLA Piper
Laura Scampion is the New Zealand Country Managing Partner of DLA Piper, a global law firm with a presence in 40 countries. Laura is also Head of DLA Piper's Employment team, specialising in all employment aspects of large non-contentious projects, having worked in the UK and NZ with a range of employers, many of whom are internationally listed companies. Laura has a significant pro bono practice; leads DLA Piper's ESG programme; and was key in introducing HeadStart to New Zealand - a social mobility initiative aimed at breaking down socio economic barriers to a career in law. Laura sits on the Sustainable Business Council Advisory Board; sits on the OCS Advisory Board; the Board of DLA Piper New Zealand and is a member of Global Women in New Zealand.
Ms. Joanna Lim, Special Counsel, Simpson Grierson
Jo combines legal experience and experience as a director to bring a range of insights into managing climate change legal risks. She works with clients on understanding the legal risks, opportunities and compliance obligations related to the Emissions Trading Scheme, the “Zero Carbon Act” and the broader spectrum of laws and proposed laws that intersect with the physical and transitional (financial) impacts of climate change. Jo’s experience with public disclosure in the financial markets sector and with creating policies, procedures and controls also positions her well to dig into the steps needed to implement governance direction on an issue such as climate change legal risk. Jo is also a director of Market Gardeners Limited, a substantial co-operative company that distributes fresh produce and which is owned by growers in the horticulture sector. This gives her a real insight into the challenges of integrating climate change considerations into a business and its supply chain.
Mr. Bradley Aburn, Partner, Russell McVeagh
Bradley Aburn is a partner in Russell McVeagh's Competition and Consumer Law team. Bradley advises clients on the full range of competition and consumer law issues, including merger control issues, joint venture advice, cartel investigations, market power investigations, market studies, Fair Trading Act issues, and Commerce Commission prosecutions and appeals. Bradley is ranked a Next Generation Partner in Competition Law by the Legal 500 Asia-Pacific Guide and as Up and Coming by Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific Guide (New Zealand), recognised as a Best Lawyer in the Best Lawyers® 2024 Guide; named 'Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year' at the NZ Law Awards 2023; and as a Rising Star in 2023 in the NZ Lawyers list of the standout young stars from the New Zealand legal profession.
Ms. Sian Wingate, Legal Operations and Compliance Specialist, Sian Wingate Advisory
Sian Wingate is a seasoned in-house counsel with a passion for legal operations. Through her advisory consulting firm sianwingate.com, she helps overstretched in-house legal functions to free up their capacity so they can focus on what they do best: serving their organisations with their high-risk, high-value matters. Sian has more than a decade of in-house experience in successfully implementing her tried and tested techniques using her signature Legal Operations Framework. Her consulting services specialise in training and coaching sole counsel through to larger legal teams to utilise the free resources already available to them to create a foundation for successful delivery of their legal services. Services include legal operations audits, legal guidance resource creation, template vault development, team intranet knowledge banks and legal compliance framework design.
Ms. Petra Carey, Senior Associate, Russell McVeagh
Petra is a partner in Russell McVeagh's Competition and Regulation practice, advising clients on complex competition and regulatory matters across a range of industries. Her practice spans the full spectrum of competition matters, including advising clients on merger control processes for domestic and global M&A transactions, cartel and market power investigations, joint ventures, supply arrangements and competition market studies. Petra is recognised as a future leading lawyer by Who's Who Legal, is a recipient of ITR's Asia-Pacific Rising Star Award, is recognised by Best Lawyers® 2024 Guide and has been recommended by Legal 500.
Jessica Easton, Director, Easton Legal
Jessica Easton is a local government specialist, providing legal, commercial and strategic guidance to local authorities. She operates at all levels, supporting in-house lawyers, executive teams and Councillors reduce risk, while maintaining perspective on regional and national-level issues. Recent work has included post-Cyclone Gabrielle recovery and land categorisation work in the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, legal risk management following the Whakaari/White Island eruption, legal project management of Edgecumbe floods litigation and public transport service challenges through the Covid-19 pandemic. Having started her career in litigation for a large national firm in Australia, Jessica has worked in both private and public sectors since coming to New Zealand, most recently at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council where she established and led the in-house Legal and Commercial Team. Jessica has an in-depth knowledge of how local government works and the nature of public decision-making and accountability. She is attuned to sector-wide issues and understands the importance of the wider political context and the need for practical advice when applying a legal lens within the local government sector.
