Delaware Governance Institute

Past Events

Delaware Governance Institute

Thursday, October 12, 2023
9:30 am – 4:45 pm (8am registration)

CLAYTON HALL CONFERENCE CENTER
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
100 David Hollowell Drive
Newark, DE 19716

Agenda

WELCOME!

The John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance and the Corporate Governance Committee of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section will co-host the in-person Delaware Governance Institute.

This program will feature members of the Delaware judiciary, including the Honorable Collins J. Seitz, Jr., Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Honorable Kathaleen St. J. McCormick, Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery; members of the corporate community and plaintiff and defense attorneys, regulators, governance professionals, and institutional investors. In addition to the luncheon speaker(s), the Institute will consist of four panels, covering the most significant recent trends in Delaware law and corporate governance.

The topics to be explored by the Panels:

  • The ESG Pendulum Swings Back (or is it a “Wrecking Ball”?”)
  • The March of Caremark:  What must directors do to avoid stepping on landmines?
  • Conflict Transactions under a Microscope:  When does (and should) MFW apply?
  • Managing Everything, Everywhere, All at Once: How to have an effective board in these unusually challenging times

Speakers and panelists confirmed to date include:

  • The Honorable Collins J. Seitz, Jr., Chief Justice, Delaware Supreme Court
  • The Honorable Kathaleen St. J. McCormick, Chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery
  • Rick Alexander, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Shareholder Commons
  • Paul Atkins, Chief Executive, Patomak Global Partners; and former Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Lisa Boyd, Managing Director, Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
  • James Cole, Jr., Chairman & Chief Executive of The Jasco Group, LLC; Director and Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee, AIG
  • Lawrence A. Cunningham, Special Counsel, Mayer Brown; Professor Emeritus, George Washington University; and Director, Markel Group and other public companies
  • Michelle Edkins, Managing Director, Blackrock Investment Stewardship
  • Peggy Foran, Chief Governance Officer, Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary, Prudential Financial, Inc.
  • Mary Francis, Corporate Secretary and Chief Governance Officer, Chevron Corporation
  • Lawrence A. Hamermesh, Professor Emeritus, Widener University Delaware Law School
  • Meredith Kotler, Partner, Co-head Securities & Shareholder Litigation, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
  • Trevor S. Norwitz, Partner, Corporate, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
  • Frank M. Placenti, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
  • Melissa Sawyer, Partner, Global Head of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group and co-head of the Corporate Governance Practice, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
  • Gregory V. Varallo, Partner, Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP
  • Mary Beth Vitale, CEO and Principal, Pallera, LLC; Director, Luna Innovations
  • John W. White, Partner and Chair of the Corporate Governance and Board Advisory Practice, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP *

Keynote Speakers:

  • Elad L. Roisman, Partner, Corporate, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP; and former Commissioner and Acting Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Prashant Yerramalli, Vice President of Operations and Regulatory Affairs, Public; and former Chief of Staff for Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler
  • Robert Stebbins, Partner, Corporate & Financial Services Department and Co-Chair of the Corporate Governance practice, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP; and former General Counsel, Securities and Exchange Commission, Moderator
Speaker Bios

This program will be highly relevant as Delaware law and court decisions are highly influential on corporate and governance practices throughout the country.

Program Co-Chairs: Justin P. Klein, Director, John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, and Frank M. Placenti, Esq, Chair of the ABA Corporate Governance.Committee, and Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LP.

Steering Committee Members:  Louisa K. Cresson, Assistant Director, John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance; Katayun Jaffari, Chair-elect of the ABA Corporate Governance Committee, chair of the Corporate Governance Group, co-chair of the Capital Markets & Securities Group, and co-chair of the ESG Practice, Cozen O’Connor; John W. White, Partner and Chair of the Corporate Governance and Board Advisory Practice, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP; Tammy L. Mercer, Chair of the Corporate Litigation and Counseling Section, Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP; Patricia O. Vella, Partner, Corporate Counseling, Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP; and Trevor S. Norwitz, Partner, Corporate, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

CLE: CLE credit will be offered. Materials will be sent in advance of the program.

Resource Materials

Media Coverage