ACC Docket

Headshot Have you checked out one of ACC Docket’s latest columns, "Day in the Life" ? Spend a day in the life of Fern Zappala, General Counsel/VP/Chief Compliance Officer, American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists

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Nancy A. Nord, Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Former ACC President (1982 – 1991) urges in-house counsel to reach out to regulators with advice from their "real-world experience." She says getting involved early, when regulators are putting together the record that will support regulations, is most effective. This is a supplement to Docket's Jan/Feb cover story: "Building a Global Compliance Department."

David Weyant, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Alberta Health Services, shares takeaways from ACC Alberta's first event, "A View From the Top," which offered solutions to challenges for in-house counsel in Calgary.

Therese Lee, Global Ethics & Compliance Counsel for Google, shares why she loves her job.

The award-winning ACC Docket is the journal of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). It is the only professional journal written by in-house counsel for in-house counsel. More than 35,000 readers worldwide depend on ACC Docket for timely news and practical advice they can apply to their daily practice.

2013 May Cover Story

Hoarders Beware: Defensible Data Disposal is Good Business

30-Second Summary: A defined workflow process, strategic planning, thorough documentation, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities are all important elements of implementing a defensible disposal practice. The first step involves forming a team. In assembling the core team, consider including representatives from legal, IT, records management and business units. Members of this team should have knowledge of corporate policies, programs, systems, processes and records management practices, and should have relationships with outside vendors who may store or manage the company’s data. The next step of implementing a defensible disposal practice involves assessing current practices and requirements; be sure to determine whether there are any special circumstances that may need to be taken into account with regard to certain data sets. Finally, develop a project management plan.
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Also in the 2013 May Global Issue

Disputes and Litigation: Tame the Two-headed Beast
The Case Is Closed. Where Are Your Documents?
Litametrics: Analytics for Selecting Your Dream Team
Push or Pull? Deciding How Much Oversight Is Required of In-house Counsel in eDiscovery

In the latest edition of Canadian Briefings……

“Beefing Up Canada’s Anti-Corruption Legislation” By Stephen Nattrass and Alison G. FitzGerald, with special commentary by Randy Milner, general counsel, Methanex Corporation.

Read the entire issue of Canadian Briefings in the 2013 May Digital Docket.

Janice More, winner of the ILO and ACC Europe's European General Counsel of the Year award

Here, Janice More, vice president, European general counsel, company secretary at HJ Heinz, and winner of the ILO and ACC Europe's European General Counsel of the Year award, comments on the Brussels Court of Appeals' recognition of in-house privilege. Be sure to pick up the June issue for more on Janice More’s interview with ACC Docket.

Digital Docket Exclusives

Acing the In-house Department Performance Review

30-Second Summary: After a thorough performance review, the legal team of Revera, Inc. concluded that it could improve by determining for itself what role it should be playing relative to each objective of the strategic plan, implementing a better process for the intake of matters and the reviewing of contracts, and converging areas of significant external referral to single specialty firm providers.

Technology-Assisted Review: Use It or Lose It?

30-Second Summary: By ranking documents according to the likelihood that they are relevant, Technology-Assisted Review (TAR) can dramatically reduce the time and cost of document review, and enable a party to concentrate its efforts on the most important documents needed to prosecute or defend the merits of a case. TAR is a tool that must be used in conjunction with expert help and a sound workflow, which employs an iterative plan, frequent sampling and documentation of results.

Managing Information Using Reasonableness

30-Second Summary: Courts have been evolving their approach to reasonableness in the context of information governance. Reasonableness for organizations with vast amounts of information now requires simplification of records retention rules, taking information management activities away from employees and allowing technology to play a greater role. Organizations must rely on technology tools to ensure that records are not destroyed before policy allows, and evidence is available when required.

Understanding Key Aspects of Litigating in Canada

30-Second Summary: The employment at-will doctrine, which is common in the United States, does not apply in Canada. Under Canadian law, when employees are terminated without cause, they are entitled to severance pay or a period of notice of termination. Another difference between the two countries’ legal systems is in corporate law. In Canada, oppression remedies can be applied broadly. Additionally, the rules of discovery in the Canadian legal system are much more restrictive.