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4TH QUARTER - 2022

John Grupp

ACC Charlotte President, 2022

Happy holidays, ACC Charlotte Chapter Members!

As is often the case when a year comes to an end, we take a few minutes to look back and reflect on our goals at the beginning of the year to then assess how we did.  In my Q1 message, I signaled optimism that the collective “we” – our Chapter, our businesses and ourselves – were emerging from the challenges, difficulties and changes caused by COVID-19, and I asked each member to re-engage and re-invest in the Chapter.  I can proudly say that our Chapter leadership, members and sponsors responded!  We successfully conducted 60 events and maintained both our membership count and all our sponsors heading into 2023.  We had opportunities to meet together again in person, but also continued to offer virtual events to accommodate our members’ work settings and schedules. We should all be proud of the Chapter’s success.  ACC National also recognized this effort, awarding our Chapter a Silver Chapter of Distinction Award at the Annual Meeting in October.  Kudos to all!

Many thanks to the 2022 Chapter Board of Directors for their hard work and dedication to our chapter – Chris Egner, Stacy Gray, Lisa LaVigne, Jennifer Sadoff, Megan Scholz, John Seymour, Sharika Shropshire, Noelle Sproul, Shandra Stout, Tricia McDermott and Antoinette Walters.  Also, thanks to our Committee and Affinity Group Chairs whose work allowed the Chapter to offer such great programming and variety of events and opportunities for our members – Anna Blackwelder, Alysja Carlisle, Leti Padilla DeTruman, Chris Egner, Trent Kirk, Tim Lendino, Kurt Myers, Kimberly Owens, Heather White and Suzanne Williams.  Finally, the foundation for our Chapter’s success rests with our passionate and tireless Executive Director, Jane Nohr and Assistant Executive Director, Kathleen Smits.  Special thanks to Jane and Kathleen!

It has been a privilege to serve as the Chapter’s President in 2022.  I remain just as excited today about the Chapter’s opportunities and potential for further development and growth as I did in January.  With your continued support and engagement, I know we will have more to celebrate in 2023 and future years.  

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday season and that you can celebrate and spend time with family, friends and colleagues. 

With much gratitude and appreciation,

John Grupp

Welcome ACC Charlotte New Members!

September - November 2022

Julie Adams, Assistant General Counsel, Novant Health Inc.

Kim Allison, Manager, Contracts and Licensing, Midrex Technologies, Inc.

Justin Campoli, Senior Counsel, Wells Fargo Law Department

Carla Centanni, Associate Corporate Counsel, CommScope

Sarah Clark, Counsel, Wells Fargo Law Department

Brandon Crainer, Employment Counsel, Sunbelt Rentals, Inc.

Chad Crockford, Senior Counsel, Wells Fargo Law Department

Isaac Dickson, Associate Counsel, Wells Fargo Law Department

Keegan Girodo, Marketing Counsel, NASCAR, Inc.

Kristy Gonowon, Corporate Counsel, Lowe's Companies, Inc.

Danielle Hall, Corporate Counsel, Compass Group USA, Inc.

Steven Halpern, Associate General Counsel, Hayward Industries, Inc.

Holland Hawkins, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Truist

Dondrea Jackson, Counsel, Wells Fargo Law Department

Kristen Kenley, Corporate Counsel, Brighthouse Financial

Joyce Lee, Media Counsel, NASCAR, Inc.

Urenna Lekwauwa, Associate General Counsel, Global Corporate Compliance, Vantage Data Centers

Sherry Lowe Johnson, General Counsel, VP, Corporate Secretary, Volvo Construction Equipment

Steve Martin, Deputy General Council, Vaya Health

Amy McLean, Corporate Counsel, INSP, LLC

Rufus Meyers, Senior Counsel, Wells Fargo Law Department

Lauren Mogensen, Global General Counsel, Bank of America Corporation

Davita Morgan, Counsel, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

George Morrison, Associate General Counsel & Director, Bank of America Corporation

Adamma Muise, Lead Counsel & Vice President, Wells Fargo Law Department

Saiyani Mukombe, Counsel, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.

Brittany Mullen, Senior Counsel  Regulatory and Risk Division, Wells Fargo Law Department

Claudia Pamperin, Compliance Counsel, New Western Acquisitions

Carl Pierce, Associate GC - Patents, Electrolux Corporation

Molly Poole, Legal Counsel, SERC Reliability Corporation

Joshua Rankin, Senior Counsel, Wells Fargo Law Department

Josh Smith, Sr. Director of Compliance, Pink Energy

Lindsay Smith, Senior Legal Counsel, Knowledge Management

Emily Solley, In-house counsel, Mystery

Lakai Vinson, Attorney, Wells Fargo Law Department

David Wiles, Manager eDiscovery Operations, Lowe's Companies, Inc.

Jordana Zerykier, Corporate Counsel, Brighthouse Financial

New Member Lunch

Sponsored by Parker Poe - 12/2/22

Thank you to Parker Poe for joining us to welcome our newest members to ACC Charlotte over lunch at Midnight Mulligan Brewery. Great food and conversation was enjoyed by all!

Thank you to Parker Poe for sponsoring this event.



We have had a number of fun events this quarter including not only our usual CLEs but several women's events, social events, affinity events, and even TWO community service events. Thank you to all those who joined us over the last couple months and all those who continue to pour into our Chapter. ACC Charlotte is lucky to have such active membership and leadership. Please enjoy these photos and memories as we head into the new year!

Thanks to all who joined us on Monday, November 7 to thank our 2022 law firm sponsors! We had a wonderful time celebrating another successful year with all of you at El Thrifty Social in Optimist Park.

Members had a great time catching up at our return to Byron's for the 2022 Annual Meeting and Member Appreciation Event. We reviewed the year, approved the slate for 2023, and raffled off some great prizes. Congratulations to our 2023 Executive Board, listed below, and thank you in advance for your continued commitment to ACC Charlotte!

President

Jennifer Sadoff, Deputy General Counsel, AvidXchange, Inc.

President-Elect

Lisa LaVigne, Senior Corporate Counsel, Premier Inc.

Secretary

Shandra Stout, Associate General Counsel, Raytheon Technologies

Treasurer (2-year term)

John Seymour, General Counsel, MSS Solutions (2^nd year) 

VP Sponsorship & Programming (2-year term)

Heather White, Head of Global Employment Law, All Spring Global Investments (1^st year)

Past President

John Grupp, Vice President/Deputy General Counsel, Arrival

New At-Large Directors (serving 3-year terms)

Heyward Bouknight, Assistant General Counsel, National Gypsum

Tim Lendino, Assistant General Counsel, Compass Group, USA

Remaining At-Large Director (serving 2^nd year of 3-year term)

Chris Egner, Attorney, Continental

Megan Scholz, Senior VP & Assistant General Counsel, Bank of America

Sharika Shropshire, Associate General Counsel, Ally

Tricia Thompkins, General Counsel, Shoe Show

Our 2023 Law Firm Sponsors are now updated for next year on our website. We were proud to announce at this meeting that ALL of our 2022 sponsors have renewed for 2023! If you have a personal connection to any of these firms, please thank them for renewing their sponsorship for and let them know how much we look forward to connecting with them in the new year.

Manufacturing Affinity Event:

Final Summer Bash

Sponsored by Shumaker - 9/22/22

Attendees met at the Wine Room at Roosters SouthPark for delicious bites, even more delicious wine, and a casual roundtable discussion. Members brought their own topics of conversation and David Conaway, Partner at Shumaker, discussed Shumaker’s recent 11th Circuit win.

Thank you to Shumaker for sponsoring this event.



Community Service Event: Classroom Central

Sponsored by Moore & Van Allen - 10/11/22

ACC Charlotte members and Moore & Van Allen assembled classroom kits to benefit Classroom Central. Classroom Central provides basic learning tools that more than half of the families in our region cannot afford. Following this task for this very worthy cause, our members enjoyed delicious OMB beverages and food.

Thank you to Moore & Van Allen for sponsoring this event.

Community Service Event: Support Our Troops

Sponsored by Bradley - 11/15/22

ACC Charlotte members and Bradley partnered with the Support Our Troops organization to pack holiday gift boxes to be sent to our deployed troops. We enjoyed the camaraderie of pitching in for a great cause!

Thank you to Bradley for sponsoring this event.

Wine + Cheese Please!

Sponsored by Robinson Bradshaw - 9/28/22

ACC Charlotte and Robinson Bradshaw women gathered at Mere's on Park Road to celebrate fall with delicious wine and cheese. Mere's is self-described as a wine boutique that channels the personality of European-style fromageries! Great food, drink, and conversation was enjoyed by all.

Thank you to Robinson Bradshaw for sponsoring this event.

AR Workshop pARty!

Sponsored by Littler - 10/27/22

ACC Charlotte women members and Littler attorneys created customized doormats at AR Workshop during this event and enjoyed an absolutely amazing charcuterie spread. AR Workshop offers DIY workshops for home decor and other creative skills through classes and group events. The company was founded locally in Pineville, NC and now has over 150 franchised locations across the country.

Thank you to Littler for sponsoring this event.

Distillery Tastings & Tour

Sponsored by Alston & Bird - 10/4/22

ACC Charlotte members and Alston & Bird attorneys met at Great Wagon Road Distillery for an evening of spirit tastings, a production tour and happy hour. Great Wagon Road is the oldest distillery in Charlotte and they taught us how they meticulously and artfully craft their spirits. Beer, mocktails, and nonalcoholic beverages were served and everyone was raving about the amazing food options provided as well!

Thank you to Alston & Bird for sponsoring this event.

Pins Mechanical Games & Libations

Sponsored by Ogletree Deakins - 10/18/22

ACC Charlotte members and Ogletree attorneys enjoyed an evening of old school fun at Pins Mechanical Co. - featuring nostalgic arcade games, pinball, duckpin bowling, food and craft beverages.

Thank you to Ogletree Deakins for sponsoring this event.

Holiday Season Kickoff

Sponsored by Poyner Spruill - 11/10/22

Our members kicked off the holiday season with Poyner Spruill by sipping amazing cocktails, enjoying tasty snacks, and networking at the popular Trolley Barn Fermentory & Food Hall. Located in the historic Atherton Mill in South End, the Trolley Barn is a short walk from the light rail station and has an unobstructed view of Uptown. 

Thank you to Poyner Spruill for sponsoring this event.



Tough Negotiations:

Using Social Science and Basic Human Tendencies to Get Better Results

Sponsored by Kilpatrick Townsend - 10/6/22

Speaker:

Joe Dowdy

Kilpatrick Townsend

Offered as a hybrid (in-person in Winston-Salem AND virtual) CLE event, this presentation provided our members with effective negotiation strategies to use in a variety of different situations including difficult opponents, unfavorable situations, hard bargaining tactics, and communication breakdowns. Joe Dowdy, Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend, shared experiences and provided insight and information about enhancing the attendees’ ability to negotiate effectively by incorporating social science-based approaches and accounting for basic human tendencies.

Thank you to Kilpatrick Townsend for sponsoring this event.

Ethical Issues in Internal Investigations:

Privileges, Representation, and Confidentiality

Sponsored by Bradley - 10/13/22

Presenter:

Jon Ferry

Bradley

When planning an internal investigation, corporate counsel must keep in mind the significant ethical issue that can arise in the course of such investigations. Stumbling over issues without advance planning can not only result in legal risk to a client, but in a personal professional risk to corporate counsel. This CLE explored major ethical issues in the Model Rule of Professional Conduct that emerge in the course of internal investigations. The presenter, Jon Ferry, is a former federal prosecutor and government ethics officer. He is now a partner in Bradley’s Government Enforcement and Investigations practice group and routinely conducts internal investigations for clients. He used case examples to highlight ethical issues in internal investigations and provide practice pointers on how to avoid violation of such rules. 

Thank you to Bradley for sponsoring this event.

Supreme Court 2022 Term Preview

Sponsored by McGuireWoods - 11/3/22

Presenters:

Kathryn Barber, Jonathan Ellis, Matthew Fitzgerald, & Benjamin Hatch

McGuireWoods

On October 3, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court kicked off its 2022-23 Term. During this virtual CLE, McGuireWoods’ Appeals and Issues Team members and former Supreme Court clerks provided an overview of current trends at the Court and upcoming high-profile cases to keep an eye on this year that touch on matters involving affirmative action, voting rights, the scope of federal power, and more.

Thank you to McGuireWoods for sponsoring this webinar. 

An Update on the Latest Cases and Trends in the ADA,

FMLA and Related Laws

Sponsored by Jackson Lewis - 11/9/22

Presenter:

Bernard Tisdale

Jackson Lewis

This virtual presentation covered the latest cases and trends in the ADA, FMLA and related laws, including the latest accommodation challenges and leave law headaches. This past year has seen a flurry of cases addressing military leave, parental leave, pregnancy, light duty and more. Bernard also addressed the lasting effect the pandemic may have on accommodation issues.

Thank you to Jackson Lewis for sponsoring this webinar. 

The Best Defense is a Good Offense:

Why you should focus on ERISA fiduciary governance

Sponsored by Robinson Bradshaw - 11/17/22

Presenter:

Heather Ryan

Robinson Bradshaw

ERISA class actions continue to increase, but Robinson Bradshaw attorney Heather Ryan shared how a good fiduciary structure and process can greatly mitigate this risk. Heather will discuss ERISA litigation trends and break down fiduciary process best practice for us in an easy, digestible manner. Our members enjoyed a fun happy hour following this CLE!

Thank you to Robinson Bradshaw for sponsoring this webinar.

Top Multi-State Compliance Issues For Employers

Sponsored by Ogletree Deakins - 12/1/22

Presenters:

Michael Ray & Allen Thomas

Ogletree Deakins

With the explosion of remote work during and following the COVID pandemic, more employers than ever are dealing with employees scattered throughout the county, and are facing the daunting challenge of complying with a patchwork of state and local laws. This informative webinar discussed a variety of compliance issues for multi-state employers including: 

• Structuring and updating employee handbooks and policies to deal with multi-state issues;
• Implementing enforceable restrictive covenant agreements to protect proprietary business information and interests in multiple states; and
• Multi-state issues associated with remote and hybrid workers, such as wage and hour and expense reimbursement issues. 

Thank you to Ogletree for sponsoring this webinar.

The Attorney Client Privilege:

Automatic Confidential Protection or Always Causing Problems?

Sponsored by Womble - 12/13/22

Presenter:

Sarah Stone

Womble Bond Dickinson

ACC Charlotte members enjoyed a refresher on the basics of privilege and work product protection, including the application of Upjohn in the in-house setting. Following a review of the basic rules (using federal court case law and the ABA Model Rules), several everyday scenarios that are applicable to in-house teams were reviewed, with a focus on practical guidance and a survey of recent key decisions in this area. We also enjoyed cocktails and appetizers during and after, courtesy of Womble!

Thank you to Womble for sponsoring this event.

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