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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Jennifer Sadoff

Deputy General Counsel, AvidXchange, Inc.

Dear ACC Charlotte Members and Friends,

As the clock ticks down during this wonderful time of year and I reflect on leading the ACC Charlotte Chapter throughout 2023, I am truly humbled and grateful to have served as your President. I have not only followed in the footsteps of so many exceptional Past Presidents, but I was given the opportunity to work with so many fantastic and dedicated professionals including our Officers, Board of Directors, Committee chairs and leaders, chapter members, sponsors, and, of course, our outstanding Chapter Administrators, Jane Nohr and Kathleen Smits. 

In October, several Board members, along with many members of our chapter, traveled to San Antonio for the ACC Annual Meeting.  It was a wonderful opportunity to represent our chapter and connect with so many of our sponsors over the course of three days.  Next year’s Annual Meeting will be held in Nashville, and I highly encourage you to consider attending this event since it is full of CLE opportunities, networking opportunities and a way to reconnect with old friends while making new ones!

We have also had a very busy 4th quarter right here at home and have enjoyed some fantastic events like: a GC roundtable event, a professional development event, a manufacturing affinity event, a women’s event, 2 social events, a community service event, a diversity event, 6 CLEs, our Sponsorship Appreciation event, and our Chapter Annual Meeting & Member Appreciation Event.

Speaking of the Chapter Annual Meeting & Member Appreciation Event on December 6th at The Hamilton… I would like to thank all who attended and congratulate all of our members who walked away with great prizes!

Again, I want to thank you for allowing me to serve as your Chapter President this year.  I am excited about what the future holds for our chapter, and I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome our next President, Lisa LaVigne, who will undoubtedly bring her enthusiasm and dedication to the role and ensure our chapter’s continued success throughout 2024.

I wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season and look forward to seeing you all in the new year!



Welcome ACC Charlotte New Members!

October 2023 - Present

Amy Crowe, In House Counsel, CaroMont Health, Inc.      

Matt Davis

Terilyn Dumas, Vice President & Assist. GC, Solenis

Claire Ferguson, Assistant General Counsel & Assistant Secretary, Gray Television, Inc.

Conor Fleming, Assistant General Counsel, Wells Fargo Law Department

Trapper Freeman, Corporate Counsel, Labor Employment & Litigation, Jeld-Wen, Inc.

Erin Gattis, Legal Counsel, Director, Belk, Inc.

Stephen Guardipee, Counsel – AT, BWX Technologies, Inc.

Justin Hampton, Vice President, Counsel, Critical Infrastructure, Parsons Corporation

James Hayes, EVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Jeld-Wen, Inc.

Glenn Jones, Senior Counsel – Litigation, Circle K Stores Inc.

Blade Metzer, Chief IP Counsel, Parsons Corporation

Amanda Miljenovic, Senior Counsel, Corporate and Financial Services, Albemarle Corporation

John Muller, AVP, Attorney, USAA

Samuel Nnamani, Associate General Counsel, Wells Fargo Law Department

Naomi Oglesby, Associate General Counsel, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.

Melinda Quick, Counsel, Wells Fargo Law Department

Matthew Straub, VP, Capital Projects Counsel, Albemarle Corporation

Jim Villanueva, Corporate Counsel, Jeld-Wen, Inc.

Lauren Walker, Corporate Counsel, CaroMont Health, Inc.

Nancy Wright, Associate General Counsel, Vanguard

New Member Lunch

12/1/23

Thank you to our new members who joined us for a special welcome at State of Confusion in SouthEnd. We loved getting a chance to meet so many of you and are excited to see you at our events in 2024! Thank you to Parker Poe for joining us in welcoming these new members!

PRIVACY 2023 - YEAR END WRAP UP

Erin Illman

Partner, Bradley

Privacy permeates almost all areas of business and 2023 was a particularly busy year. After 12 months of weekly (sometimes daily) changes to the privacy landscape this year we’ve created a cliff notes version of what you need to know about the biggest privacy developments in 2023.

“Critical Mass” of Enacted Comprehensive State Privacy Laws

At the end of 2023, the U.S. has twelve states that have now enacted comprehensive privacy laws.[1] While the laws vary in several ways, they generally all coalesce around the provision of individual rights to know, delete, correct, and opt-out of certain uses of data. Those companies who have not yet had to implement the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) should pay particular attention to the other states that are coming online in the next several months, as it is likely that these new states may apply to your business, even if California does not. For companies that have implemented CCPA, the newest round of regulations, as well as other state privacy laws, focus on additional requirements such as a privacy impact assessment or the use of automated decision-making technologies—these new obligations will likely require updates to most privacy compliance programs.

Privacy Litigation Expands

The novel, creative, strange, and (sometimes) compelling landscape of privacy litigation has evolved as Plaintiffs’ firms focus on privacy as a fertile ground for creative torts. This year we’ve seen claims relating to website trackers/targeted advertising, marketing, wiretapping, data incident, anti-trust, securities fraud, and unfair/deceptive harms, and can expect additional claims to be borne from existing laws and novel theories in 2024 and beyond.

While many of these novel litigation theories are currently playing out in various courts, it is important to understand the risk factors of various technologies, website functionalities, tracking platforms, and other data collection that could be considered sensitive or otherwise regulated under current non-privacy law.

Regulatory Scrutiny

Even without a comprehensive federal privacy statute, federal regulators have been busy focusing on privacy violations. In particular, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has become one of the de-facto federal privacy regulators. The FTC has focused its enforcement efforts on website tracking technologies in a joint statement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to hospital systems and telehealth providers. Similarly, the FTC, along with the SEC and other federal regulatory bodies have homed in on data security requirements, data breach notification, and data incident response preparation. Several recent FTC enforcement actions have focused on unfair and deceptive claims relating to inadequate data security, as well as, geolocation tracking, video surveillance, use of children’s data, and other allegations of misuse of sensitive personal data.

[1] Four of those laws are already in effect (California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Virginia). One law goes into effect this month (Utah). Three laws go into effect in 2024 (Montana, Oregon, and Texas). The remaining laws go into effect in 2025 or 2026 (Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, and Tennessee).



We have amped up our social media in 2023!

If you haven't already, please like and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

2023 Annual Meeting & Member Appreciation Event

12/6/23

We had a wonderful luncheon at The Hamilton with over 100 of our members attending! We elected a new slate of chapter officers plus two new board members; Mary-Karen Bierman (Director - Senior Counsel at Wastequip) and Kurt Meyers (Deputy General Counsel at Equitable). We thanked our committee leaders and members who worked hard to make our events so successful this year and celebrated with some fun awards and prizes. We are looking forward to newly formed committees for a packed calendar next year!

Sponsorship Appreciation Reception

11/6/23

Thank you to all our members who joined us to celebrate another wonderful year and to thank our 2023 Law Firm Sponsors! We enjoyed connecting with so many of our sponsors at this event and Heather White, our VP of Sponsorship and Programming, shared that all our 2023 sponsors have renewed their sponsorship for 2024!



General Counsel Roundtable:

Implications of Artificial Intelligence in the Modern Workplace

Sponsored by Bradley - 11/9/23

General Counsel peers and Bradley attorneys gathered for a high-level, interactive roundtable discussion that explores the legal issues impacted by the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This roundtable provided a unique platform for GCs and CLO’s to share insights, best practices, and strategies for tackling the legal complexities introduced by AI. ACC Charlotte GC Steering Committee & Bradley attorneys Chris Lam, Bailey King, and Anna-Bryce Hobson led the conversation surrounding key areas implicated by AI including data privacy, employment law, commercial contracts, and intellectual property ethical considerations.

Thank you to Bradley attorneys and members of our GC Steering Committee for helping facilitate this discussion:

Chris Lam, Partner, Bradley

Bailey King, Partner, Bradley

Anna-Bryce Hobson, Associate, Bradley

Stacy Gray, SVP, GC, & Corporate Secretary, Weisiger Group

John Grupp, VP America, Deputy GC, Arrival

Thank you to Bradley for sponsoring this GC event.



Career Advancement Insights: Expert Panel on Online Presence, Job Transitions, and Growth Strategies

Sponsored by Alston & Bird - 11/2/23

ACC Charlotte members joined us to learn the latest insights, strategies, and expert advice for enhancing an online presence, navigating career transitions, and propelling professional growth. Members joined our engaging panel discussion featuring a seasoned legal recruiter, a LinkedIn authority, and a member of Charlotte ACC as they share invaluable tips, tricks, and best practices to empower your career journey.

Thank you to our panelists:

Jeff Cordle, Sr. Marketing & Technology Mgr., Alston & Bird

Gina Mitch, Executive Senior Partner, Korn Ferry

Tim Lendino, Assistant GC, Compass Group USA

Jamila Granger, VP & Associate GC, Premier, Inc.

Thank you to Alston & Bird for sponsoring this professional development event.



Manufacturing Affinity Group: Summer Social

Sponsored by Shumaker - 9/28/23

The ACC Charlotte Manufacturing Affinity Group gathered with Shumaker attorneys at NODA Company Canteen for a summer social. Located in Camp North End, NODA Company Canteen is a tropical inspired art lounge, perfect for ending the summer with friends and colleagues. Shumaker provided light bites from Babe + Butcher, drinks, and a wonderful opportunity for our members to tour and learn more about the Camp North End development.

Thank you to Shumaker for sponsoring this Manufacturing Affinity Group event.

Sweet Spot: Nailed It! Baked Goods Decorating

Sponsored by Jackson Lewis - 10/26/23

ACC Charlotte’s women members gathered with attorneys from Jackson Lewis for a fun and low stress version of the TV competition show 'Nailed It' at an amazing local bakery called Sweet Spot. Event attendees were split into teams and had to work together to recreate fun monster themed cakes to match the Halloween season. The teams were judged based on a list of requirements such as “does the monster have horns?” and “does the monster have at least six eyes?” The competition was exciting but not overwhelming and all the women had an excellent time testing out different cake decorating techniques, learning from each other, and networking. The firm also treated attendees to an amazing food and beverage spread from Common Market, a well-known local restaurant. Everyone left having learned new skills and new connections with other ACC Charlotte members and Jackson Lewis attorneys.

Thank you to Jackson Lewis for sponsoring this women's event.



Autumn’s In the Air: A Fall Patio Party

Sponsored by Ogletree Deakins - 10/12/23

ACC Charlotte members were treated to a social event with Ogletree at Dilworth Tasting Room! Very heavy hors doeuvre's, drinks and absolutely perfect weather for a patio party!

Thank you to Ogletree for sponsoring this event.

Big Little Wine Tasting

Sponsored by Poyner Spruill - 11/14/23

Poyner Spruill treated our members to a private blind wine tasting led by Nouveau Wine Company! Attendees jumped into the world of wine as they uncovered the subtle and distinct nuances between wines crafted in the United States and Europe. The tasting offered selection of exquisite wines from both the US and Europe with expert-led discussions on wine profiles and origins, delectable heavy hors d'oeuvres and of course many opportunities to mingle and share tasting notes with fellow wine enthusiasts.

Thank you to Poyner Spruill for sponsoring this event.

Classroom Central Kits for a Cause

Sponsored by Moore & Van Allen - 11/30/23

Members and attorneys from Moore & Van Allen joined together for an amazing opportunity to make an impact by supporting Classroom Central. Attendees worked hard for about two hours filling "Kits for a Cause" and made a total of 1,000 homework, art, and wellness kits! We really appreciate the hard work put in by all who attended and especially to MVA for putting together this amazing event topped off with delicious food and drink at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery!

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



The Brooklyn Collective

Sponsored by Fox Rothschild - 11/16/23

ACC Charlotte members were treated to a tour and educated on the history of the three buildings that make up the historical block of the Brooklyn Collective in Charlotte. Local historian Dr. Tom Hanchett gave a brief presentation on the role of race, poverty and land use regulation on Mecklenburg County’s past and future. He discussed the history of segregation by race and income with emphasis on legal mechanisms such as deed restrictions, local zoning ordinances, and federal laws.

Thank you to Fox Rothschild for sponsoring this diversity event.



The Risks and Rise of Contingent Workers

Sponsored by Littler - 10/4/23

Speakers:

Stephen Dellinger, Office Managing Shareholder, Littler

Jill Evert, Of Counsel, Littler

Matt Brown, Of Counsel, Littler

Labor and employment trends are constantly changing, but one consistent theme employers have experienced over recent years is the rise of contingent workers and the shifting laws associated with them. In this 60-minute presentation, speakers discussed crucial trends, laws, and themes related to hiring contractors, such as the EEOC's enforcement focus on contingent workers, the DOL's Final Rule update, the rise of the ABC Test, pay transparency, A.I., ADA, investigations, and internal audits and health checks.

Thank you to Littler for sponsoring this CLE.

Annual Charlotte Ethics Program

Sponsored by McGuireWoods - 10/10/23

Speaker:

Tom Spahn, McGuireWoods

ACC Charlotte partnered with McGuireWoods for Tom Spahn's annual ethics program. This in-person-only event, a two-hour interactive program, used hypotheticals to address the most basic question preceding any conflicts analysis and many other ethics and privilege analyses: Who is your client? Topics also included client identity within the corporate entity, within the corporate family, during corporate stock and asset sale transactions, and when dealing with corporate employees.

Thank you to McGuireWoods for sponsoring this CLE.

The Lifecycle of a Contract

Sponsored by Robinson Bradshaw - 10/17/23

Speakers:

Elizabeth Tedford, Robinson Bradshaw

Jonathan Krisko, Robinson Bradshaw

Corporate attorney Elizabeth Tedford and litigator Jonathan Krisko joined force to review the lifecycle of a commercial contract, from drafting and negotiation considerations, through performance and potential later disputes. They highlighted key contractual provisions that can better protect you should a future dispute occur; identified the kinds of deal terms that are frequently ambiguous and give rise to disputes; and discussed how different dispute resolution mechanisms, which often are not the focus of contract negotiations, can impact the ultimate outcome of a commercial dispute. Members were also treated to a delicious buffet and cocktails at Legion Brewing following this CLE.

Thank you to Robinson Bradshaw for sponsoring this CLE. 

WEBINAR | Are You Ready? Managing the Major Corporate Crisis

Sponsored by Bradley - 11/28/23

Speakers:

Dana Lumsden, Partner, Bradley (Charlotte)

Megan Dawson McElvy, Partner, Bradley (Houston)

Steve Fernelius, Partner, Bradley (Houston)

In this webinar, Bradley’s lawyers addressed the myriad of challenges posed by a major corporate crisis, both to a business and its in house legal department. Topic included the necessity for pre-crisis planning and drilling, constant and coordinated post incident communication and coordination, consistent post- incident messaging, evidence preservation, internal investigations, government agency interactions (including regulatory issues and potential white collar criminal prosecution), and the likely need to defend against what can be years of mass, civil litigation.

Thank you to Bradley for sponsoring this CLE webinar. 

WEBINAR | Effectively Handling Employee Speech and Activism –

In and Out of the Office

Sponsored by Ogletree Deakins - 12/12/23

Presenters:

Mike Ray, Office Managing Shareholder, Ogletree Deakins

Brandon Shelton, Shareholder, Ogletree Deakins

From the water cooler to TikTok, employees are continuing to express their views on political and societal issues on topics such as sexual orientation, race, reproductive decisions, guns and more – often with the click of a button. With the 2024 elections on the horizon, and ongoing discussions across news and social media outlets on many topics, employers can expect to encounter even more polarized speech and activity in the coming year. In this presentation, speakers discussed the many potential legal issues associated with employee speech and activism, along with insights for respecting diversity of thought, while also maintaining corporate values and a safe and harmonious workplace.

Thank you to Ogletree Deakins for sponsoring this CLE.webinar.

WEBINAR | The Use of AI Tools in the Legal Profession

Sponsored by Womble Bond Dickinson (US) - 12/14/23

Presenters:

Jill Rothstein, Associate General Counsel, Womble Bond Dickinson

Ted Claypoole, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson

This CLE explored the ethical and business implications of lawyers' use of generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT. Speakers discussed relevant disciplinary rules and ethical considerations and provided illustrative examples throughout the presentation.

Thank you to Womble for sponsoring this CLE webinar.

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