ACC St. Louis November Newsletter

Monthly News & Updates

November 2023

Upcoming Events

See what's happening in the coming weeks:

ACC Saint Louis Wins

Two 2023 Chapter Achievement Awards

at the ACC Annual Meeting!

The St. Louis Chapter was selected as the winner of two 2023 Chapter Achievement Awards in the mid-sized chapter category!

(Above: Best Partnership Program Award presented for the April 14, 2023 Using Leadership and Decision-Making to Overcome Current Business and Legal Challenges event in partnership with Washington University Olin School of Business.)

(Above: Innovative Programming Effort Award presented for the March 31, 2023 Artful Observations with a Diversity Lens event at the Saint Louis Art Museum.)

Nominations Date Change

for the 2024 St. Louis Business Journal Corporate Counsel Awards!

The due date for next year's St. Louis Business Journal Corporate Counsel Award nominations has changed from the standard April deadline to January 8th. Please visit: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/nomination/87700/2024/corporate-counsel-awards-2024#/ to nominate a friend or colleague.

(Above: (Front-Back/L-R) - Jennifer Denny, speaker at the Better Call Saul ethics program, poses with ACCSTL President, Jenny Herner, and Vice President, Beverly Garner, all of whom participated in the 2023 ACC Annual Meeting Leadership Program / Susan Wagner, ACCSTL Administrator; Jenny Herner; Christina Gonzalez, ACC Global Vice Chair; Gregg Standeford, member; Bob Jett, member; Beverly Garner; Jennifer Denny, member; and Veta Richardson, ACC Global President and CEO.

It’s Not Easy Being Green:

Recognizing (and Avoiding) Potential Greenwashing Claims

By: Nora Faris, John Kindschuh and Steve Poplawski, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Driven by consumers’ heightened focus on environmental sustainability, companies are increasingly seeking to market their products as cleaner and greener. And while marketers tout these claims, plaintiffs’ counsel stand ready to pounce—challenging overstated and under-substantiated (i.e., “greenwashed”) environmental marketing messages. While claiming to be “committed to environmental sustainability” may seem innocuous or aspirational, such claims can still form the basis for class action suits under false advertising, consumer protection, or securities laws. With plaintiffs’ attorneys “seeing green” when it comes to greenwashed marketing and advertising, companies should learn to recognize the red flags of (and put the red light on) unsupported environmental claims.

I. Greenwashing: An Introduction

As the name suggests, “greenwashing” is “the act or practice of making a product, policy, [or] activity. . .appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is.” Recent greenwashing cases involve selected industries beyond the usual targets of mining, manufacturing, and oil and gas extraction. From airlines to agribusinesses, chain restaurants to fashion retailers, if a business is saying something about its environmental footprint, it may end up paying something if its actions toward environmental sustainability do not live up to its marketing claims.

ACC STL Members Enjoy a Heat-Delayed

Yet Rejuvenating

2023 Golf Event

Despite a weather-induced postponement, the Association of Corporate Counsel – St. Louis Chapter's annual Golf event proved to be a resounding success, offering members a chance to unwind, connect, and gain valuable insights.

Originally scheduled for August, the golf tournament was moved to October due to an excessive heat wave at the time. The rescheduled tournament took place on October 13 at the picturesque Forest Park Golf Course, where Bob Craddick, Steve Lillis, Brandon Hall, and Calvin Matthews formed the winning team.

In August, members also attended a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminar, providing a comprehensive overview of current legal trends and issues.

"The CLE program for the event is very topical and full of useful information," remarked Bob Craddick, 2023 ACC STL Golf & Spa Chairperson and Reliant Care Management Company In-House Counsel. "The Four Seasons spa is the best in St. Louis and the golf course is first-rate."

ACC STL Celebrates 2023 National Pro Bono Month

Members volunteer

to provide

free legal counsel

to individuals and families

by partnering with local organizations

ACC STL members are giving back to the community in a big way during National Pro Bono Month, volunteering dozens of hours of free legal counsel and guidance, and volunteering for community services projects.

Patricia Duft, the 2023 ACC STL Pro Bono Chairperson, and Senior Legal Director at Medtronic, says that ACC STL members consistently step up and show up to provide much needed free legal counsel to underserved communities, families, and individuals.

"By giving back to the St. Louis legal community, we gain much more personally than we professionally give to the clients we serve by preserving access to legal services," said Duft. "This is the foundation of our legal framework."

During the past several years, ACC STL members have worked with many not-for-profits, including:

Call for Programming Topics!

ACC St. Louis values the input and ideas of our members, and we are looking for you to make suggestions for upcoming programming ideas.

Submit Your Ideas Here

Leaving your name and contact information is optional. We appreciate you!

What’s Coming? 2024 In-House Legal Hiring and Compensation Trends

By: Megan Usovsky, Robert Half

Corporate legal teams continue to handle more work in-house while facing pressure to control outside counsel costs. Using fresh insights from the Robert Half Salary Guide For 2024, this article will shed some light on the major trends impacting the world of corporate counsel and in-house legal roles.

A candidate-friendly hiring market

Bringing in the talent you need has never been more crucial. The current market largely favors job seekers, not employers. With more open positions than qualified candidates to fill them, a striking 93% of managers find it hard to secure the skilled professionals they need.

Legal organizations that are winning the talent race offer competitive compensation packages, embrace remote and hybrid work options and strategically use contract talent.

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