Spring 2007 Speaker Series
Spring '07 Luncheon Speaker Series
This series features practitioners and other experts exploring issues at the intersection of law and business.
All seminars are from 12:45 to 2:00 pm. Lunch will be provided. MCLE credit is available.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Boalt Hall, Room 105
"From Corporate Lawyer to Venture Capitalist to CEO – One Boalt Graduate’s Journey”
Craig Walker ’95
CEO
GrandCentral
Since graduating from Boalt in ’95, Craig Walker has traversed the world of law and business -- first as a corporate and securities attorney, then as a venture capitalist, next as the CEO taking a once-hot start-up through bankruptcy and out into an acquisition by Yahoo, and currently as the CEO of a recently funded technology start-up, GrandCentral.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Boalt Hall, Room 105
“Arbitration of International Commercial and Investment Disputes”
Steven Smith ’83
Partner
O’Melveny & Myers
The resolution of international disputes through arbitration raises complex issues of jurisdiction, law and culture. Steve Smith, the Chair of O’Melveny & Myers’ International Arbitration practice, will provide a brief overview of the practice, followed by a case study of a large, complex arbitration in London with a foreign state-owned energy company.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Boalt Hall, Room 105
“Business Strategies for Building a Sustainable Future”
Aron Cramer ’89
President and CEO
Business for Social Responsibility 
Watch Video (Quicktime Required)
Is corporate social responsibility an oxymoron? Not according to Business for Social Responsibility, a global organization that helps its member companies achieve success in ways that respect ethical values, people, communities and the environment. BSR provides information, tools, training and advisory services to make corporate social responsibility an integral part of business operations and strategies. This session will explore the intersection between business strategy and corporate social responsibility.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Boalt Hall, Room 105
“Protecting the Shareholder: Proxy Voting on Behalf of Investors – Barclays’ Global Investors”
Abe Friedman ’98 Director – Corporate Governance & Proxy Voting
Barclay’s Global Investors
Institutional investors are some of the largest shareholders of US and foreign companies and, through their proxies, have huge sway over corporate governance. How do these investors evaluate a company's corporate governance and decide how to vote proxies on behalf of the fund's shareholders? Abe Friedman is responsible for voting the shares of Barclay's Global Investors, one of the world’s largest asset managers with over $1.6 trillion in assets.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Boalt Hall, Room 105
“The New Executive Compensation Disclosure: Total Compensation or Total Confusion?”
Donna Petkanics ’85
Partner
Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and RosatiWatch Video (Quicktime Required)
The SEC has enacted new rules on executive compensation disclosure, in part in response to perceived excesses. Will these new disclosure rules make any difference or will they cause more obfuscation? Donna Petkanics' practice focuses on advice to emerging growth companies, with an emphasis on corporate and securities issues. She has served in a number of leadership positions with Wilson Sonsini, including as a Member of the Executive Management Committee, the Policy Committee and Managing Director of Operations.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Boalt Hall, Room 105
“Representing Jeffrey Skilling at Trial”
Matt Kline ’99
Counsel
O’Melveny & Myers
What considerations are at play when representing a high profile client accused of the corporate crime that defined an era? Matt Kline served on the trial team that represented Jeffrey Skilling, former CEO of Enron. He shares insights and lessons from that experience.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Boalt Hall, Room 140
"Lessons from the H-P Pretexting Case -- Representing Patricia Dunn"
James Brosnahan
Senior Partner, Morrison & Foerster
and S. Raj Chatterjee
Partner, Morrison & Foerster
The pretexting scandal AT Hewlett Packard resulted in criminal charges against a number of people, including the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, Patricia Dunn. The scandal arose after H-P hired investigators who then used false information to obtain phone and other records of Board members (and journalists) to find the source of several unauthorized leaks. Last month, all criminal charges against Patricia Dunn were dropped. Two members of her legal team, James Brosnahan, lead counsel, and Raj Chatterjee, Morrison and Foerster, will discuss the scandal and the legal proceedings that led to the dismissal.
To RSVP go here or for further information, please contact us at: BCLBE@law.berkeley.edu