Welcome Evening Drinks Reception:
Monday, 19 June 2023, 6.00 pm – 8.30 pm 
One-Day Conference:
Tuesday, 20 June 2023, 8.30 am – 5.45 pm, with closing drinks 5.45 pm – 7.30 pm
Venue:
Saddlers’ Hall, 40 Gutter Lane, London EC2V 6BR 

The 4th IFSEA International Conference on Risk, Reward, Regulatory and Reputation Management Issues for Senior Executives & Founders took place on 20 July 2023 in London. Full details of the programme sessions can be found here and below.

Conference Sponsors:

We are very grateful to the members of the IFSEA International Advisory Board for all of their support in helping us devise this programme: Danny J. Kaufer, Wendi S. Lazar, Mark Risk, Kelly Dermody, Joydeep Hor, Lindsey Wagner, Lori L. Deem, and Merrill April.

View more photos from the IFSEA Conference here.

Full Conference Programme:

Please see below the full programme or download a copy here.

Monday 19 June 2023

18.00-20.00

Welcome Evening Drinks Reception, with  Keynote Speaker, Robert Tysall-Blay, Former CEO of Careflow Medicines Management (CMM) and Chair of Techuk’s Health and Social Care Council Courtyard Kindly sponsored by our headline conference sponsor, Innangard

Tuesday 20 June 2023 

08.00-08.45	Registration and Breakfast Courtyard Kindly sponsored by Sherin and Lodgen
08.45-09.00	IFSEA Chair and Conference Sponsor Welcome
09.00-10.00	Opening Plenary Session Great Hall
	Ethical handling of Executive Investigations:  Are sloppy investigations, or overzealous investigations under ‘zero tolerance” policies, potentially ruining careers of good professionals and executives, or are they regarded as the inevitable price of ensuring justice for victims overall? Is dismissal now effectively the default outcome for executives? What are the ethical implications of investigations and what does best practice look like?
	Carol Davis KC, Littleton Chambers, UK Meriel Schindler, Withers, UK Kristen Prinz, The Prinz Law Firm, Chicago, USA Claire Cross, Corker Binning, UK Co-chairs: Lindsey Wagner, Moxie Mediation & Workplace Investigations, California, USA & Beth Hale CM Murray UK
10.00-11.00	Plenary Session Great Hall
	Turning up the heat to stamp out harassment: A recent high-profile court decision in Delaware has allowed shareholders to sue the former Global Chief People Officer of McDonalds for alleged breach of his fiduciary duties, in allegedly failing to attempt to prevent systemic sexual harassment at the company. In the UK draft legislation is being considered to introduce a mandatory duty on employers to eradicate sexual harassment and also introducing liability for third party harassment.  What will be the likely impact of these and other developments and what more should executives be doing to ensure effective oversight of their organisations and to protect their people against harassment?
	Colleen Cleary, CC Solicitors, Ireland Cathleen Scott, Scott Law Team LLC, Florida, USA Andrew Pavlovic, CM Murray LLP, UK Carl-Fredrik Hedenström, CFH Law Firm, Sweden Cathy Qu, River Delta Law Firm, Shanghai, PRC Chair: Sarah Chilton, CM Murray LLP, UK
11.00-11.30	Breakout Session 1 Great Hall		Breakout Session 2 Livery Room
	Board Pay: Heightened scrutiny of CEO and executive compensation:  Investors on both sides of the Atlantic are looking hard at the rise in CEO and executive compensation, with a more focused lens on whether compensation increases are matched to meeting ESG and other targets.  What impact will the PRA and FCA consultation on proposed removal of existing limits on bonus cap in the financial services sector have on CEO and executive compensation?		How Executives get the best out of their teams against a backdrop of changing employee cultural and generational behaviours, expectations and the new “quiet constraint”.
	Teresa L. Johnson, Arnold & Porter, California, USA Dr. Johannes Traut, Seitz, Germany Chair: Emma Bartlett, CM Murray LLP, UK		Joydeep Hor, People + Culture Strategies, Australia  Louise O’Connor, CM Murray LLP, UK
11.30-11.45	Coffee Break Livery Room
11.45-12.30	Breakout Session 3 Great Hall	Breakout Session 4 Livery Room
	Engaging constructively with the activist workforce:  How do we help business leaders to engage, understand and collaborate constructively with unions, works councils and activist employee, especially in a TikTok world, for the best outcomes for business, the workforce and the public opinion? The strategies and the pitfalls.	Understanding executive equity valuations and handling repurchase/clawback disputes:  Repurchase rights can often be lurking in the fine print of equity grants and can leave executives vulnerable to forfeiture of their equity at diminished valuations, especially on termination. Different valuation methods yield a range of results, and it is important for an executive to know what to ask for upfront, to avoid surprises down the road and also to understand 'Cause' and 'Good Reason' and good leaver/bad leaver clauses in employment agreements, Shareholder/LTIP agreements, Phantom shares and stock options.
	Georgina Calvert-Lee, Bellevue Law, UK Pål Kvernaas, Haavind AS, Norway  Carlos Pareja Frade, Augusta, Spain  Chair: Danny J. Kaufer, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Canada	Amy Shulman, Outten & Golden LLP, NY, USA Inge Arts, Van Hall Advocaten, Netherlands Richard Bibby, Managing Director, Head of EMEA Valuation & Business Modelling Services, Alvarez & Marsal, UK Chair: Peter De Maria, Doyle Clayton, UK
12.30-13.15	Breakout Session 5 Great Hall	Breakout Session 6 Livery Room
	The Executive Whistleblower – the rights, protections and opportunities for executive blowing the whistle on organisational wrongdoing: Are they ever enough to compensate for the risks, reputational, health and even family consequences of blowing the whistle? What more can executives do now and in the future to protect themselves and also others in their organisation who want to speak out against corporate wrongdoing?	Founders behaving badly – strategic and diplomatic board games.  This panel will discuss the options available to the board in common scenarios, when seeking to remove a rogue or dysfunctional founder or executive, who is also a director and shareholder. They will focus on the non-statutory employment law rights of the founder and the risks to which the board are exposed, in relation to perceived unfair treatment.
	Jessica Riggin, Rukin Hyland & Riggin, California, USA Neil Swift, Peters & Peters, UK  Elaine Banton, 7BR, UK Chair: Gareth Brahams, BDBF, UK	Brian J. MacDonough, Sherin and Lodgen, Boston, USA Andrew Katzen, Hickman & Rose, UK Eleanor Rowswell, Farrer & Co, UK Chair: Ivor Adair, Fox & Partners, UK
13.15-14.15	Lunch Break Court Room/Courtyard Kindly sponsored by Outten & Golden LLP, Mark Risk, P.C. and Borden Ladner Gervais
13.30-14.05	Lunch & Learn Discussion  Livery Room
	Reputation Management For Executives And Founders: Themes and Lessons from High-Profile PR and Crisis Management Issues Of The Last Year.  Jenny Afia, Schillings, UK Persephone Bridgman Baker, Carter-Ruck Solicitors, UK  Kim Fletcher, Brunswick Group, UK Chair: Howard Hymanson, Harbottle & Lewis LLP, UK
14.15-15.15	Afternoon Plenary Session Great Hall
	Women, Age and the C Suite: A discussion on the sex/age discrimination intersection, and the use of individual and class actions, pay transparency and pay audits, and regulatory intervention to address widespread bias against women executives in pay and promotions. To what extent does the menopause impact women executives’ careers too? And what positive action and initiatives are available to support career progression and re-entry after periods of absence?
	Rosamund Browne, Group SVP & Global Chief Counsel, L&E, ABB, UK Robert B. Stulberg, Stulberg & Walsh, LLP, New York, USA Veena Gopalakrishnan, Trilegal, India  Kelly M. Dermody, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, California, USA Chair: Merrill April, CM Murray LLP, UK
15.15-15.45	Breakout Session 7 Great Hall	Breakout Session 8 Livery Room
	Executive Relationships at work – ban, boundaries or blind eye?  Can relationships with colleagues, clients, vendors or competitors ever be appropriate or safe. How can employers manage the workplace risks and conflicts of interest? What should workplace relationship protocols and policies look like to reflect reality, and how far should they go to ban or place boundaries on workplace romance?	Anatomy of a transaction - Key issues for Executives and Founders selling their business and what protections are worth fighting for?     The critical issues inherent in the sale of a business from the employment perspective –financing, engaging with corporate counsel and retaining and protecting other employees in preparation for a transaction. How involved is the senior team in choosing its new company, in due diligence and determining the business and employment deals?      How can they negotiate their own employment and equity agreements while maintaining their duty of loyalty?
	Terese Connolly, Barnes & Thornburg, Chicago, USA Linky Trott, Edwin Coe LLP, UK Chair: Pooja Dasgupta, CM Murray LLP, UK	Doug Mandell, Withers, California, USA   Chair: Wendi S. Lazar, Outten & Golden LLP, New York, USA
15.45-16.30	Breakout Session 9 Great Hall	Breakout Session 10 Livery Room
	Business Protection: The Top 5 things You Need to Know Right Now on Restrictive Covenants and Confidential Information. This discussion will include an update on the proposed US Federal Trade Commission ban on non-competition covenants in US employment agreements and the potential significant impact on senior executives and founders, and their businesses, in the USA and around the world.	Founders succession planning – passing on the business to the next generation: whether the next generation consists of the children or employees, what are the top issues and options founders should consider when planning to move on, hand over the reins and pass ownership to the next generation?
	Jennifer Millins, Mishcon de Reya, UK  Jeffrey E. Goodman, Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP, Canada Inge Derde, Van Eeckhoutte, Taquet & Clesse, Belgium Ming Evans, Associate General Counsel, Employment, Smiths Group Plc, UK Chair: Mark Risk, Mark Risk, P.C., New York, USA	David Yewdall, Evelyn Partners, UK Christoph Rechsteiner, MME Legal & Tax, Switzerland  Dhana Sabanathan, Michelmores, UK  Chair: Corinne Staves, CM Murray LLP, UK
16.30–16.45	Coffee & Drinks Break Courtyard
16.45–17.45	Closing Plenary Session Great Hall
	The Plague of the Narcissistic Leader: What is the Damage? Is there a Cure?  An interactive audience discussion in a Samoan Circle format. What traits do we look for in our corporate leaders? Ask someone what distinguishes a forceful leader in business, and they’re likely to mention self-confidence, charisma, strong-will and boldness. But, frequently, such traits may also exist side-by-side with far less palatable ones. The role that a CEO’s personality plays in determining outcomes, including stock-price performance, is a topic of considerable interest to researchers, the media, and the public.  Leveraging the research and expertise of organizational psychology and engaging the audience’s views too, this session will examine the damage narcissistic leaders can inflict on corporations in terms of strategic choices, governance quality, ESG, ethical standards, and executive turnover, and explore the potential solutions to it.
	Co-chairs & facilitators: Lori Deem, Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Chicago, USA Wonu Sanda, CM Murray LLP, UK Anchor Speakers:  Matt Meyer, Partner & Board Member, Mishcon de Reya LLP, UK Kevin Hogarth, Business Adviser, Mentor and Non-Executive, UK Trisha C. Daho, J.D., CEO & Founder, Empowered, Chicago, USA
17.45-19.30	Closing Remarks & Evening Drinks Event  Courtyard Kindly sponsored by Withersworldwide

Confirmed speakers:

Ivor Adair, Fox & Partners, UK
Jenny Afia, Schillings, UK
Merrill April, CM Murray LLP, UK
Inge Arts, Van Hall Advocaten, Netherlands
Elaine Banton, 7BR, UK
Emma Bartlett, CM Murray LLP, UK
Richard Bibby, Managing Director, Head of EMEA Valuation & Business Modelling Services, Alvarez & Marsal, UK
Gareth Brahams, BDBF LLP, UK
Persephone Bridgman Baker, Carter-Ruck Solicitors, UK
Rosamund Browne, Group SVP & Global Chief Counsel, L&E, ABB, UK
Georgina Calvert-Lee, Bellevue Law, UK
Sarah Chilton, CM Murray LLP, UK
Colleen Cleary, CC Solicitors, Ireland
Terese Connolly, Barnes & Thornburg, Chicago, USA
Claire Cross, Corker Binning, UK
Trisha C. Daho, J.D., CEO & Founder, Empowered, Chicago, USA
Pooja Dasgupta, CM Murray LLP, UK
Carol Davis KC, Littleton Chambers, UK
Lori Deem, Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Chicago, USA
Inge Derde, Van Eeckhoutte, Taquet & Clesse, Belgium
Kelly Dermody – Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein California, US
Ming Evans, Associate General Counsel, Employment, Smiths Group Plc, UK
Kim Fletcher, Brunswick Group, UK 
Carlos Pareja Frade, Augusta Abogados, Spain
Jeffrey E. Goodman, Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP, Canada
Veena Gopalakrishnan, Trilegal, India
Beth Hale, CM Murray LLP, UK
Carl-Fredrik Hedenström, CFH Law Firm, Sweden
Kevin Hogarth, Business Adviser, Mentor and Non-Executive, UK
Joydeep Hor, People + Culture Strategies, Australia
Howard Hymanson, Harbottle & Lewis, UK
Teresa L. Johnson, Arnold & Porter, California, USA
Andrew Katzen, Hickman & Rose, UK
Danny J. Kaufer, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Canada
Pål Kvernaas, Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS, Norway
Wendi S. Lazar, Outten & Golden LLP, New York, USA
Brian J. MacDonough, Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston, USA
Doug Mandell, Withers, California, USA
Peter De Maria, Doyle Clayton, UK
Matt Meyer, Partner & Board Member, Mishcon de Reya, UK
Jennifer Millins, Mishcon de Reya, UK
Louise O’Connor, CM Murray LLP, UK
Andrew Pavlovic, CM Murray LLP, UK
Kristen Prinz, The Prinz Law Firm, Chicago, USA
Cathy Qu, River Delta Law Firm, Shanghai, PRC
Christoph Rechsteiner, MME, Switzerland
Jessica Riggin, Rukin Hyland & Riggin LLP, California, USA
Mark Risk, Mark Risk, P.C., New York, USA
Eleanor Rowswell, Farrer & Co, UK
Dhana Sabanathan, Michelmores, UK
Wonu Sanda, CM Murray LLP, UK
Meriel Schindler, Withers, UK
Amy Shulman, Outten & Golden LLP, New York, USA
Cathleen Scott, Scott Law Team LLC, Florida, USA
Corinne Staves, CM Murray LLP, UK
Robert B. Stulberg, Stulberg & Walsh, LLP, New York, USA
Neil Swift, Peters & Peters, UK
Dr. Johannes Traut, Seitz, Germany
Linky Trott, Edwin Coe LLP, UK
Lindsey Wagner, Moxie Mediation & Workplace Investigations, California, USA
David Yewdall, International Employer Solutions (Global Mobility & Tax), Evelyn Partners, UK

The 4th IFSEA International Conference on Risk, Reward, Regulatory and Reputation Management Issues for Senior Executives & Founders programme will offer you:

• Fantastic networking with your peers, business leaders and professional advisers from around the world who advise Senior Executives and Founders

• Market-leading speakers and cutting edge thought leadership on workplace risk, reward, regulatory and reputational issues commonly faced by international Senior Executives and Founders

• The opportunity for you to get actively involved in the discussions

This event is open to:

• Senior Executives and Founders
• Employment law, equity and incentive specialists
• Immigration lawyers and international executive mobility specialists 
• Regulatory and criminal law specialists
• Private wealth and tax specialists
• Reputation management lawyers
• HR professionals
• Senior recruitment specialists
• Executive coaches
• PR advisers to Senior Executives and Founders worldwide