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Navigating ESG and AI in a Complex Landscape

This program provides thought provoking conversations of the key issues impacting the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) landscape. Featuring the co-chairs of Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s Impact & Sustainability Practice, speakers Ameena Majid and Giovanna (Gina) Ferrari, and Ken Wilton, a partner in the Intellectual Property Group, the discussions span three critical and overlapping dimensions:  ESG governance in a politicized world, the intersection of artificial intelligence and ESG, and the evolving landscape of ESG litigation.

Key topics include:
  • AI and ESG Intersection: Insights into how AI is both a transformative tool and a key ESG topic impacting business strategy. The discussion covers this intersection while commenting on AI literacy, balanced disclosures, legal’s role and regulatory implications.
  • Emerging ESG Litigation Trends: A conversation of what really is ESG litigation, and if the claims are new or just repackaged.  The program examines the interplay of regulatory changes and enforcement actions, providing strategies for mitigating litigation risks through enhanced governance and communication practices.
  • Governance in a Politicized ESG Landscape: Guidance on adapting governance structures to navigate the politicization of “ESG,” as a monolithic topic. The program stresses the importance of integrating ESG considerations into mission-critical areas, implementing effective controls, and ensuring legal counsel plays a central role in regulatory compliance and risk management.
  • This comprehensive discussion equips in-house counsel with the tools to navigate the complex and interconnected challenges of ESG and AI, fostering resilient governance and reducing legal exposure.

Generously sponsored by Seyfarth Shaw LLP and the Law Department Management Network

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  • Contains 2 Component(s)

    This program explores the evolving landscape of governance in the context of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. Speakers Ameena Majid and Giovanna (Gina) Ferrari discuss how governance serves as the foundation for effectively managing ESG matters, which are increasingly politicized and require a proactive, strategic approach. They emphasize the need to re-visit organizational structures to ensure ESG topics are integrated based on their relevance to mission-critical areas and/or areas identified as appropriate for board oversight given changes in business models and stakeholders. The program also highlights the importance of having the right controls, checks, and balances in place, especially for environmental and social statements, as well as the crucial role of legal counsel in navigating the complex regulatory environment.

    This program explores the evolving landscape of governance in the context of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. Speakers Ameena Majid and Giovanna (Gina) Ferrari discuss how governance serves as the foundation for effectively managing ESG matters, which are increasingly politicized and require a proactive, strategic approach. They emphasize the need to re-visit organizational structures to ensure ESG topics are integrated based on their relevance to mission-critical areas and/or areas identified as appropriate for board oversight given changes in business models and stakeholders. The program also highlights the importance of having the right controls, checks, and balances in place, especially for environmental and social statements, as well as the crucial role of legal counsel in navigating the complex regulatory environment.

    Generously sponsored by Seyfarth Shaw LLP and the Law Department Management Network

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    Ameena Majid

    Partner, Impact & Sustainability

    Seyfarth Shaw LLP

    Ameena is a highly trained and skilled executive compensation and employee benefit lawyer who, through her personal endeavors and business acumen, has transformed her practice to providing clients with cutting edge strategic consulting, advice, and counsel through an impact and environmental, social and governance (ESG) lens. She partners with her clients to navigate and drive business goals centered around the quickly evolving and complex ESG landscape in today’s fractured business setting.

    Ameena takes a practical approach to helping clients with their impact initiatives by meeting them where they are in their journey. She helps identify and educate a client’s impact footprint; organize and grow programs; and provides practical implementation to navigate policies and reporting, all while never losing sight of the expectations of varied stakeholders or the details of the issues at hand. She’s a high level thinker that doesn’t lose sight of the future forward.

    For more than 20 years, Ameena has helped clients navigate corporate and fiduciary governance and technical complexities of executive compensation and employee benefits for Fortune 20 to 500 companies, across a variety of industries. She understands that compensation and benefits form the core of a talent retention strategy. She helps her clients provide incentives that align with their company values, and foster a culture that helps them attract, and more importantly, retain their employees. As ESG continues to be a topic for boards of directors, the link to executive compensation is being discussed and scrutinized. Ameena assists companies with designing competitive executive compensation and employee benefit offerings that are compliant, competitive, and communicated in ways that protect the company, and make employees feel invested in the company's success. When an employment relationship ends, and severance is offered, Ameena strategizes with her clients to design a severance package tailored to the client’s particular interests at issue in the termination.

    Further, as an advisory board member to, and impact investor in, Able Made PBC, a Delaware B corporation and sustainably forward fashion brand, Ameena brings a business, growth and pragmatic mindset to her legal practice as companies respond to heightened expectations for integrating both environmental and human rights decisions into cultivating ethical supply chains.

    This experience, her public company practice and proxy work, combined with her prior anti-modern slavery advocacy work with Stop the Traffik USA, gives Ameena a unique background and heightened sensitivity to advice on impact and ESG disclosures, associated legal risks, governance considerations, due diligence approaches to support disclosures and the link to executive compensation.

    Ameena is also the founder and co-chair of the firm’s Impact and ESG practice group. In this role, she leads a dynamic trans-disciplinary group that is at the forefront of providing integrated advice and counsel on implementing practical ESG and related multi-stakeholder principles into a long-term business strategy that builds resiliency.

    Ameena's approach to her practice was formed in her childhood. As the youngest of immigrant parents, she was raised between two cultures that did not always externally align. This background has made her an observer, and she takes in information before stepping into any situation to meet people where they are. Ameena is also the sister to a disabled brother. These roles have given her a deep sense of empathy and an ability to see the nuances of any situation or person. Ameena's empathetic nature combined with decades of experience in the counseling practice enables her to quickly sift through the substance, process, and emotion of a given matter or situation. As a counselor, Ameena adheres to the basic tenets of respect, seeking to understand the larger business context and goals, and listening first to guide her clients.

    Gina Ferrari

    Partner, Securities & Financial Litigation

    Seyfarth Shaw LLP

    Clients call on Gina when they have high-stakes fraud and contract disputes, and to advise on their Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance ("ESG") Initiatives. Gina focuses on commercial and business counseling and litigation for all industries, with an emphasis on the financial services, government contractor, and retail/hospitality industries. She defends companies against contract disputes, fraud and misrepresentation claims, securities fraud and director and officer liability claims, common law and statutory business tort claims, and California statutory consumer fraud claims. Gina also has experience defending and prosecuting misappropriation of trade secret claims, construction claims, and real estate disputes. She has litigated employment matters including wage and hour class actions, discrimination and harassment claims, and California Labor Code violation claims.

    Gina litigates bet-the-company cases nationwide. She is uniquely qualified to bring her institutional knowledge of client culture and goals to high-stakes matters wherever her clients face those disputes. Based on her extensive trial experience, she effectively analyzes business and financial risk. Those skills aren't only applied in litigation. Her experience helps clients develop annual business goals and forecast overall litigation risk.

    For many firm clients, Gina is the go-to trial counsel. She is on several elite panels to handle complex matters. Gina is also on several firm client teams focused on helping clients meet and set business goals. She is the co-Chair of the firm’s Impact & ESG practice group that helps companies provide an improved ESG structure that impacts all their stakeholders, long-term.

    Gina is incredibly practical in all of her cases. She does what needs to be done to win—nothing more and nothing less. Gina is also solutions-oriented. Her goal is to get the client to yes, not to be overwrought about risk. She crafts creative and alternative solutions that may not be apparent at first blush. Since she's frequently working with witnesses and jurors on a variety of complex matters in highly-regulated industries, she learns different and new business models, technical matters, and how to communicate with different personalities with ease.

  • Contains 2 Component(s)

    This program explores the growing intersection between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations and the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in organizations. The discussion covers how AI can be both a tool and a governance issue, with implications for ESG strategies and reporting. Speakers Ameena Majid and Ken Wilton discuss the challenges that AI and ESG share in shaping business strategy and legal advice, the importance of AI literacy, understanding AI's impact on ESG matters, and ensuring balanced disclosures. The program provides valuable insights for in-house counsel on navigating the complex relationship between ESG and AI.

    This program explores the growing intersection between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations and the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in organizations. The discussion covers how AI can be both a tool and a governance issue, with implications for ESG strategies and reporting. Speakers Ameena Majid and Ken Wilton discuss the challenges that AI and ESG share in shaping business strategy and legal advice, the importance of AI literacy, understanding AI's impact on ESG matters, and ensuring balanced disclosures. The program provides valuable insights for in-house counsel on navigating the complex relationship between ESG and AI.

    Generously sponsored by Seyfarth Shaw LLP and the Law Department Management Network

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    Ameena Majid

    Partner, Impact & Sustainability

    Seyfarth Shaw LLP

    Ameena is a highly trained and skilled executive compensation and employee benefit lawyer who, through her personal endeavors and business acumen, has transformed her practice to providing clients with cutting edge strategic consulting, advice, and counsel through an impact and environmental, social and governance (ESG) lens. She partners with her clients to navigate and drive business goals centered around the quickly evolving and complex ESG landscape in today’s fractured business setting.

    Ameena takes a practical approach to helping clients with their impact initiatives by meeting them where they are in their journey. She helps identify and educate a client’s impact footprint; organize and grow programs; and provides practical implementation to navigate policies and reporting, all while never losing sight of the expectations of varied stakeholders or the details of the issues at hand. She’s a high level thinker that doesn’t lose sight of the future forward.

    For more than 20 years, Ameena has helped clients navigate corporate and fiduciary governance and technical complexities of executive compensation and employee benefits for Fortune 20 to 500 companies, across a variety of industries. She understands that compensation and benefits form the core of a talent retention strategy. She helps her clients provide incentives that align with their company values, and foster a culture that helps them attract, and more importantly, retain their employees. As ESG continues to be a topic for boards of directors, the link to executive compensation is being discussed and scrutinized. Ameena assists companies with designing competitive executive compensation and employee benefit offerings that are compliant, competitive, and communicated in ways that protect the company, and make employees feel invested in the company's success. When an employment relationship ends, and severance is offered, Ameena strategizes with her clients to design a severance package tailored to the client’s particular interests at issue in the termination.

    Further, as an advisory board member to, and impact investor in, Able Made PBC, a Delaware B corporation and sustainably forward fashion brand, Ameena brings a business, growth and pragmatic mindset to her legal practice as companies respond to heightened expectations for integrating both environmental and human rights decisions into cultivating ethical supply chains.

    This experience, her public company practice and proxy work, combined with her prior anti-modern slavery advocacy work with Stop the Traffik USA, gives Ameena a unique background and heightened sensitivity to advice on impact and ESG disclosures, associated legal risks, governance considerations, due diligence approaches to support disclosures and the link to executive compensation.

    Ameena is also the founder and co-chair of the firm’s Impact and ESG practice group. In this role, she leads a dynamic trans-disciplinary group that is at the forefront of providing integrated advice and counsel on implementing practical ESG and related multi-stakeholder principles into a long-term business strategy that builds resiliency.

    Ameena's approach to her practice was formed in her childhood. As the youngest of immigrant parents, she was raised between two cultures that did not always externally align. This background has made her an observer, and she takes in information before stepping into any situation to meet people where they are. Ameena is also the sister to a disabled brother. These roles have given her a deep sense of empathy and an ability to see the nuances of any situation or person. Ameena's empathetic nature combined with decades of experience in the counseling practice enables her to quickly sift through the substance, process, and emotion of a given matter or situation. As a counselor, Ameena adheres to the basic tenets of respect, seeking to understand the larger business context and goals, and listening first to guide her clients.

    Kenneth Wilton

    Partner, Intellectual Property

    Seyfarth Shaw LLP

    While focused primarily on the protection of trademarks, Ken’s experience in the related IP fields allows him to provide counsel that addresses the varied means of protecting intangible assets. With a strong background in computer programming, math, and science, he understands how technology impacts organizations, and advises clients on how their IP rights can be protected in an interconnected world.

    Working with a variety of clients in the pharmaceutical, consumer product, and alcoholic beverage spaces, Ken’s practice focuses primarily on trademark, false advertising, copyright and right of publicity counseling, and litigation. His trademark practice is international in scope, and he regularly provides counsel on internet-related, social media, and cross-border trademark protection law issues. Domestically, he litigates infringement and counterfeiting disputes in the federal courts and has extensive experience in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the US Patent and Trademark Office, including over a dozen trials. He has supervised the conduct of international anti-counterfeiting activities and has filed or defended over two dozen proceedings under the UDRP.

    As Seyfarth's Trademark practice lead, Ken leads a robust national practice. Ken co-founded and is the co-chair of Seyfarth’s Advertising & Marketing group, which brings together Seyfarth attorneys across practices, including intellectual property, commercial litigation, and product liability, to address the increasing advertising-related challenges faced by clients across all industries.

    Additionally, Ken participates in the broader national and international trademark communities. Since 2019, he has been a contributing editor to California’s Continuing Education of the Bar’s Internet Law and Practice in California. Previously, he was co-chair of the California State Bar’s Internet and Privacy Law Committee. He has been an active member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) since 1992, including as an editor for the Trademark Reporter and a member of the Academic, Unfair Competition and Enforcement Committees. He also speaks regularly at the INTA’s annual and leadership meetings.

    Ken has been consistently recognized by US News Best Lawyers in America for Intellectual Property Litigation (Woodward/White Inc.) (2019-2023), by Who’s Who Legal for his work as a trademark lawyer (Law Business Research Ltd.) (2013-2023), and by Managing Intellectual Property as a Trademark “IP Star” (Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC) (2014-2023). In 2019 and 2021, he was selected as one of the Top 30 trademark practitioners in the United States by Euromoney’s Best of the Best Expert Guides (Euromoney Trading Limited). In 2013, he was selected by the Daily Journal as one of the top 75 Intellectual Property Litigators in California. Since 2013, Ken has been recognized by World Trademark Review 1000 as a top trademark attorney for prosecution and strategy and enforcement and litigation (Law Business Research Ltd.) (2013-2023).

    Ken is proud to be a part of a firm that constantly seeks to improve—whether this includes making the delivery of legal services more seamless, evolving new roles to best match talent and goals with career paths, or focusing on the need for increased diversity in the legal profession.

  • Contains 2 Component(s)

    This program explores the emerging landscape of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) litigation. Speakers Amina Majeed and Giovanna (Gina) Ferrari discuss the rise of ESG-focused lawsuits, which often blend traditional legal claims around securities, environmental, and consumer protection issues. They discuss the growing trend of "greenwashing" claims, where companies face scrutiny over misleading environmental statements and initiatives. The speakers also analyze the potential impact of regulatory changes and enforcement actions, noting that while some rules may be revised, the underlying legal frameworks will likely remain. The program provides insights for companies to proactively review their ESG-related communications and governance practices to mitigate litigation risks.

    This program explores the emerging landscape of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) litigation. Speakers Amina Majeed and  Giovanna (Gina) Ferrari discuss the rise of ESG-focused lawsuits, which often blend traditional legal claims around securities, environmental, and consumer protection issues. They discuss the growing trend of "greenwashing" claims, where companies face scrutiny over misleading environmental statements and initiatives. The speakers also analyze the potential impact of regulatory changes and enforcement actions, noting that while some rules may be revised, the underlying legal frameworks will likely remain. The program provides insights for companies to proactively review their ESG-related communications and governance practices to mitigate litigation risks.

    Generously sponsored by Seyfarth Shaw LLP and the Law Department Management Network

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    Ameena Majid

    Partner, Impact & Sustainability

    Seyfarth Shaw LLP

    Ameena is a highly trained and skilled executive compensation and employee benefit lawyer who, through her personal endeavors and business acumen, has transformed her practice to providing clients with cutting edge strategic consulting, advice, and counsel through an impact and environmental, social and governance (ESG) lens. She partners with her clients to navigate and drive business goals centered around the quickly evolving and complex ESG landscape in today’s fractured business setting.

    Ameena takes a practical approach to helping clients with their impact initiatives by meeting them where they are in their journey. She helps identify and educate a client’s impact footprint; organize and grow programs; and provides practical implementation to navigate policies and reporting, all while never losing sight of the expectations of varied stakeholders or the details of the issues at hand. She’s a high level thinker that doesn’t lose sight of the future forward.

    For more than 20 years, Ameena has helped clients navigate corporate and fiduciary governance and technical complexities of executive compensation and employee benefits for Fortune 20 to 500 companies, across a variety of industries. She understands that compensation and benefits form the core of a talent retention strategy. She helps her clients provide incentives that align with their company values, and foster a culture that helps them attract, and more importantly, retain their employees. As ESG continues to be a topic for boards of directors, the link to executive compensation is being discussed and scrutinized. Ameena assists companies with designing competitive executive compensation and employee benefit offerings that are compliant, competitive, and communicated in ways that protect the company, and make employees feel invested in the company's success. When an employment relationship ends, and severance is offered, Ameena strategizes with her clients to design a severance package tailored to the client’s particular interests at issue in the termination.

    Further, as an advisory board member to, and impact investor in, Able Made PBC, a Delaware B corporation and sustainably forward fashion brand, Ameena brings a business, growth and pragmatic mindset to her legal practice as companies respond to heightened expectations for integrating both environmental and human rights decisions into cultivating ethical supply chains.

    This experience, her public company practice and proxy work, combined with her prior anti-modern slavery advocacy work with Stop the Traffik USA, gives Ameena a unique background and heightened sensitivity to advice on impact and ESG disclosures, associated legal risks, governance considerations, due diligence approaches to support disclosures and the link to executive compensation.

    Ameena is also the founder and co-chair of the firm’s Impact and ESG practice group. In this role, she leads a dynamic trans-disciplinary group that is at the forefront of providing integrated advice and counsel on implementing practical ESG and related multi-stakeholder principles into a long-term business strategy that builds resiliency.

    Ameena's approach to her practice was formed in her childhood. As the youngest of immigrant parents, she was raised between two cultures that did not always externally align. This background has made her an observer, and she takes in information before stepping into any situation to meet people where they are. Ameena is also the sister to a disabled brother. These roles have given her a deep sense of empathy and an ability to see the nuances of any situation or person. Ameena's empathetic nature combined with decades of experience in the counseling practice enables her to quickly sift through the substance, process, and emotion of a given matter or situation. As a counselor, Ameena adheres to the basic tenets of respect, seeking to understand the larger business context and goals, and listening first to guide her clients.

    Gina Ferrari

    Partner, Securities & Financial Litigation

    Seyfarth Shaw LLP

    Clients call on Gina when they have high-stakes fraud and contract disputes, and to advise on their Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance ("ESG") Initiatives. Gina focuses on commercial and business counseling and litigation for all industries, with an emphasis on the financial services, government contractor, and retail/hospitality industries. She defends companies against contract disputes, fraud and misrepresentation claims, securities fraud and director and officer liability claims, common law and statutory business tort claims, and California statutory consumer fraud claims. Gina also has experience defending and prosecuting misappropriation of trade secret claims, construction claims, and real estate disputes. She has litigated employment matters including wage and hour class actions, discrimination and harassment claims, and California Labor Code violation claims.

    Gina litigates bet-the-company cases nationwide. She is uniquely qualified to bring her institutional knowledge of client culture and goals to high-stakes matters wherever her clients face those disputes. Based on her extensive trial experience, she effectively analyzes business and financial risk. Those skills aren't only applied in litigation. Her experience helps clients develop annual business goals and forecast overall litigation risk.

    For many firm clients, Gina is the go-to trial counsel. She is on several elite panels to handle complex matters. Gina is also on several firm client teams focused on helping clients meet and set business goals. She is the co-Chair of the firm’s Impact & ESG practice group that helps companies provide an improved ESG structure that impacts all their stakeholders, long-term.

    Gina is incredibly practical in all of her cases. She does what needs to be done to win—nothing more and nothing less. Gina is also solutions-oriented. Her goal is to get the client to yes, not to be overwrought about risk. She crafts creative and alternative solutions that may not be apparent at first blush. Since she's frequently working with witnesses and jurors on a variety of complex matters in highly-regulated industries, she learns different and new business models, technical matters, and how to communicate with different personalities with ease.