• Mixing Litigation and Social Media – The Good, the Bad and the “My Witness Tweeted What??” (Litigation Forum, Tues., May 8, 12 noon to 2 p.m., in Washington DC and by web seminar) -- Social media is everywhere, even in the courtroom.  How can you use it to find discoverable evidence?  How can it be used against you? Click here for further details and registration...
  

• Minimizing the Risk - Structuring Employee Mobility in a Global Workplace (Global Issues and Employment and Labor Forums, Wed., May 9, 12 noon to 2 p.m., in McLean, VA) -- Learn how to structure a temporary transfer, secondment or local hire in another country to minimize potential liability.  Click here for further details and registration....

• The Perils of Working with Nonprofits: Do's and Don'ts of Board Service and Legal Advice (Richmond, Thurs., May 10, 4 to 5:30 p.m., in Richmond, VA, and by web seminar) -- A primer on the real-world issues you will encounter if you sit on a nonprofit board or advise a nonprofit.  Click here for further details and registration...

Navid C. Haghighi, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of XO Communications, was elected to the WMACCA Board last month, replacing Andy Shipley, who went into private practice.  Navid, who joined WMACCA in 2004, was appointed CLO of XO in February.  He has been with the company for 8 years.  Previously, he was in-house at AOL and MCI WorldCom. Many thanks, Navid, for stepping up to serve on our Board!

Electronically speaking, of course.  Click here to download the new 2012 WMACCA Membership Directory from our home page.  (Members only -- password protected.)  All the same great features of the old book, but  more environmentally friendly.  If you want to receive a hard copy of the directory, please send a request by e-mail to Ilene Reid (Ilene.Reid@WMACCA.com) by COB on Monday, May 7.

WMACCA's In-House... In the Community projects in May focus on meeting those two essential needs:

• On Wed., May 16, our Richmond colleagues will participate in a Habitat for Humanity Build Day in Sandston, just east of the Richmond airport.  For further details, please visit http://www.acc.com/chapters/wmacca/index.cfm?eventID=12270

• On Thurs., May 17, we will again volunteer at Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg, MD, to pack boxes of non-perishable food items for clients of this food bank.  Family and friends are welcome.  This is an evening activity. For further details and registration, please visit http://www.cvent.com/d/tcq17g
  

The recently enacted JOBS Act is designed to increase job creation and stimulate economic growth by "improving access to public capital markets for emerging growth companies."  In this week's news alert -- The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act - JOBS Act to Have Major Impact on IPO Process, Private Placements and Crowdfunding from Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP, our 2012 Diamond Sponsor -- discusses the provisions of the Act and aspects that remain to be settled through rule-making.

WMACCA members are invited to participate in an ACC-only roundtable with the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding FCPA compliance and enforcement issues.  As you may know, the DOJ and the SEC plan to issue joint guidance regarding FCPA issues later this year.  This roundtable represents a great opportunity to request clarifications on issues that substantially burden the in-house bar.  The sessions will be conducted the afternoon and evening of May 24th and will be held in D.C.  Space is limited and ACC will select participants from those who express an interest to ensure geographical and industry diversity, with the primary deciding consideration being significant expertise in FCPA issues. If you are interested in attending, please email JD White at white@acc.com no later than Friday, May 4th.

Where are you on your career path?  What else is going on in your life?  How are you harmonizing the demands on your time and attention?

On May 15, we will consider the different ways in which women attorneys deal with their Ages & Stages, those numerous decision points they face on the balance they want and need to strike between their professional and personal interests - including all kinds of family considerations (relationships with partners, raising children, aging parents).  We have assembled a panel of women with varying approaches to these challenges who will kick off the event, and act as a springboard to discussion among the attendees of their own experiences and insights.  For more information and registration, visit http://www.acc.com/chapters/wmacca/index.cfm?eventID=12273

Wal-Mart.  Goldman Sachs.  Rupert Murdoch. Chesapeake Energy Corporation. And that's just this week. 

Each day, businesses face situations -- large and small -- that may land them in the news.  Is your organization ready to respond to a call from the press? Is it possible to have a “successful” encounter with a reporter?  What are the biggest mistakes companies make in dealing with the media?  And what about all the alternative media outlets out there?  We'll discuss all of these issues at our next Signature Luncheon - Dealing with the Media - on May 17.  Your business and corporate communications colleagues are welcome. For more information and registration, visit http://www.acc.com/chapters/wmacca/index.cfm?eventID=12291

The 2012 Excellence in Corporate Practice Award recognizes the career achievements of senior in-house lawyers who epitomize excellence through representation of their clients, contributions to the legal profession and public service. Nominations must be received by June 28 to be considered.

The Matthew J. Whitehead II Award honors the memory of this ACC Board member. The award recognizes outstanding achievement by a corporate counsel, group, diversity project, or corporation, in creating a program that increases awareness of corporate legal diversity. All nomination forms are due by June 1.

The Corporate Pro Bono Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a corporate counsel, a group of corporate counsel, a pro bono project, or a corporation in providing pro bono legal services. ACC defines pro bono service as legal services provided to the indigent or a charitable non-profit. All nomination forms are due by June 1.

For the nominations criteria and additional information on these (and other) ACC awards, visit www.acc.com/aboutacc/awards.  Awards will be presented at ACC’s 2012 Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL (September 30-October 3).