WASHINGTON, D.C., March 13, 2012 — The latest developments in social media, banking, entertainment and cyberspace law will be the focus of the American Bar Association Business Law Section Spring Meeting, March 22 – 24 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.  The section’s largest meeting will bring together nearly 1,500 business law attorneys, judges and academics from across the country and around the globe.

On March 23, Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller will give luncheon remarks, “How E-Government Is Reshaping the Relationship between Business and Government, and Impacting Nevada’s Economic Development Efforts,” from 12:30 – 2:15 p.m. in the Octavius 23 Ballroom, Promenade Level.

Program highlights include:

“Saints and Sinners: Ethical Issues and Dilemmas in Client and Practice Development” —The panel of Las Vegas-based attorneys will explore what exactly lawyers can do within the bounds of ethics regulations to promote client and practice development in today’s media- and technology-rich environment.
March 22, 8 – 10 a.m., Milano I, Promenade Level

“Maps to the Social Media Minefield Part I: Brand Protection, Marketing, Workplace, and Litigation Policies to Avoid Explosive Missteps” — Facebook’s deputy general counsel, Mark Howitson, will discuss what companies can and cannot do about employee online activity, share five tips for crafting a social media policy, and offer insights on how social media companies view these issues. He will also discuss litigation issues surrounding social media, including discoverability and subpoenas of social media content.
March 22, 8 – 10 a.m., Milano V, Promenade Level

“2012 Annual Review of Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation” — This three-part, interactive panel with judges and corporate lawyers will discuss developments in corporate and business litigation. Topics will include director and officer liability and indemnification, business torts, class action litigation, employment law and business courts. This panel includes Las Vegas-based judges:

• • Elizabeth Gonzalez, district judge, Department XI, 8th Judicial District Court; and
  • Philip Pro, senior district judge, U.S. District Court, District of Nevada.

March 22, 2 – 5 p.m., Milano V, Promenade Level

“Dodd-Frank’s New Guys in Town: FSOC, SIFIs, and the Expanded Fed” — Panelists will discuss the status of the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s rulemaking activities; provide an update on the designation of nonbank Systemically Important Financial Institutions; address the role of living wills and development of enhanced prudential standards; and discuss the Federal Reserve’s expanded supervisory challenges.
March 22, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m., Romans II & IV, Promenade Level

“Confessions of a Deal Maker” — Harry L. Hutchinson, vice president and head of business development at Bad Boy Entertainment, Inc., will share his experiences managing the brands of one of music’s biggest moguls—Sean “Diddy” Combs.
March 22, 3:15 – 4 p.m., Florentine I, Promenade Level

“Deploying Tools to Build or Self-Sabotage the Enterprise: How Do We Square Legal Obligations for Cybersecurity with the Increasing Use of Technologies that Undermine It?” — Panelists will discuss how boards of directors may need to address the growing tension between obligations to fulfill cybersecurity legal requirements and companies’ efforts to take advantage of technologies such as mobile computing devices, flash drives, smart phones, social networks and cloud computing, each of which increases cyber vulnerabilities.
March 23, 8 – 10 a.m., Milano III, Promenade Level

“Stars on the Strip: An Insider’s Guide to Legal Careers in the Entertainment Industry” — Las Vegas-based attorneys, including the general counsel for Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International, will share their insiders’ perspectives of the legal careers in the entertainment industry.
March 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Florentine I, Promenade Level

Learn more about the 2012 Business Law Section Spring Meeting, and view a complete program here.

For media credentialing, please contact Alexandra Buller at Alexandra.Buller@Americanbar.org.  This event is free and open to members of the press.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.  As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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