ISSUE 05/2008               PRINCIPAL SPONSOR                                           IP FIRM PARTNER

FROM THE PRESIDENT 

The 2008 annual CLANZ conference is on Thursday and Friday next week in Rotorua, so you will need to register now to ensure you are part of the biggest event in the in-house calendar. This year's theme of Extreme Makeover:  In-house Edition will see delegates learning how to renovate their in-house legal practice and ensure they are building on solid foundations.  The mix of inspirational sessions and networking functions means this is the conference not to be missed in 2008. 

The CLANZ AGM will also be held at conference and will see a new committee being elected, including a new President.  I have enjoyed my year as President immensely and acknowledge with thanks the hard work and support of the CLANZ committee, our external providers and our sponsors. If you would like to be part of the CLANZ committee for 2008, go to the “about CLANZ” page of the website to download a nomination form.

I look forward to seeing you in Rotorua. 

Helen Mackay - CLANZ President

---

LAST CHANCE TO JOIN YOUR COLLEAGUES FOR PREMIER IN-HOUSE EVENT
CLANZ Conference - Extreme Makeover: In-House Edition

Stimulating and educational, the program will deliver the opportunity for each delegate to receive their own “makeover”, to take new and fresh ideas back to employers and colleagues.

Described as the most important gathering of in-house lawyers for the year, the conference presents you the opportunity to meet with colleagues over two days of learning, discussion and networking. CLANZ's 21st annual conference will also be celebrated with a gala coming of age dinner on the Friday evening. 

         

> Conference details > Online registration

---

Premium membership a ‘no brainer’

CLANZ membership remains free, but a new category of premium membership will help your association deliver more benefits. As well as additional benefits available for premium members, the first year’s fees will in effect be free for many members.

Premium membership gives you a greater discount off conference registration than the cost of the membership itself so why wouldn't you join? The new premium membership will cost $150+gst, entitling those members to a big discount on the conference fee ($200+gst discount) and other benefits.

Read more 

---

‘Free’ premium membership opportunities

Going to conference?
Become a premium member for $150+gst and save $200+gst on the conference registration – that’s more than the cost of your annual premium membership fee.

Investing in the ACLA/CLANZ Legal Department Benchmarking Report 2008 for your legal department?
Members save $300+gst off the purchase price of the full Report. Premium members ordering the Report in May will also save another $150+gst off the non-participant price – so if you also attend conference you will save the cost of your premium membership fee more than twice.

---

In-house Counsel Awards 2008

The 2008 CLANZ Awards will be made on Thursday 16th May 2008 at the 21st Annual CLANZ Conference in Rotorua. Each award recognises a different aspect of the valuable contribution that in-house lawyers make to the legal profession and to the wider community.

The CLANZ–LEXISNEXIS Corporate Lawyer of the Year is awarded to an in-house lawyer who has made a valuable contribution to their employer and the profession.

The CLANZ–Bell  Gully Young Corporate Lawyer of the Year and $5000 scholarship package is awarded to an in-house lawyer who has made an outstanding contribution to their employer and who has clearly demonstrated their leadership or potential leadership within New Zealand’s in-house legal profession.

The CLANZ¬–Wigley & Company Community Contribution Award is awarded to an in-house lawyer who has made an outstanding contribution to the community. The award winner will have $7,000 paid to their chosen cause. These corporate lawyers are unsung heroes and their work often goes unrecognised.

Read more

---

 

Detailed information and data-rich resources help organisations develop and refine strategies to save legal costs and improve efficiencies and effectiveness.

“...a huge collection of metrics hitting just about every performance point a legal department needs to make.” National Business Review

“...core benchmarking findings to assist legal department leaders ... better manage their legal departments and their legal spend.” NZ Lawyer

“...detailed information... that could help save organisations millions of dollars in legal costs.”
Simon Tupman

Discounts for CLANZ members
$300+gst discount for all CLANZ members
NEW To coincide with premium membership, an additional $150+gst discount from the non-participant price of the full Report effectively makes your first year’s CLANZ premium membership free. Simply confirm your premium membership when ordering your copy of the ACLA/CLANZ Legal Department Benchmarking Report 2008 in April or May to qualify for a combined $450+gst discount.

Full details and media commentary

CLANZ receives royalties from sales of the ACLA/CLANZ Legal Department Benchmarking Report 2008.

---

In-house advice not so secret – privilege under fire in Australia

Is there a need to reconsider the role of in-house lawyers amid concerns that confidential internal legal advice may end up as part of court litigation?

The Full Federal Court said it would not rule on an appeal lodged by PricewaterhouseCoopers relating to a decision that found legal advice given by PwC's general counsel could not attract legal professional privilege (LPP) because she was not sufficiently independent.

Read more

---

Legal Counsel Executive Development program - now in NZ

You’re an experienced in-house legal professional working closely with the senior executive team or at a senior level in the business. You wish to develop your management and leadership competence to provide a legal service that clearly adds strategic value to the business and ensures you progress your career. Senior New Zealand counsel previously travelled overseas for this program; it’s now available in New Zealand.

Legal counsel are increasingly expected to demonstrate cross-functional management skills, business savvy and effective leadership behaviours. IKD has been conducting the flagship Legal Counsel Executive Development residential program since 2000 with consistently outstanding feedback.

Delivered in two parts at the Hilton Hotel, Auckland, 23-25 June and 11-12 August 2008. Discount available for CLANZ members.

Course details and registration

---

 

Free IP hotline for CLANZ members

Need help with an IP issue? Want quick, practical IP information?

Call the A J Park IP hotline for 10 minutes of free, general IP information.

The numbers to call are:
Commercial (Mark Hargreaves) (04) 474 0999
Trade marks (Alan Potter) (09) 353 8226
Copyright (Simon Fogarty) (04) 498 3435
Patents (Matt Devine) (09) 353 8220

AJ Park’s experts will give you the short answer to your IP questions to set you in the right direction. 

Conditions: The A J Park IP hotline is for general IP information over the phone only. Mention that you are using the A J Park IP hotline when you make a call. Because of potential conflicts, questions should not relate to a specific dispute. AJ Park may decline to give information at their discretion, and may cancel the A J Park IP hotline at any time.

---

 

Recent articles and updates for in-house counsel

Recent articles from around New Zealand that may be of interest to in-house counsel:

Social media and legal code (Online and lawful)
Coping with copyright ownership (Corinne Blumsky, A J Park)
The sound of music (Simon Fogarty, A J Park)
Property Update (Bell Gully)
Bell Gully competition specialists author pharmaceutical sector review (Bell Gully)
Does the Board Carry the Can for ICT? (Wigley & Company)
Unpacking privacy issues: the all knowing search engine (Bell Gully)
Customer discounts: surely always a good thing? (Bell Gully)
Technology Update - April 2008 (Minter Ellison Rudd Watts)
Counterfeit and pirated goods targeted (Buddle Findlay)
Consumer technology in the workplace (Bell Gully)
Free trade with China: a summary of what’s ahead (Bell Gully)
Pending legislative changes (Bell Gully)
IT Contracts: Telecommunication and Internet Issues (Wigley & Company)
A priority rule – but not the priority rule (Buddle Findlay)

From InsideoutLegal

Informed. In-house. Indispensable.

The world’s largest annual gathering of in-house counsel, for world-class professional development and networking. Check the diary for Seattle, 19-22 October 2008. More than 3,000 attendees are expected for the Association of Corporate Counsel Annual Meeting. Restricted to in-house lawyers, join your peers from over 30 countries and a huge educational program. 

Read more

To unsubscribe – and receive no more emails from your association – reply with ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject line.