ABA News

Sally Yates to headline ABA's white collar crime conference, Oct. 8-9, in London

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2018 - Sally Yates, former deputy and acting U.S. Attorney General at the Department of Justice, will be the keynote luncheon speaker at the American Bar Association's Seventh Annual London White Collar Crime Institute, Oct. 8-9, in London.

Yates, currently a partner at King & Spalding LLP in Atlanta, was serving as acting attorney general when she was dismissed in 2017 after declining to defend President Donald Trump's travel ban. She will deliver the keynote address on Monday, Oct. 8, from 1-2:15 p.m.

Kicking off the two-day conference will be an "Opening Roundtable Discussion" from 9:15-9:55 a.m., featuring Sandra Moser, acting chief of the Fraud Section at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C.; and Lisa Kate Osofsky, director of London's Serious Fraud Office.

Day 2 of the conference will feature two plenary sessions on white collar crime hypothetical exercises, on investigations and prosecutions.

Other program highlights include:

Monday, 10-11:15 a.m.

"Plenary Session I Challenges to International Lawyers: Navigating Issues of Attorney/ Client Privilege, Border Searches and More" - The panel will focus on the challenges for lawyers working in cross border/international cases in navigating attorney-client and work-product privileged issues; the recent search and seizure of corporate and private law offices in Germany in the VW/Audi investigation and other instances of privileged materials being subjected to government scrutiny. The panel will also address the increasing risk of search of digital devices at the border, including attorney-client privileged materials; and will explore the risks regarding the privilege in different countries and recommendations going forward.

Monday, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.

"Plenary Session II International Perspectives: A Comparative Look at Jurisdictions Around the World" - With a specific focus on trends from Brazil, China, France and Germany, panelists will look at key issues when managing a global investigation in an evolving world. Topics include dealing with local authorities and what they may take an interest in, privilege and work product including with respect to third-party service providers, data protection including GDPR, carrying out interviews of employee and third parties and whistleblower protection.

-----

Monday, 4:15-5:30 p.m.

"Plenary Session IV Cryptocurrencies and the Blockchain" - This panel will discuss recent global trends in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, including an overview of the regulatory landscapes in the various countries across the globe.

The complete agenda can be found online.

 

Champion of law-related and civic education efforts receives ABA award

The American Bar Association today honored longtime civics education leader and advocate Ted McConnell with its Isidore Starr Award for Excellence in Law-Related Education.

The award, which recognizes individuals for outstanding achievements in teaching about the law in the elementary and secondary grades, was presented during the 30th National Law-Related Education Conference in Chicago.

“We are thrilled to present Ted with the Starr Award to recognize his long commitment to educating people about the rule of law and its importance to our communities, as well as his experience in advocacy in the field of civic education,” said Ruthe Catolico Ashley, chair of the Standing Committee on Public Education.

McConnell is the executive director of the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools. It is a coalition of more than 60 national organizations, which are committed to improving the quality and quantity of civic learning in the nation’s schools.

He has spent more than 20 years, as the national coordinator of civic learning programmers, funders, researchers, and policymakers, to promote quality law-related education in Congress, state houses, board rooms, universities, and classrooms across the nation.

McConnell has been involved in political and governmental sectors for more than 40 years, holding positions such as: Congressional affairs assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, assistant to the chairman of events for the Commission on Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, and 1980 presidential transition assistant.

An advocate for civic education, McConnell led tireless efforts to effectuate law-related education policy changes at the national, state and local level. He was instrumental in the passing of the Sandra Day O’Connor Act (Florida), as well as legislation in Illinois, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Washington.

In his nomination letter, Marshall Croddy, president of the Constitutional Rights Foundation, said of McConnell: “Ted strives to raise the profile and potential of the field of civic and law-related education by giving us all opportunities to work together to advance the work.”

Another nominator, Leslie C. Francis, chair of the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, said in his nomination letter that the Starr Award, “serves as a reminder of the power of one—one person, one patriot, one activist, one person with the courage to say, “No!” when necessary and “Yes!” when it will move the agenda.”

McConnell attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he majored in political science and business administration.