Second CCCA Corporate Counsel World Summit wraps up in Toronto

Over 250 senior legal professionals from 14 countries tackled
issues that matter in today's global legal and business landscape

TORONTO, Sept. 29 /CNW/ - The second CCCA Corporate Counsel World Summit, which wrapped up in Toronto yesterday, brought together over 250 legal leaders from 14 countries. The discussions held at the Summit were instrumental to advancing the global understanding of the critical issues that face today's Canadian and international corporate counsel professionals.

"I'm thrilled to report that the second CCCA World Summit has been an overwhelming success, living up to its vision as a premier international forum for legal conversations that matter today," says Cheryl Foy, President, Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA). "The issues raised and the discussions that came out of the various sessions of the Summit gave us all - both Canadian and international participants - a strategic edge in recognizing and responding to the key challenges confronting our profession, in a way that makes sense from legal, business and ethical perspectives."

The CCCA World Summit, which took place September 26-28 at the Toronto Hilton in downtown Toronto, was developed by the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association in collaboration with other international corporate counsel associations from around the world. The Summit was co-chaired by Isabelle M. Hautot, General Counsel at France Telecom, and Alain C. Rondeau, Vice President - Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.

The highlights of the discussions that took place during the Summit include:

• Managing the strategy and costs of multi-jurisdiction litigation;
• The role of general counsel and the global compliance function;
• International competition and antitrust laws;
• Liability of corporate counsel;
• The logistics and legalities of operating in emerging markets; and
• Crisis management and risk to reputation in the global context.

Keynote speakers for the Summit included Benjamin W. Heineman, Jr., former Senior Vice President - General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Law and Public Affairs at General Electric, Parag Khanna, Economic Foreign Policy Expert and Director of the Global Governance Initiative and Senior Research Fellow at the New America Foundation, and Sebastian Junger, award-winning journalist and contributing editor to Vanity Fair.

"The value of the Summit goes far beyond the Canadian borders and puts Canada's corporate counsel leaders at the forefront of international legal thinking on the critical business issues," says Silvie Kuppek, Executive Director, Canadian Corporate Counsel Association. "Not only did the delegates from a cross-section of industries and countries benefit from the knowledge and discussions afforded by the Summit, but they were also able to establish important professional relationships that transcend geographic borders and will serve them well in their increasingly global legal practices." 

The second CCCA Corporate Counsel World Summit in Toronto builds on the success of the inaugural 2009 World Summit in Vancouver, attended by corporate counsel from 14 countries.

Updated information on the CCCA 2010 Corporate Counsel World Summit in Toronto is available at www.cancorpcounsel.org.

About CCCA
The Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA) is the national voice and forum for in-house counsel in Canada. Dedicated to supporting and enhancing the interests of corporate counsel, CCCA provides uniquely Canadian perspectives, resources, tools, continuing education, conferences, and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. Established in 1988 as an affiliate of the Canadian Bar Association, CCCA is more than 10,200 members strong. 

For further information:

Kelly Olive
Maverick Public Relations
416 640 5525, ext. 230
[email protected]

Silvie Kuppek
Executive Director, CCCA,
416-869-0522 ex. 222, [phone]
[email protected]