ABA Corporate Governance Conference Explores Approaches to Internal Structure That Control Risk

NEW YORK, Mar. 19 /PRNewswire/ --

NEW YORK, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Corporate governance issues continue to haunt American business, six years after Congress passed the landmark Sarbanes-Oxley Act to mandate tougher corporate controls and accountability.

The Hollinger International prosecutions late last year and the rise of class action securities lawsuits to historic levels in the second half of 2007 after a two year lull are just two examples of recent issues.

Ripped straight from today's headlines, the Securities and Exchange Commission is now involved in more than 30 investigations related to subprime mortgage lenders, with the FBI leading another 14 investigations into companies suspected of accounting fraud, improperly secured loans and insider trading in the subprime mortgage industry.

Against that backdrop of issues, the American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) will host its third annual conference "Beyond Legal: A Business Approach to Corporate Governance," a unique, interactive exploration of corporate governance issues. The conference will be held May 8 & 9, 2008 at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in New York City.

Beyond Legal is designed to interest any person concerned with good corporate governance, including high level corporate executives and board members, insurance professionals, accountants and attorneys, regulators and politicians. The conference tackles the balance between responsible corporate behavior, profitability and litigation risk.

"Issues of corporate governance can create dilemmas within any corporation, with competing interests challenging executives and attorneys to make the right legal and business decisions for the good of the company," said Kenneth M. Roberts, partner with Schiff Hardin LLP in Chicago and board member American Bar Association's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS). "These discussions are an invaluable way for attorneys, business executives and corporate board members to share experiences and consider ways to navigate these difficult waters."

Panels of experts will discuss various approaches to structuring internal processes and how they may affect this relationship. The panels this year include discussions of:

-- Corporate Investigations; -- Governance and the International Corporation; -- Corporate Metrics as Indicators of Litigation Risk; -- Executive Compensation; -- Sub-prime Lending; -- Stock Option Backdating; -- And the role Diversity in the Board plays in Good Corporate Governance.

Attendees have the opportunity to join in an ongoing dialog about what really drives good corporate governance, with the opportunity to ask questions and exchange ideas not only with the presenters but also with other conference participants -- people who are at the forefront of running, advising and monitoring companies and boards on a daily basis.

For more information about "Beyond Legal: A Business Approach to Corporate Governance," including online registration and information on panelists and presenters, visit http://www.corpgovern.org.

The ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section is the only national professional group to bring together plaintiffs' lawyers, defense lawyers and insurance and corporate counsel for the exchange of information and ideas. The section's more than 36,000 members and 34 general committees focus on substantive and procedural matters in areas including aviation and space law, fidelity and surety law, medical malpractice, transportation law and others. For more information about the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section visit the TIPS Web site, http://www.abanet.org/tips.