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  • Header image for "Audit Regulators Vow a Tougher Regime"
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    CFO Editorial Staff
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    Proposed PCAOB rule risks turning auditors into legal watchdogs

    The NOCLAR proposal would impose on auditors greatly expanded responsibilities for identifying — or even preventing — noncompliance with a very wide range of laws, PwC’s Brian Croteau writes.

    Brian Croteau • April 25, 2024
  • In-house counsel problems with outside counsel
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    Top 10 pet peeves for in-house litigation counsel

    Budget surprises, a failure to communicate at inflection points and vague billing entries are among the outside counsel practices that make life hard for in-house litigation counsel.   

    Joshua Stein • April 19, 2024
  • GenAI in corporate legal depts
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    From hype to implementation: Tracking GenAI’s impact on the practice of law

    Legal departments are developing guidelines to ensure standards around safety, accountability, privacy, scientific practice and business are upheld as AI moves into the mainstream.

    Katie DeBord • April 18, 2024
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    Multiple pathways for legal pros to move into biotech GC role

    The industry is expected to grow 14% over the next decade, providing opportunity for legal professionals attracted to the unique challenges in the life sciences.

    Amy Katz • April 15, 2024
  • AI washing, compliance, litigation
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    Compliance isn’t the only ‘AI washing’ risk

    Like regulators, private plaintiffs are going after companies whose artificial intelligence promises don’t match what their technology actually does. 

    David Shargel • April 8, 2024
  • The Corporate Transparency Act
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    Why the Corporate Transparency Act is in legal limbo

    Legal views differ on whether businesses should proceed as if the law applies or can safely disregard it while the government appeals a court ruling that deems it unconstitutional.

    Craig E. Behrenfeld, Thomas R. Julin and Robert B. Lamm • April 3, 2024
  • Legal role in cybersecurity
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    Cybersecurity planning: A critical responsibility for in-house counsel

    For legal leaders, data protection can’t be treated as an afterthought; it must be understood as a foundational business principle.

    Camilo Artiga-Purcell • April 1, 2024
  • patent monetization
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    Invisible assets, visible impact: Understanding the patent advantage

    Protecting your company’s intellectual property by developing a patent strategy isn’t typically a priority for general counsel, but it should be if you want to fully monetize your company’s assets. 

    Keegan Caldwell • March 27, 2024
  • transfer pricing tax
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    $29B Microsoft tax bill shows how big transfer pricing disputes can get

    General counsel can help their organization avoid expensive legal battles by ensuring their intercompany agreements align with their compliance policies.

    Paul Sutton • March 15, 2024
  • A businessperson with a generative AI brain concept above his hand
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    When you choose a language model, remember that size isn’t everything

    While expensive models have their merits, success with LLMs in the business environment hinges much more on matching a model's capabilities with the specific requirements of the task.

    Dawid Robert Kotur and Nick Long • March 14, 2024
  • IP audits help general counsel protect and add value
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    AI rise increases importance of IP audits

    Having a clear view of your company’s patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets is a first step to protecting your intellectual property and building a process to maximize new IP value going forward. 

    Stephen Sullivan • March 7, 2024
  • HIPAA litigation ciompliance
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    Maintaining HIPAA compliance when using protected information in litigation

    A data governance and discovery plan can thread the needle between required legal discovery and HIPAA compliance. 

    Shannon Smith • March 6, 2024
  • A general counsel and CEO talk while walking through a business office
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    Why a general counsel must serve as a business partner

    How the GC performs when the proverbial door closes and the executive team has to engage in candid and sometimes fraught conversations about critical issues is pivotal.

    Michael Sachs and Joanna Herman • Feb. 23, 2024
  • Calculating claims reserves
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    Using AI to estimate claim exposure

    By combining their legal insight with technology’s ability to speed through complex calculations, in-house attorneys can help ensure their claim reserves are accurate.

    Jonathan Judge • Feb. 15, 2024
  • A group of coworkers put post-it notes on a wall as part of a brainstorming session
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    Using design thinking to improve legal operations processes

    In design thinking, organizations put themselves in their users’ minds to create innovative solutions that meet their customers’ needs and expectations.

    Jared Hostmeyer • Feb. 9, 2024
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    Ensuring your contracts reflect the realities of remote work

    Contract management can help legal leaders build in processes that keep their contract data secure and compliant as the work environment evolves.

    Benjamin Thomas • Feb. 5, 2024
  • A copyright and intellectual property concept on a digital display
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    gesrey via Getty Images
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    Why copyright law is equipped to handle AI cases

    As legal challenges against AI models and AI-generated writing and art arise, it's critical that courts and regulators avoid piling on new legislative frameworks.

    Jess Miers • Jan. 26, 2024
  • Judges Or Auctioneer Gavel On The Dollar Cash Background
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    Holding out for a bankruptcy ‘cram down’? Think again.

    C-suites should take a hard look at the true cost of bankruptcy before filing for Chapter 11, Lowenstein Sandler’s Kenneth A. Rosen writes. 

    Kenneth A. Rosen • Jan. 25, 2024
  • CLM software
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    5 focus areas to improve contracting

    Whether you implement contract lifecycle management software or take your existing process to the next level, the rigor of your legwork will impact the ROI you extract from your contracts.

    Sailaja Meesaraganda • Jan. 25, 2024
  • EU CS3D
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    EU ESG due diligence directive set to take effect

    Final approval of the regulatory action is expected to happen soon. When it does, U.S. companies doing $300M in EU business must show they're meeting sustainability and other goals. 

    Neil D’Souza • Jan. 24, 2024
  • An artificial intelligence processor unit
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    Five takeaways for chief legal officers from Biden’s executive order on AI

    Staying informed, proactive and adaptable will allow in-house legal teams to more easily navigate the complex landscape and harness the power of AI responsibly and effectively. 

    Eric Gorman, Jill Fukunaga and Jeff Isaacs • Jan. 19, 2024
  • A businessperson using an AI chatbot
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    The best photo for all via Getty Images
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    A CLO’s GenAI prediction: We’ll lean into it — and our humanity

    A human-centric, converged approach to harnessing new technology is what will truly make 2024 in-house counsel’s time to shine.

    Shana Simmons • Jan. 18, 2024
  • Businessman touching an artificial intelligence-themed brain
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    Shutthiphong Chandaeng via Getty Images
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    6 AI tips for first-time adopters

    Companies adopting AI for the first time must be ready to do it responsibly and in a way that can deliver real business value, writes Hero Digital’s Arun Kumar.

    Arun Kumar • Jan. 16, 2024
  • AI v. non-AI technology
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    How to avoid regulatory risk for ‘AI washing’

    Federal agencies are prepared to call out companies whose AI claims don’t pass muster.

    Lena Kempe • Jan. 12, 2024
  • The letters AI on a digital block
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    Exploring the potential impact of generative AI on legal operations

    Before legal ops professionals can participate in serious assessment of AI solutions and tools, they must first understand the nuances between different forms of AI.

    Meredith Brown and Brandon Lee • Jan. 11, 2024