Stanford Directors' College 2021: Join Me

From June 21 to June 24, 2021, Stanford hosts its 26^th annual Directors' College. Having the opportunity to exchange ideas with peers from around the country can help directors and officers navigate the current issues we face.

This year will no doubt be especially interesting as everyone shares what they have learned from the pandemic, including new best practices that they will continue in the future.

Although this year’s event is different from past events (entirely virtual), the Directors' College is always a top pick in our annual Board Education Resource Guide.

Keynote speakers this year include:

• Maggie Wilderotter, member of the board of directors of Costco Wholesale Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cadence Design Systems and Lyft, and board chair of DocuSign. She also serves on the private board of Tanium and a number of non-profit organizations, too.
• Ursula Burns, former chairman of the board of Xerox Corporation.
• Richard L. Trumka, president of the 12.5-million-member AFL-CIO.
• Tony West, senior vice president, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary at Uber; former senior official of the Obama administration.

In addition, there is always plenty of engaging content. This year, I’ll be moderating two breakout sessions:

Defend Your Company, Defend Yourself: Modern Litigation Strategies

Date: June 21, 2021
Time 11:20 a.m. PT

I have moderated this topic for Directors’ College many times, and each time there is always something new to discuss given that the plaintiffs’ bar is constantly innovating. This year will be no exception.

Read more about this topic on the D&O Notebook:

• Common D&O Lawsuits and How D&O Insurance Would Respond
• Five Types of Derivative Suits with Massive Settlements
• 2020 Securities Class Actions Exceed 10-Year Average
• Duty of Oversight Claims: Hard to Prove but Boards Need to be Proactive
• COVID-19 Litigation: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Headed

The Rise of SPACS: Challenges and Opportunities

Date: June 24, 2021
Time: 11:20 a.m. PT

Changes in SPAC-world are happening at a breathtaking pace—and not everyone approves. This session is likely to be a bit spicy.

Read more about this topic on the D&O Notebook:

• Why More SPACs Could Lead to More Litigation
• The SEC Is Sharpening Its Focus on SPACs
• Guide to D&O Insurance for SPAC IPOs
• Guide to D&O Insurance for De-SPAC Transactions
• Insurance Captive for SPAC D&O Insurance? Nope.

In addition, my colleague Lauri Floresca will be speaking at the event in the following breakout session:

Get Smart: Cybersecurity and the Board  

Date: June 23, 2021
Time: 11:20 a.m. PT

Read more about this topic: 

• Board of Directors: Prioritize Your Cyber Risk 
• Cloud Computing Risk and Cyber Liability Insurance
• Cyber Liability Insurance Buying Guide 

You can view the event agenda here and read more about the registration and application process here.

Finally, a discount is available for Woodruff Sawyer friends and clients. Please contact your Woodruff Sawyer account executive or Priya Huskins (Priya@WoodruffSawyer.com) for more information.

Visit our SPACs industries page for more insights and resources related to Special Purpose Acquisition Companies.