* * * FOR IN-HOUSE COUNSEL ONLY * * *
May 20-21, 2025
8:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Holland & Hart invites you to attend our complimentary two-day CLE program designed specifically for in-house counsel. This strategic learning opportunity allows you to earn up to 8 CLE credits—including essential Ethics and Professionalism & Civility requirements—well ahead of Utah’s June 30 deadline.
Our presenters will deliver practical insights on mission-critical legal developments relevant to your daily practice. This program represents both a valuable professional development opportunity and an efficient way to fulfill your CLE requirements.
Please RSVP to attend.
Location:
222 S Main St. Suite 2200,
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Agenda:
Tuesday, May 20
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Registration & Networking
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Environmental Due Diligence: Protecting Your Transactions and Managing Risk
Real estate attorney Anaya Gayle and environmental attorney Chad Baker will discuss the value of environmental due diligence in real estate and commercial transactions. They will explore opportunities, risks, and common misconceptions about environmental due diligence. This session links due diligence protocols to common deal terms, presents legal developments, and provides tips for minimizing surprises during and after transactions.
9:35 AM – 10:35 AM | Utah Legislative & Tax Updates 2025
In this two-part presentation, government affairs strategists Kate Bradshaw and Liam Thrailkill will offer an insider’s view of legislative changes from Utah’s 2025 session that may affect your business’s operations, compliance requirements, and strategic planning. Kate and Liam will discuss updates to energy and environmental regulations, housing and land use developments, government operations reform, elections and judicial procedures, and more. Next, tax attorney Steve Young will share insights on how recent changes in Utah’s tax legislation may affect businesses throughout the state, offering guidance to help your organization optimize its tax strategy.
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM | Exploring the DEI Landscape: Curating Compliant Programs in 2025 (30 mins.) | Maneuvering Wage & Hour and Independent Contractor Compliance (30 mins.)
In the first of this two-part presentation, employment attorneys Mickell Jimenez and Brit Merrill examine the rapidly evolving legal landscape surrounding corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives. Participants will gain critical insights into recent EEOC guidance, understand how leading companies are being strategic in preserving diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace, and learn practical frameworks for evaluating programs.
Part 2 of this presentation offers essential guidance on navigating the complex terrain of wage and hour regulations, with particular focus on employee classification challenges. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of FLSA fundamentals, including critical distinctions between exempt and non-exempt employees across executive, administrative, and professional categories. We will also examine common compliance pitfalls surrounding compensable work time, overtime requirements, and the increasingly scrutinized independent contractor relationship.
11:50 AM – 12:50 PM | Ethics Guidance for In-House Counsel
Litigation attorney Cory Talbot offers in-house counsel essential guidance in handling ethical issues, including client identification issues, preserving attorney-client privilege in digital communications, understanding work-product doctrine application, and navigating licensure requirements. Through real-world scenarios and litigation-tested insights, participants will gain valuable frameworks for addressing ethical challenges unique to corporate counsel.
12:50 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch & Networking
Wednesday, May 21
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Registration & Networking
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Why IP Law Matters and What Jack Dorsey’s Post “Delete All IP Law” Gets Wrong
Explore the essential role of intellectual property law in our innovation economy through this CLE presentation that directly addresses Jack Dorsey's provocative call to “delete all IP law.” During this presentation, intellectual property attorneys Scott Karren and Tom Anderson will examine how IP protections create necessary market incentives while balancing public access concerns, and why eliminating these protections would likely harm the very creative ecosystems Dorsey aims to support. The session will address common misconceptions about IP law’s purpose and provide attorneys with practical frameworks for explaining IP’s value to clients and stakeholders.
9:35 AM – 10:35 AM | Navigating Insurance Law & Litigation
In this presentation, insurance coverage attorney Mike Harmond breaks down what in-house attorneys can do to protect their clients, maximize insurance recovery, and add value to their company’s insurance processes. Mike will provide a refresher on insurance law fundamentals, along with practical guidance for obtaining coverage, navigating claims, and resolving insurance disputes both in and out of court.
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM | The Anatomy of an M&A Deal
During this presentation, corporate attorneys Todd Reece, Curtis Greenwood, Zack Kriesberg, and Jason Perry will dissect the complex structure of modern M&A transactions, guiding participants through each critical phase from initial strategy to post-closing integration. Gain practical insights into deal structuring, due diligence protocols, regulatory compliance considerations, and effective negotiation of key provisions in transaction documents. This session provides valuable frameworks and practical tools to navigate the multifaceted challenges of today’s M&A landscape. We will also provide a brief update on the status of the Corporate Transparency Act.
11:50 AM – 12:50 PM | Professionalism & Civility: Ethical Boundaries for In-House Counsel
Litigation and employment attorneys Steve Suflas and Emily Howe will examine standards of professionalism and civility for in-house counsel, offering valuable insights into identifying who constitutes the “client” within organizational structures, managing privilege risks with dual-purpose communications, and implementing concrete strategies to protect privileged information. They will address emerging challenges in remote legal practice, exploring how Zoom proceedings and artificial intelligence tools can both enhance and potentially undermine ethical obligations, and discuss practical approaches for maintaining professional standards while effectively serving organizations in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
12:50 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch & Networking