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Garrett Institute to Focus on Financial Regulatory Reform

April 01, 2009

Top corporate law practitioners will examine legal developments following the financial crisis during Northwestern University School of Law’s 29th Annual Ray Garrett Jr. Corporate and Securities Law Institute.

The institute will be held Thursday and Friday, April 30 and May 1, at Northwestern Law, 375 E. Chicago Ave.

The program’s highlights include an analysis and discussion of urgent calls for regulatory reform of the financial markets and a mock argument related to a company in financial distress before a Delaware Supreme Court judge.

Richard G. Ketchum, newly appointed chief executive officer of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), will participate in a discussion on financial market regulatory reform from 11:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 30. (FINRA, the largest non-governmental regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States, touches virtually every aspect of the securities business.)

Ketchum stated in his remarks at the SIFMA Compliance and Legal Division’s Annual Seminar: “The answer to this crisis is not regulation for regulation's sake but, rather, more thoughtful regulation that is better targeted and enlightened by the lessons of recent events. That is a tough mission to accomplish in this environment.”

Justice Jack B. Jacobs of the Delaware Supreme Court will preside over the mock argument and discussion about M&A transactions related to a company in financial distress. Experienced litigators J. Travis Laster, partner at Abrams & Laster LLP, and Marc Wolinsky, partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, will present the mock arguments before Justice Jacobs.

Other issues that will be addressed include developments in executive compensation in the wake of the AIG outcry; what securities lawyers need to understand about accounting today; SEC enforcement and securities litigation arising from the current environment; and maintaining the attorney-client privilege.

Visit our Garrett Institute web page for more information, including a complete schedule, registration instructions, and CLE information.

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