Schedule

The 2026 Garrett Institute Institute is a two-day, in-person conference hosted by Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. All sessions are in Central Daylight Time. Session times and speakers are subject to change.

Agenda PDF

Thursday, October 1, 2026

8–9 a.m. - Registration and Continental Breakfast

9–9:10 a.m. - Welcome and Overview

Zachary Clopton, Dean, Daniel Hale Williams Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Chicago
Christina Roupas, Institute Chair, Cooley LLP, Chicago

9:10–9:55 a.m. - SEC Rulemaking Developments: A Conversation with the Division of Corporation Finance*

Speakers
Sebastian Gomez Abero, Deputy Director, Legal and Regulatory Policy, Division of Corporation Finance, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC

Christina Thomas, Deputy Director, Chief Advisor on Disclosure, Policy, and Rulemaking, Division of Corporation Finance, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC

Moderator
Christina Roupas

9:55–10:40 a.m. - Rule Modernization and Changes and Their Impact on Disclosure*

  • Overview of SEC rulemaking agenda and OIRA review and timing
  • Semiannual reporting proposal adoption considerations and primary disclosure and reporting takeaways
  • Filer Status Proposal and its potential impact
  • Registered Offering Reform and its implications
  • Discussion of Regulation S-K rulemaking project and key takeaways

Session Chair
Reid Hooper, Enterprise Deputy General Counsel and Vice President, Fannie Mae, Washington, DC

Panelists
Erin McQuade, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, Alto Neuroscience Inc., Mountain View, CA
Annabelle Pereira, Deputy General Counsel, Life360, Inc., Chicago
Ashley Sinclair, Foley & Lardner LLP, Chicago

10:40–11:05 a.m. - Break

11:05 a.m.–12:05 p.m. - Proxy Issues*

  • In-depth proxy update, including proxy disclosure rule changes and lessons learned
  • Rule 14a-8 trends in shareholder proposals and navigating exclusions while waiting for SEC rules/guidance
  • Voting and engagement landscape changes, including proposed e-delivery rules, shifting institutional investor engagement practices, and tokenization
  • Retail investor voting programs, including Exxon no-action letter, litigation risk, and when to utilize the strategy

Session Chair
Katie LaVoy, Sidley Austin LLP, Chicago

Panelists
Kathleen Boege, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Wintrust Financial Corporation, Rosemont, IL
Cathy Conlon, Senior Vice President, Head of Disclosure Solutions, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., New York City
Jessica Paik, Divisional Vice President, Associate General Counsel, and Assistant Secretary, Abbott, Abbott Park, IL
Lori Zyskowski, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, New York City

12:05–1:30 p.m. - Lunch (provided)

12:15–1:15 p.m. - Sponsored Lunch & Learn Sessions (By invitation only)

Premier Lunch & Learn Session:
Market Overview and Trends in M&A
Sponsored by Houlihan Lokey

Join Houlihan Lokey for a discussion style overview of current issues in the M&A and capital markets followed by open networking with fellow attendees to deepen relationships.

Panelists
 Sam Peterson, Vice President, Houlihan Lokey, Chicago
Terry Treemarcki, Director, Houlihan Lokey, Chicago

Lunch & Learn Session A:
Risk and Governance in an Era of Change
Sponsored by Gallagher Public Company D&O Insurance

In this discussion, in-house leaders and leading law firm practitioners will discuss best practices for navigating accelerating and uncertain developments in technology, regulation, and capital markets in the legal department and in the boardroom. Topics discussed will include AI adoption upsides and risks from an investment, governance, and regulation perspective, and regulatory and corporate governance flux, including navigating evolving federal legal and regulatory postures, changing disclosure requirements, and changes to state corporate law.

Panelists
Erin McQuade
Stephanie Miller, Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Vantive, Chicago
Walker Newell, SVP, Gallagher Public Company D&O Insurance, San Francisco
Courtney Tygesson, Cooley LLP, Chicago

Lunch & Learn Session B:
AI, Data Miners, and the False Claims Act: Preparing for the Next Wave of Whistleblower Claims
Sponsored by Hilco Global

AI-assisted whistleblowers and data-mining relators are reshaping False Claims Act enforcement by using public data to identify anomalies and file increasingly detailed qui tam complaints related to customs/tariffs, immigration/visas, DEI, cybersecurity, and other false representations. Join Hilco’s Global Investigations & Dispute Resolution Practice to understand the new whistleblower landscape and trade fraud enforcement risk, learn to help lead risk assessments, evaluate disclosure obligations and frame the company’s response, respond to data-driven allegations, and work with finance, compliance, and discover investigative resources to distinguish true fraud indicators from misleading analytics.

Panelists
Sue Bettman, Partner, Brunswick Group, Chicago
Zach Fardon, King & Spalding LLP, Chicago
Kris Swanson, Executive Director - Global Investigations & Dispute Resolution, Hilco Global, Chicago

1:30–2:30 p.m. - Board Hot Topics: Roundtable with Outside Directors and In-House Counsel

  • What boards are prioritizing now and what it means for 2027
  • From red flags to action – board oversight and effective crisis management planning
  • Balancing tenure, diversity, and skill-set needs in an evolving regulatory and stakeholder environment
  • Insights on dealing with a board of directors

Session Chair
Robert Hayward, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Chicago

Panelists
Laura Brown, Board Chair, Helios Technologies, Sarasota, FL
Kim deBeers,  Independent Director, O’Reilly Automotive, Inc., and ACI Worldwide, Inc., Chicago
Margaret Egan, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Chicago
Gary Pilnick, Board Member, Newell Brands, Jupiter, FL

2:35–3:35 p.m. - M&A Hot Topics*

  • State of the M&A market, including evolving trends and developments
  • Key drivers of deal-making activity, including regulatory risks and opportunities, technology/AI disruption, consolidation and deconsolidation trends, and the impact on "what’s market" for deal terms
  • Practical tips and lessons learned for structuring and negotiating M&A deals
  • Risk allocation in the current environment

Session Chair
Karessa Cain, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, New York City

Panelists
David Clark, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Chicago
Scott D'Angelo, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, UL Solutions Inc., Northbrook, IL
Louis Lambert, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary, APi Group Corporation, New Brighton, MN
Dotun Obadina, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York City

3:35–4 p.m. - Break

4–5 p.m. - Practical Usage of AI in Transactions and Disclosure*

  • Identify practical, repeatable uses of AI in transactional legal work that improve efficiency and work-product quality
  • Evaluate AI’s current limitations, including reliability, cost, source support, and tasks requiring significant lawyer supervision and judgment
  • Apply appropriate safeguards and review practices when using AI-generated work product in a legal function
  • Assess strategies for driving AI adoption and measuring impact through time savings, turnaround, cost, quality, and client satisfaction

Session Chair
Nina Flax, Mayer Brown, Palo Alto, CA

Panelists
Adam Aft, Baker McKenzie, Chicago
Ryan Hopkins, Director & Senior Expert Counsel, AI & Emerging Technology Transactions, General Motors, Detroit
Camilla Merrick, General Counsel, Olympic Steel & Corporate Secretary, Ryerson Holding Corporation, Chicago

5–6 p.m. - Attendee Reception
Sponsored by FGS Global

Friday, October 2, 2026

8–8:45 a.m. - Sponsored Roundtable (By invitation only)

New Activists and New Rules for Engagement
Sponsored by FTI Consulting

A new cohort of activist investors is taking center stage – including spinout groups from established funds and first-time activists – bringing different approaches, new strategies and evolving tactics to target public companies. At the same time, new regulations have transformed shareholder engagement as the market completes its first proxy season with bifurcated stewardship teams and new standards. This interactive discussion with governance experts and activism defense advisors will go beyond the headlines to break down what this fast-changing landscape means for legal teams.

Moderator
Dan Scorpio, Senior Managing Director, M&A and Activism, FTI Consulting, Chicago

Panelists
Duncan Herrington, Managing Director, Shareholder Engagement and M&A Capital Markets, J.P. Morgan, New York City
Carmen Lu, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York City
Garrett Muzikowski, Managing Director, M&A and Activism, FTI Consulting, New York City

8:15 a.m. - Continental Breakfast

9–10 a.m. - SEC Enforcement: A Conversation with Deputy Director Paul Tzur

Speaker
Paul Tzur, Deputy Director, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Chicago

Co-Moderators
Rachel Copenhaver, Vedder, Chicago
Jonathan Haray, DLA Piper LLP (US), Washington, DC

10–10:10 a.m. - Break

10:10–11:25 a.m. - Delaware Mock Argument: Section 144 (post-SB21) and A Conversation with Vice Chancellor Nathan A. Cook

Presiding
Vice Chancellor Nathan A. Cook, Delaware Court of Chancery, Wilmington, DE

Commentator
Marjorie Duffy, Jones Day, Columbus, OH

Litigators
John Day, Prickett, Jones & Elliott, P.A., Wilmington, DE
Susan Waesco, Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP, Wilmington, DE

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. - Shareholder Activism

In this interactive simulation, participants will work in real time to respond to a hypothetical activism situation as it escalates.

  • Gain firsthand experience on how an activism situation starts and evolves
  • Understand best practices on activism preparation and response
  • Apply best practices in an interactive, simulated environment
  • Learn actionable takeaways from leading advisors and your colleagues

Session Chair
Christopher Drewry, Latham & Watkins LLP, Chicago

Panelists
David Cahoy, Senior Managing Director, Evercore Inc., New York City
Brandon Gold, McDermott Will & Schulte, New York City
Barrett Golden, Partner, Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher, New York City
Jason Kelroy, General Counsel, Circular Action Alliance, Milwaukee

12:30–12:50 p.m. - Boxed Lunch Pick-Up

12:50–1:50 p.m. - Ethics: Issues of Privilege 

  • Discussion of the evolving risks to confidential and privileged information as changing work and communication habits challenge traditional attorney-client protections (Model Rules 1.6, 1.9(c), 1.13)
  • Analysis of real world scenarios to identify potential ethical pitfalls in protecting privilege, confidentiality, and attorney work product
  • Practical challenges posed by third parties, AI tools, corporate investigations, and other issues

Session Chair
Jonathan Buck, Deputy General Counsel, Ashurst Perkins Coie Group, Chicago

Panelists
Ismail Alsheik, Chief Legal Officer, Vantage Data Centers, Denver
Wendy Muchman, Professor of Practice, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Chicago
Leah Trzcinski, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN), Chicago

1:55–2:55 p.m. - AI Governance

  • Uses of AI in corporate governance and by boards
  • Efficiency and risk management in the use of AI by in-house legal departments and outside counsel
  • How in-house counsel and law firms are adjusting their practices in response to AI
  • AI disclosure trends and AI-related securities litigation/enforcement

Session Chair
Angie Snavely, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Minneapolis

Panelists
Benjamin Backberg, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary, General Mills Inc., Minneapolis
Elizabeth Gingold Clark, Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta & New York City
Margaret Hermes Neiman, Chief Administrative & Operating Officer, Avant, LLC, Chicago

2:55 p.m. - Institute Concludes

* Session will be recorded and available on demand following the live Institute