Schedule

The 2025 Garrett Institute is a two-day, in-person conference hosted by Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. All sessions are in Central Daylight Time. Additional session details coming soon. Session times and speakers are subject to change.

 Agenda PDF

Thursday, October 9, 2025

7:45 a.m. - Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:45–9 a.m. - Welcome and Overview

Zachary Clopton, Interim Dean and Daniel Hale Williams Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Chicago
Jodi Simala, Institute Chair, Mayer Brown LLP, Chicago

9–9:30 a.m. - State of the Markets*

The global economy continues to evolve at a rapid pace driven by a variety of dynamic macroeconomic and geopolitical factors. This presentation will reflect on the global macroeconomic environment with a US lens and address the current state of the equity and debt capital markets as well as the M&A landscape as a reflection of these considerations.

Presenter
Kristen Rossi, Global Head of Consumer Retail Investment Banking, Morgan Stanley, Chicago

9:35–10:35 a.m. - The Impact of the Current Administration*

  • Impact of the administration's executive orders on the private sector
  • How boards and general counsel are responding to policy changes
  • Managing conflicting regulatory environments among various countries

Session Chair
Daniel Davis, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Washington, DC

Panelists
Heather Russell, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, TransUnion LLC, Chicago
Edward Siskel, Latham & Watkins LLP, Chicago
Chelsi Tryon, Director of ESG, Toppan Merrill, Phoenix
Matt Zabel, former Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Target, Minneapolis

10:35–11 a.m. - Break

11 a.m.–12:15 p.m. - Delaware Mock Argument - When M&A Goes Bad + A Conversation with Vice Chancellor Laster*

Presiding
Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster, Delaware Court of Chancery, Wilmington, DE

Commentator
Michael Allen, Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Wilmington, DE

Litigators
Nicholas Mozal, Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP, Wilmington, DE
Lakshmi Muthu, Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP, Wilmington, DE

12:15–1:35 p.m. - Lunch (Provided)

12:25–1:25 p.m. - Lunch & Learn Sessions (By Invitation Only)

Session A: Antitrust Beyond the Beltway
Sponsored by H/Advisors Abernathy

M&A involves a lawyer-led prescribed regulatory process for review and approval, and consumer groups, Congress, organized labor, activist investors and state attorneys general can flex political muscle that extends timelines and makes mergers more challenging to close. Planning for this "beyond the Beltway" antitrust activity is important in today's environment and requires close coordination among corporate counsel, outside counsel, IR, communications and business leads.

Moderator
Dan Scorpio, Managing Director and Head of M&A Practice, H/Advisors Abernathy, Chicago

Panelists
Ashley Callen, Jenner & Block LLP, Washington, DC
Tim FitzSimons, King & Spalding LLP, Chicago
Mike Hotra, Managing Director and Head of Washington, DC Office, H/Advisors Abernathy, Washington, DC

Session B: The False Claims Act: Emerging Threats, Escalating Damages, and How In-House Counsel Can Prepare and Respond
Sponsored by Charles River Associates

The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes liability on people and companies who defraud governmental programs and is the federal government’s primary tool in combating fraud against the government. This session will dive into the modern evolution of the FCA and key enforcement areas where FCA risk is growing, provide an analysis of major reverse false claims risks, discuss how FCA exposure is tied to H-1B visa compliance, certifications, and third-party workforce issues, address how to utilize a practical FCA Red Flag Checklist to proactively audit and assess corporate FCA risk across functions grants, and most importantly, provide best practices for in-house counsel to detect, respond to, and mitigate FCA risk.

Moderator
Kris Swanson, Vice President, Practice Leader of Forensic Services, Charles River Associates, Chicago

Panelists
Andrew Bayer, Principal, Charles River Associates, New York City
Joel Hammerman, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Chicago
Jordan Kraner, Principal, Charles River Associates, Chicago
Terra Reynolds, Latham & Watkins LLP, Chicago

Session C: Market Overview and Trends in M&A
Sponsored by Houlihan Lokey

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

Panelists
Mike Bett, Director, Houlihan Lokey, Chicago
Terry Treemarcki, Director, Houlihan Lokey, Chicago

1:35–2:35 p.m. - Current Issues and Trends in M&A*

  • Drivers behind the resurgent deal environment in 2025
  • Trends in the regulatory environment and observations about the impact on merger agreement technology
  • Special considerations in cross-border M&A
  • Managing the risks and seizing the opportunities created by market volatility in an M&A context

Session Chair
Jenna Levine, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, New York City

Panelists
Steven Belew, Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary, Cushman & Wakefield, Chicago
Melissa Brown, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary, AeroVironment, Inc., Los Angeles
William Rowe, Baker & McKenzie LLP, Chicago

2:40–3:40 p.m. - Corporate Law Developments*

There have been seismic corporate law and governance developments in the past year, as the Delaware amendments and other states’ attempts to challenge Delaware's dominance have taken center stage. This session will focus on the core issues and hottest topics, including:

  • DGCL Amendments history and background, impact on existing caselaw and issues left open for future resolution
  • Incorporation/reincorporation trends and considerations, impact of the TripAdvisor case, and Texas and Nevada efforts
  • Key Delaware issues to watch, including the constitutional challenge to the Delaware amendments, the Moelis appeal, and the Tesla Tornetta appeal

Session Chair
Kristen Seeger, Sidley Austin LLP, Chicago

Panelists
Christopher Babcock, Foley & Lardner LLP, Dallas
A. Thompson Bayliss, Abrams & Bayliss LLP, Wilmington, DE
Amy Simmerman, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Wilmington, DE

3:40–4 p.m. - Break

4–5 p.m. - Shareholder Activism*

  • Market overview of activism in the U.S.
  • Recent trends in shareholder activism, including key activist themes, the pros/cons of Board-level engagement, and regulatory impacts (13D/G guidance and Texas legislation)
  • Company preparedness
  • Short attacks and how they differ from traditional long activists

Session Chair
Elizabeth Gonzalez-Sussman, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, New York City

Panelists
James Langston, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York City
David Rosewater, Global Head of Shareholder Activism and Corporate Defense, Morgan Stanley, New York City
Matthew Sherman, President, Joele Frank, New York City

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

*Session will be available on demand for 30 days following the live Institute

Friday, October 10, 2025

7:15-8:15 a.m. - Sponsored Roundtable (By Invitation Only)

Leaving Delaware? Implications for Corporate Governance and D&O Liability
Presented by Woodruff Sawyer

For companies considering the pros and cons of incorporation or reincorporation outside of Delaware, a new landscape is beginning to come into clearer focus, with potentially significant impacts on corporate governance, litigation risk for directors and officers, and the relationship between the corporation and shareholders. In this roundtable, we will summarize recent legal developments in Nevada, Texas, and Delaware, discuss the downstream consequences of greater competition between state corporate law frameworks, and hear how institutional investors are reacting to the reincorporation narrative. 

Moderator
Walker Newell, Senior Vice President, Management Liability, Woodruff Sawyer & Co., San Francisco

Panelists
Chris Babcock, Foley & Lardner LLP, Dallas
Jeff Mahoney, General Counsel, The Council of Institutional Investors, Washington, DC
Abe Vigil, Ballard Spahr LLP, Las Vegas

7:45 a.m. - Continental Breakfast

8:30–9:30 a.m. - Shifts in Regulatory Agenda: Moving Towards a More Principle-Based Regulatory Framework

  • Updates on Disclosure Review Program
  • Executive compensation developments, including SEC roundtable discussion
  • How re-evaluating Emerging Growth Company status and accelerated and large accelerated filer status may impact regulatory actions
  • What to expect with regard to climate, cybersecurity, AI and other hot topic disclosure matters
  • What potential changes to foreign private issuers definition and loss of exemptions could mean for access to US markets

Session Co-Chairs
Era Anagnosti, DLA Piper LLP (US), Washington, DC
Julie Rizzo, K&L Gates LLP, Raleigh, NC

Panelist
Hagen Ganem, Vice President, Legal - Corporate and M&A, ServiceNow, Inc., Santa Clara, CA

9:35–10:35 a.m. - SEC Enforcement Trends and Priorities

Speakers
Ariella Guardi, Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC, Chicago
Nader Salehi, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Washington, DC

10:35–10:55 a.m. - Break

10:55–11:55 a.m. - Supreme Court Updates

  • A brief review of the OT24 Term, including statistics, major developments, and cases dismissed as improvidently granted
  • A preview of OT2025, including statistics, the continued importance of the emergency docket, and key themes and issues for the upcoming term
  • Cases to watch:
    • First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin
    • Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment
    • Little v. Hecox
    • West Virginia v. BPJ
    • Chiles v. Salazar

Session Chair
Charlotte Taylor, Jones Day, Washington, DC

Panelists
Sarah Harrington, Covington & Burling LLP, Washington, DC
Annie Kastanek, Jenner & Block LLP, Chicago
Amy Upshaw, King & Spalding LLP, Washington, DC

11:55 a.m.–12:15 p.m. - Boxed Lunch Pickup

12:15–1 p.m. - Navigating Sudden CEO Transitions

  • Planning for emergency succession "crisis management"
  • Disclosure considerations in the context of an unplanned succession
  • Handling related (sensitive) matters, including ongoing investigations, clawbacks, etc.
  • Considerations for negotiating a mutually agreed exit
  • Advance succession planning considerations

Session Chair
Courtney Tygesson, Cooley LLP, Chicago

Panelists
Dorothy Capers, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, C.H. Robinson, Minneapolis
Tom Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, H/Advisors Abernathy, New York City
Christine Long, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Indianapolis

1:05–1:50 p.m. - Managing through Missing Guidance Situations

This session will include an interactive fact pattern exercise led by panelists who will provide a unique perspective on considerations involved in making guidance-related decisions, including:

  • Responding to market rumors and short seller reports
  • Factors to consider in updating, withdrawing or suspending earnings guidance
  • Legal requirements and investor perspectives
  • Managing internal and external constituencies

Session Chair
Eric Orsic, McDermott, Will & Schulte LLP, Chicago

Panelists
Joey Graves, Managing Director and Chief Corporate Counsel, CME Group Inc., Chicago
Jonathan Spitzer, Vice President of Investor Relations, Adtalem Global Education, Chicago
Jennifer Zepralka, Mayer Brown, Washington, DC

1:50–2 p.m. - Break

2–3 p.m. - A Fireside Chat on Attorney Mental Health

Attorneys face a heightened risk of mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, due to the demanding nature of the profession – the long hours, competitive environments, and high-pressure deals and cases. How do we effectively combat these challenges in an industry that is heavily dictated by client demands and seemingly rewards overachievers? This fireside chat will provide practical strategies for lawyers who are looking to build resilience and maintain a sustainable legal career.

Speakers
Ismail H. Alsheik, Chief Legal Officer, Vantage Data Centers, Denver
Dr. Diana Uchiyama, Executive Director, Illinois Lawyers' Assistance Program, Chicago

Session will be submitted for Illinois Professional Responsibility (Mental Health and Substance Abuse) Credit, and for similar credit in other states as applicable.

3 p.m. - Institute Concludes