Join us for a regulatory overview of the securities industry, including the definition of securities and consequences of regulation, including securities registration, full-disclosure paradigm, and sales through licensed professionals. We'll also discuss potential claims and litigation risks associated with unrecognized or poorly documented securities offerings.

As we approach the midpoint of 2026, the consumer financial services regulatory and litigation environment remains highly unsettled.  Companies face a weakened but still functioning Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at the federal level; heightened activity at the state level; and new fronts opening in private litigation. 

Join the Consumer Financial Services Team at Spencer Fane for an overview of what is happening and the trends to keep an eye on for the remainder of 2026.  The session will highlight:

• The continuing saga over the fate of the CFPB and what it means for federal policy and enforcement activity;
• State enforcement and class action activity with Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA); and
• Major changes in Fair Lending and Fair Housing, including the CFPB’s final rule that would eliminate disparate impact and scale back the use of special purpose credit programs. 

When the call arrives that your company is going to be in a big fight – a bet-the-company storm watched by the board and the C-suite – achieving the best outcome starts at the very beginning. How you approach the claims on day one, from internal messaging and planning to evaluating outside counsel, determines whether you are set for success or for unnecessary expenses and an unhappy outcome. This session bridges the legal and business perspectives, offering practical insights into how experienced trial lawyers approach high-stakes litigation from the outset. Learn how to not only weather the storm but emerge on the other side stronger, better coordinated, and less vulnerable to the next fight.

The electric grid is under unprecedented stress with costs increasing quickly. For many companies, the cost and reliability of electricity is now a major risk. Join us as we provide an overview of the risks, why solar and/or battery systems are typically the best solutions, a rule of thumb to assess if solar and/or batteries are a good option, and the process and legal requirements.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly being embedded into core business functions – from legal operations and compliance to HR, finance, marketing, and product development. For in-house counsel, the challenge is no longer whether AI will be used, but how to ensure it is deployed responsibly, ethically, and in alignment with legal and business risk.

This program is designed to equip legal teams with a practical, governance-focused framework for overseeing the use of AI across the enterprise. The session emphasizes legal judgment, ethical obligations, and risk-based decision-making that in-house counsel can apply immediately.

This program provides an overview of how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fits into the overall regulatory oversight of the biotechnology and drug industry. Our discussion of key sources of FDA law includes an overview of regulated products, general requirements for marketing including clinical studies, and special programs such as orphan drugs to consider, and will highlight the intersection of FDA regulation with biologics litigation under the BPCIA, emphasizing the need for coordinated strategy between FDA regulatory and patent litigation teams to effectively serve biopharma clients.

Companies are using artificial intelligence at an exponentially increasing rate including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office. Any company interested in protecting its inventions, brands, and content should be aware of how IP offices are going to review and consider the validity of the IP. This presentation discusses how U.S.-based IP offices treat AI used by companies for development (e.g., AI can’t be an inventor or author) and how the USPTO uses AI to facilitate prosecution review.

This program examines attorney-client privilege through the lens of ethical obligations and professional responsibility for counsel and clients. Participants explore how privilege applies in modern legal practice, common pitfalls that can result in waiver, policies for employers to utilize affecting privilege, and issues related to the use of AI by counsel and clients. The discussion will address real world scenarios illustrating how actions and inaction by counsel, managers, and employees can lead to unintended and, sometimes, irreversible waiver of privilege. The program will also analyze the ethical consequences of both proper and improper assertion of privilege, including risks to client interests, professional discipline exposure, and reputational harm, and will provide best practice guidance for ethically safeguarding privilege in today’s workplace.

Construction has always been a driving force in the American economy. This presentation first looks at the fundamental reasons of “why” and why that trend is going to continue and accelerate. That economic dynamism creates unique threats to construction industry clients. Leaders from the Spencer Fane Construction Industry Market Team discuss how the increasingly complex needs of the construction industry require multidisciplinary solutions and how our attorneys provide that necessary knowledge and experience.