Selected Presentations and Publications

Below are a few of the recent speeches and publications of Steptoe's women:

Catherine Wilkinson spoke at TEI's 60th Midyear Conference on April 12, 2010, where she participated on a panel titled "Comprehensive Employment Tax Examinations Are Here - Are You Prepared?"
On March 23, 2010, Lucinda Low led a panel featuring Mark Mendelsohn, Deputy Chief of the Fraud Section at the US Department of Justice, and Cheryl Scarboro, Associate Director of the Enforcement Division of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Both Mr. Mendelsohn and Ms. Scarboro confirmed that FCPA enforcement will continue to be top priorities for both agencies.
Susan Esserman gave an exclusive interview to Aziz Haniffa of India Abroad. In the article, she discusses Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent visit to DC, the proposed bilateral investment treaty, outsourcing, climate change, and more.
Anne Moran authored an article for Employee Relations Law Journal titled "HIPAA's Special Enrollment Rights: Today's Rules." The article appears in the Winter 2009 issue and discusses group health plans' special enrollment rules and recent changes to them.
Suzy McDowell delivered “Charitable Giving Update: Section 170” at the Washington Nonprofit Legal & Tax Conference on February 18, 2010.
On February 18, Dr. Anna Gergely presented AmCham’s key messages on nanotechnologies to the new European Commissioner of Research and Innovation Ms. Maire Geoghegan–Quinn. Dr. Gergely, Chair of AmCham EU’s Nanotechnology Task Force, stressed that communication should be an essential part of the Research and Innovation portfolio because “industry can be a partner, not a target. A coordinated approach with the Commission would have a huge impact.”
Lisa Zarlenga was quoted in an article about taxable debt titled "Paying the Price for Survival Tactics" by Charles Delafuente which appeared in the New York Times on February 13, 2010.
Susan Esserman spoke on "Emerging Economies and Power Politics in Trade" for the inaugural session of the Madeleine Albright Institute for Global Affairs at Wellesley College, where Secretary Albright is the scholar–in–residence in January 2010.
Anna Gergely presented at the PIRA International's 26th Annual Plastics and Paper conference. The conference, held December 8th in Dublin Ireland, provided a comprehensive assessment into the most signification issues in the food packaging industry.
On December 8, 2009, Suzy McDowell participated in a Webinar with Pam Jowdy of GuideStar, a nonprofit corporation which was founded to promote nonprofit transparency and to provide a central repository of nonprofit information that donors could use to guide their giving decisions. Suzy discussed IRS-approved procedures and best practices for identifying certain supporting organizations. If private foundations and donor advised funds make grants to such organizations, they must engage in additional due diligence known as expenditure responsibility and the grants do not count toward private foundations minimum distribution requirements.
Anna Gergely presented at the EMAP conference on Flexible Packaging Innovations on "Food Contact Regulatory Developments." Her presentation consisted of a review of current EU legislation, relevant new developments, and ensuring compliance. The presentation introduced the food contact regulatory industry to Steptoe's regulatory capabilities. The conference took place in Brussels on December 2nd.
On November 16, 2009, Lisa Zarlenga and Greg Kidder presented a full-day seminar on corporate organizations, distributions, and liquidations at the Tax Executives Institute 2009 Federal Tax Course in Atlanta, GA.
Bec Edelson presents “Hidden Assets: Intellectual Property Rights in Designs” at the 34th Annual Intellectual Property Institute: IP in Vogue, IP Section of the State Bar of California.
Anne Moran’s article entitled “Economic Stimulus Package Contains New Parity Rules for Mental Health Benefits” was published in Employee Relations Law Journal in its Autumn 2009 edition. The article discusses the “Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act,” which was part of the Economic Stimulus package enacted by Congress in October 2008. The Act increases and expands the protections for mental health benefits that were established under the 1996 Mental Health Parity Act. To read this article, please click here.
Lisa Zarlenga co-authored an article entitled “The Bad-Debt Blues” which appeared in the November 2009 issue of the ABA Journal. To read this article, please click here.
On October 15th, Susan Esserman discussed the economic, administrative, legal, and fiscal issues of border tax adjustments for carbon under Cap-and-trade regimes at the American Tax Policy Institute Conference. Fellow panelists included: Charles McLure of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and Roseanne Altshuler of the Urban Institute.
In the October 20 issue of Compliance Week, Lucinda Low discusses the complexities that some companies face in allowing the use of facilitating payments or small amounts of money permitted under the FCPA to expedite a routine service.
Lucinda Low presented “Teaching and Practicing International Law in a Global Environment: Towards a Common Language of International Law” at the 88th Annual Meeting of the American Branch of the International Law Association on October 23 in New York City. The panel discussion also included Mahnoush H. Arsanjani, the former Director of Codification Division of the UN Office of Legal Affairs, José Alvarez of New York University School of Law, and Michael Scharf of Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
On October 20, Dr. Anna Gergely hosted and presented a luncheon in our Brussels office entitled, “Nanotechnology: Current Regulatory and Governance Issues.” While commercial applications of nanotechnologies are expanding rapidly, concerns about potential adverse environmental and health impacts are also proliferating. The luncheon aimed to explore the regulatory challenges and considered potential industry activities to effectively address these developments. Dr. Qasim Chaudhry, Principal Research Scientist of the UK Food and Environment Research Agency and Member of the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), was the guest speaker. The individuals invited were both industry experts active in the field of nanotechnology and corporate government affairs officers charged with monitoring emerging regulatory issues.
Lucinda Low’s presentation on October 4 at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) was covered by Gulf News, the TradeArabia News Service, Go Dubai, and SiloBreaker News Services. Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO of DIFC, was quoted saying that Lucinda's visit gave [them] an opportunity to highlight the efficient and best-of-breed international legal system that governs all activities and member firms at DIFC. Lucinda commented that she was “pleased to visit DIFC to see first-hand the accomplishments of this global financial hub, and to speak with DIFC and Hawkamah leadership about their important regional initiatives to improve transparency.” To read the full article in Gulf News, click here.
On October 1, Dr. Anna Gergely gave a presentation entitled “The Regulatory Challenges of Nanotechnology” to the AmCham Environment Committee in Brussels.
Dr. Anna Gergely was one of the discussants at “Securing the Promise of Nanotechnologies: Towards Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation,” on September 14th at an event sponsored by the European Commission. Over the past year, experts from the London School of Economics, Environmental Law Institute, Chatham House and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies have been examining the prospects for transatlantic regulatory cooperation for nanomaterials in chemicals, food and cosmetics. Their research findings and policy recommendations are to be published in a major report, which were presented and discussed at this seminar. The launch took place at the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts KVAB.
Lucinda Low presented “The FCPA: Coping with Heightened Enforcement Risk” at the IADC Annual General Meeting in Miami, Florida on November 10, 2009.
In the article “REACH: Looking Beyond Pre-registration,” published in the August 2009 issue of Chemical Engineering, Nancy Russotto discusses the issues facing many companies that have not planned beyond the preregistration stage in the process. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the next steps to ensure compliance under REACH are significantly more complex and require not only technical skills, but also substantial legal advice, supply chain management, and adjustments in logistics. Compliance can also engender financial consequences that need to be carefully managed. This article sets out the key steps that every company must understand, suggests pitfalls to be avoided, and raises awareness of some of the related initiatives that companies might need or wish to consider.
Linda Stein and Kathryn Gainey authored an article titled “Board Addresses Transportation of Hazardous Materials by Rail” that was published in the Infrastructure Newsletter of the ABA Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law (Vol. 48, No. 4, Summer 2009).
Lucinda Low moderated a panel discussing "Facilitating Payments under the FCPA – Are They Still Viable?" at the Oilfield Services Module – Oil & Gas Law Conference – on February 19, 2009 in Houston. To learn more, visit: http://www.cailaw.org/iel/O&G_10details.html.
Lucinda Low co-authored an article on the “Best Practices in Preventing Fraud and Corruption in Global Business” for law firms in the Lex Mundi network and in-house counsel.
Suzy McDowell presented a webinar entitled “Grantmaker Due Diligence in the Pension Protection Act Era: How to identify supporting organizations and align your grants administration process with the 21st century tax code,” on June 30.
Lucinda Low co-chaired and discussed “Overview of the FCPA and the International Landscape” in a presentation at the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 2009: Coping with Heightened Enforcement Risks conference in New York, Chicago, and during live webcast in San Francisco on April 29, May 29, and June 26 accordingly.
Suzy McDowell spoke at a roundtable discussion hosted by the Healthcare & Institutions and Philanthropic Management Groups at Bank of America titled “Managing Investment Assets in Difficult Economic Times.”
Suzy McDowell speaks at AICPA National Not-For-Profit Conference
Alice Loughran speaks before The Civil Justice Reform Group in “Preemption and State Government Standards: A Cross-Industry Perspective.”
Lynda Zengerle provided Immigration Law Update: E-Verify, I-9 Form Changes and New Enforcement Guidelines for Employers.
Lucinda Low to present on International Regulatory Compliance. Challenges Facing Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contractors.
Lucinda Low co-authored “International Regulatory Compliance Challenges Facing EPC Contractors” which was published in the May issue of Construction Briefings.
Rhonda Bolton was panelist discussing the political and legal landscape for health care reform in a teleconference hosted by the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers.
Bec Edelson to Co-Chair State Bar of California IP Law Section's “Intellectual Property in Entertainment and Media” and Moderate Panel on the Protection and Theft of Ideas.
Suzy McDowell to moderate a luncheon at the meeting called “Exempt Organizations Committee Luncheon.”
Nancy Russotto's article, “REACH: Classified Substances,” is part two in a four-part series on REACH compliance. The first article in the series, “REACH Compliance Explained,” discussed registration.
Nancy White Coordinates and Chairs Bar Leadership Institute's “How to Cultivate Mentors and Other Survival Tips for any Organization.”
Leah Quadrino co-authored “Recent Developments in Excess, Surplus Lines and Reinsurance,” in the ABA's Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal.
Lynda Zengerle on United States v. Illinois Decision Striking Down Law Restricting E-Verify Use in LexisNexis® Emerging Issues Analysis.
Laura Ardito (co-authored with Jonathan Drimmer) on: Abdullahi v. Pfizer, Inc. in LexisNexis Emerging Issues Analysis.
On April 7, Alice Kipel spoke at a Federal Circuit Bar Association seminar, “The Federal Circuit's Decision in Kyocera and Its Impact on Remedies in Section 337 Proceedings.”
Suzy McDowell spoke at the 26th Annual Georgetown Law CLE Program on Representing and Managing Tax-Exempt Organizations. Suzy spoke on Tuesday, April 7th, 2009, delivering “Exempt Organizations and Intellectual Property: Key Issues and Case Studies.”
Lucinda Low participated in the ITA-CANACO American Workshop Damages in International Arbitration: Strategies, Techniques & Presentation.” As counsel for a mock client, “Paragonia,” she explained how to prepare for the quantum hearing with the experts and whether to present an affirmative case. The workshop was held in Mexico City on April 2, 2009.
Michelle Cooke authors article, “Legal Challenges Arise in Protecting Sports' Brands” in Sports Litigation Alert on April 2, 2009.
Nancy Russotto authors article, “REACH compliance explained” on March 23, 2009.
Rhonda Bolton presented a webinar on stimulus law changes to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act on March 19, 2009.
Suzy McDowell spoke at a GuideStar webinar on March 17, 2009. The webinar examined grantmaker due diligence in the Pension Protection Act Era, discussing how to identify supporting organizations and align grants administration process with the 21st-century tax code.
Lisa Sandoval and Petra Vorwig's article “Online Application Systems: New Access Requirements” published in E-Commerce Law & Policy.
Rhonda Bolton and Anne Moran presented webinar on stimulus package changes to COBRA.
Anne Moran's article “Stuck in the Middle: A Cautionary Tale About Beneficiary Designation Forms” appears in Employee Relations Law Journal.
Suzy McDowell spoke at 2009 Washington Non-Profit Legal & Tax Conference Program on March 5, 2009. In a speech entitled “Governance Issues: Impact of the Revised Form 990,” Suzy discussed controversial new questions on governance that nonprofits must answer on the Form 990, the annual information return filed with the IRS.
Michelle Cooke and Lydia Bergman's Article “Losing Your Mark” Appears in LA Daily Journal on March 4, 2009.
Sandy Chamblee spoke at HB Litigation Conferences “Women in Law and Business: How to Arrive, Survive and Thrive at the Top” on March 3, 2009 at the Westin Grand, Washington, DC.
Beth Call and Sandra Sanders presented “When Difficult Times Call For Drastic Measures - Reducing Your Workforce While Minimizing Risk” - a discussion designed to help employers balance the risks of layoffs, benefit reductions, and other cost saving devices on February 26, 2009
Lucinda Low co-authored an article on the International Regulatory Compliance Challenges Faced By EPC Contractors Supporting The US Government Abroad for the February 2009 issue of International Government Contractor.
Robbin Itkin and Katherine Piper co-wrote article, “One Way Forward for Big Three Has Potholes,” which appeared in The National Law Journal on February 16, 2009.
Annual Employment Law Update: What In-House Counsel and HR Executives Need to Know - On February 10, 2009, Steptoe sponsored its annual seminar to update clients on ERISA and employment issues. Morgan Hodgson, Anne Moran, Alison Wallace, and Lynda Zengerle were speakers.
On January 22, 2009, Stacey Gottlieb spoke at the State Bar of Arizona's “White Collar Crime 2009: Annual Update and Trends.” Topics included a framework for internal investigations and compliance programs, development of Department of Justice Policies, perspectives on state initiatives, state and federal forfeiture, parallel proceedings and collateral consequences, and current DOJ policy and priorities.
Rebecca Edelson spoke at the In-House Counsel Committee of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of California's monthly meeting on January 11, 2009, concerning the enforceability of covenants not to compete in California and Edwards v. Arthur Andersen, a recent California Supreme Court case on that issue.
Facilitating Payment, Small Bribes and Extortion: How To Distinguish Them, and The Management Problems They Cause - On November 18, 2008, Lucinda Low spoke on FCPA issues at a conference hosted by the American Conference Institute.
GM cuts output and jets as US demands turnaround plans - On November 12, 2008, Robbin Itkin was quoted in The International Herald Tribune article.
Lucinda Low Spoke at 5th Annual Seminar on International Commercial Arbitration - On October 28, 2008, Lucinda Low presented “Stage III: The Pre-hearing Conference and the Arbitral Procedure” in Washington DC.
Nonprofit Mergers & Acquisitions - On October 21, 2008, Suzanne Ross McDowell spoke at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Association of Corporate Counsel on recent tax developments.
Payment Card Industry Requirements: How to Protect Your Credit Card Data - On October 20, 2008, Petra Vorwig spoke at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Association of Corporate Counsel on privacy issues.
15th Annual Course of Study: Consolidated Tax Return Regulations - On September 25, 2008, Lisa Zarlenga spoke as one of the faculty for a course co-sponsored by the ABA Section of Taxation.
Grantmaker Due Diligence in the Pension Protection Act Era: How to Identify Supporting Organizations and Align Your Grants Administration Process with the 21st-Century Tax Code - On September 17, 2008, Suzanne Ross McDowell spoke at a webinar sponsored by GuideStar on due diligence.
Frameworks to Ensure Open Investment Regimes - On September 16, 2008, Susan Esserman discussed the future of bilateral investment agreements, especially with large emerging economies such as China and India, and the potential for a multilateral agreement on investment.
Rethinking the WTO - On September 4, 2008, Susan Esserman published an article in Forbes on new developments with the World Trade Organization.
401(k) Fees: An Update on Regulatory Actions Affecting Service Providers - On July 23, 2008, Melanie Nussdorf spoke in a webcast hosted by the Association for Corporate Counsel Financial Services Committee on recent 401(k) developments.
2008 REACH Registration Exposition - On July 22, 2008, Grace Fremlin and Darren Abrahams spoke at the 2008 Exposition in Seoul, Korea.
REACH in Practice: Lessons Learned - On July 9, 2008, Laura Atlee spoke with Steptoe's REACH Team in the third webcast in a series on the new European chemicals regulation (REACH).
Intellectual Property in Entertainment & Media - On June 25, 2008, Rebecca Edelson moderated a panel at a seminar sponsored by the State Bar of California Intellectual Property Law Section.
Lisa Zarlenga Speaks at Practising Law Institute - On May 30, 2008, Lisa Zarlenga presented on transactional structures, partnerships, and other issues.
The End of Quotas: What You Can Do to Prepare for US Trade Actions - On May 29, 2008, Ying Huang participated in an address to more than 100 members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Textiles and Apparel.
Building Support for International Trade in the 21st Century - In May 2008, Susan Esserman presented at the US Department of Commerce Forum on international trade issues.
Employment Law Update - Alison Wallace publishes a monthly newsletter for clients and contacts.
The Use of LLC’s in Corporate Transactions, Including Sec. 355 Spin Offs - On April 25, 2008, Lisa Zarlenga discussed the treatment and use of LLCs in reorganizations and spin-offs at the The 2008 Tax Institute.
Fifth Annual Labor Relations Conference - On April 11, 2008, Stephanie Quincy spoke at Steptoe's conference in Phoenix.
New Section 403(b) Annuity Regulations: Nowhere to Hide - In spring 2008, Anne Moran was published in Employee Relations Law Journal on annuity regulations.
Lisa Zarlenga Spoke at Federal Bar Association Annual Tax Law Conference - On March 7, 2008, Lisa Zarlenga served as a co-chair of the Domestic Corporate Tax sessions of the Federal Bar Association Section on Taxation 32nd Annual Tax Law Conference.
How to Get the Most Out of REACH Pre-registration - On February 8, 2008, Laura Atlee and other members of the Steptoe REACH Team spoke to clients on how best to prepare for REACH pre-registration and assist in navigating the complex new legislation.
National Association of Women Lawyers Mid-Year Meeting - On February 7, 2008, Ruth Kahn presented “Ethics and the Expert Witness: Conflicts of Interest and Other Ethical Issues in Expert Witness Retention.
Doing Business in the Global Economy - On January 31, 2008, Julia Court Ryan and Grace Fremlin were among presenters at a session on doing business in the global economy at the Surfaces 2008 Conference.
Can Lead Recall Class Actions Be Stopped At Once? - On January 24, 2008, Jennifer Quinn-Barabanov was published in Product Law360 on the recent increase in lead-based class actions.
LexisNexis Women in the Legal Profession Summit - On January 15, 2008, Ruth Kahn presented “Rainmaking, Negotiating and Collaborative Development” at a LexisNexis Summit.
Product Safety Webinar—Product Recalls: Effectively Managing the Process - On January 10, 2008, Jennifer Quinn-Barabanov and Sandy Chamblee spoke at Steptoe's webinar on handling product recalls.
REACH in practice - challenges for the life sciences sector - Steptoe's REACH Team, including Laura Atlee, published an article on recent developments with the legislation.
Travels & Traditions: Immigrating to America - On December 21, 2007, Travels & Traditions was released. Steptoe partner Lynda S. Zengerle contributed to the film.
ERISA Update - Leber v. Citigroup, Inc. and Gipson v. Wells Fargo & Co. - On December 11, 2007, Melanie Nussdorf co-authored a client update on recent ERISA-related cases.
Lead Recall Class Actions Chug Along: Will They Run out of Steam? - In December 2007, Jennifer Quinn-Barabanov was published in The Toy Book on toy manufacturing issues.
Judicial Guidance on European Restrictions on Transactions Involving Sanctioned Terrorist Organizations and Entities - On October 15, 2007, Laura Atlee, David Lorello and Guy Soussan published an update on regulations concerning terrorist entities.
Challenges to Plaintiffs' Experts in Toxic Tort Cases: De-Bunking the Junk in Medical Causation Opinions - In late 2007, Sandy Chamblee and Theresa Queen wrote on the topic “Exploring Toxic Tort and Environmental Liability Claims” for the DRI Defense Library Series.
Antonia Ianniello Speaks at ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability Conference in Arizona - On September 21, 2007, Antonia Ianniello presented “Double Trouble: Defending Concurrent Disciplinary Actions and Legal Malpractice Suits.”
Proceed With Caution! Companies Must Understand And Heed Enhanced Export Compliance Requirements In Dealings With China - In July 2007, Petra Vorwig was published in the International Government Contractor on Chinese import and export regulations.
Don’t Dump on Me! The Specter of Trade Remedy Cases - In June 2007, Susan Esserman spoke at a seminar sponsored by the American Apparel and Footwear Association on trade remedy precedents.
Steptoe Co-sponsors Webinar on Trade Secrets with Association of Corporate Counsel - On June 14, 2007, Rebecca Edelson spoke at a webinar addressing the latest challenges, trends, case law, and First Amendment issues related to maintaining confidentiality and protecting trade secrets.
International Trade Decisions of the Federal Circuit: 2006 Cases and Highlights of 2003-2005 - In May 2007, Alexandra Baj was published in Volume 56, Number 4 of the American University Law Review.
Teleconference: Final 409A Regulations: Deferred Compensation - On May 1, 2007 Steptoe hosted a teleconference on 409A developments. Anne Moran presented.
Dispute Settlement Jurisprudence - In October 2006, Susan Esserman spoke at the Academy of WTO Law and Policy on the intricacies of dispute settlement.
Locked Up, Missing School - On August 7, 2006, Libretta Stennes published an article addressing issues with the criminal justice system and its treatment of children in with special education needs.
MMS Regulations, Case Law Governing the Deductibility of Post-Production Costs on Federal and Offshore Leases - On February 17, 2006, Cynthia Quarterman delivered a presentation at the 57th Annual Conference on Oil and Gas Law.