Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement

#MeToo and Beyond: Lessons for Compliance, Investigations, and Governance

October 11, 2019

The objective of the conference was to bring together academics, government officials, general counsel, compliance officers, and white collar defense lawyers for an off-the-record discussion on the lessons learned from #MeToo. The conference began with a discussion of corporate investigations and the unique crisis management challenges that arise in this area. It then examined issues of corporate governance and disclosure. The next panel considered the appropriate role for compliance in handling sexual harassment and misconduct claims, the impact the #MeToo movement has had, and should have, on compliance generally, and the interplay between compliance and other departments, including HR. The conference closed with a discussion on the challenges distinctive to universities and nonprofits.

Conference Agenda (PDF: 559 KB)

Keynote Speakers:
Alessandra Biaggi, New York State Senator, District 34 (D-Bronx/Westchester)
Senator Biaggi’s keynote address is available here.
Rachael Denhollader, Lawyer and Sexual Abuse Activist
Panel Discussions:
Panel 1: Crisis Management and Investigations
  • Stephanie Douglas, Senior Managing Director, Guidepost Solutions
  • Lisa Friel, Special Counsel for Investigations, National Football League
  • Mary Beth Hogan, Co-Chair, Litigation Department, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
  • Nancy Kestenbaum, Partner and Co-Chair, White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice, Covington and Burling LLP
  • Anne Milgram, Professor of Practice and Distinguished Scholar in Residence, NYU School of Law (Moderator)

Panel 2: Issues Surrounding Governance and Disclosure

  • Antonia Apps, Partner, Milbank; Lecturer, Harvard Law School
  • Rebecca Boon, Senior Counsel, Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP
  • Jane Levine '85, Executive Vice President, Chief Global Compliance Counsel, Head of Government and Regular Affairs, Sotheby's; Lecturer in Law, Columbia Law School
  • Brandy Stellings, Principal, Vestry Laight 
  • Maria Vullo '87, Senior Fellow, PCCE, NYU School of Law; Founder, Vullo Advisory Services, PLLC
  • Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law and Director, Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, NYU School of Law (Moderator)

Panel 3: Compliance Considerations in the #MeToo Era

  • Lucy Fato, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, AIG
  • Katherine Forrest '90, Partner, Cravath Swaine & Moore 
  • Timothy Lindon '80, Senior Fellow, PCCE, NYU School of Law (Moderator)
  • Scott Schools, Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer, Uber
  • Eugene Soltes, Jakurski Family Associate Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Panel 4: Special Considerations for Non-Profits and Universities

  • Allison Caffarone '03, Executive Director, PCCE, NYU School of Law (moderator)
  • Helen Cantwell, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
  • Apalla Chopra, Chair, Labor and Employment Practice, O'Melveny & Myers
  • Marjory Fisher, Associate Vice President and Title IX Coordinator, Columbia University
  • Ann Tenbrunsel, David E. Gallo Professor of Business Ethics, University of Notre Dame
  • Nicholas Wittner, Professor of  Law in Residence and previous Acting Chief Compliance Officer, Michigan State University College of Law