As businesses navigate an increasingly complex legal and regulatory landscape, the need for expert legal advice has never been greater. Board directors play a crucial role in ensuring that their organizations have the right legal resources in place to mitigate risks, comply with regulations, and support strategic initiatives. Retaining outside counsel is a key decision that requires careful consideration of legal expertise, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with the company’s long-term objectives. This SVDX webinar will help board directors understand the strategic and practical considerations involved in retaining outside counsel. Attendees will learn how to make informed decisions about when, how, and why to engage external legal advisors, ensuring that the organization benefits from the best legal guidance while maintaining governance and cost control. Key takeaways include understanding the role of outside counsel as well as your own general counsel, evaluating legal expertise, building strong partnerships, and governance and oversight.
SPEAKERS
Shanti Ariker
Shanti Ariker is JFrog’s Chief Legal Officer charged with leading the company’s legal policy development and compliance globally, guiding environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives, and driving the mergers and acquisitions process. She has over 20 years of experience working internationally in leadership positions at high-growth software companies including Salesforce, Autodesk, and Twilio. Most recently Shanti served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Zendesk where she led the company’s transition from a public company to private equity ownership.
Ed Batts
Ed Batts is a corporate partner in Gibson Dunn’s Palo Alto office. For 25 years, he has counseled technology clients, including in the semiconductor supply chain; enterprise software and cloud; hardware and devices; 5G and satellite; and large-cap enterprises that engage in many of these sub-verticals at once. In technical expertise, Ed focuses on mergers and acquisitions, including cross-border transactions, spin-offs, tender offers, and going private transactions. Ed has been named multiple times both a BTI Client Service All Star and an Acritas/Thomson Reuters Star, and has been recognized by Best Lawyers for his work in corporate law. He is a member of the American Nuclear Society and published author on nuclear waste issues. He also is a military officer veteran and former U.S. federal special agent.
Priya Cherian Huskins
Priya Cherian Huskins is Senior Vice President, Management Liability at Woodruff Sawyer and a recognized expert in D&O liability risk and its mitigation. She also counsels clients on corporate governance, including ways to reduce their exposure to shareholder lawsuits and regulatory investigations. Priya serves on the board of directors of Realty Income Corporation and NMI Holdings, Inc. She also serves on the advisory board of the Stanford University Rock Center for Corporate Governance and on the boards of Woodruff Sawyer and the Long Term Stock Exchange. Priya is a frequent speaker at Stanford Directors’ College, has appeared on CNBC, and has been quoted in publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to the Financial Times. In 2024, Priya became an NACD Directorship 100 honoree.
F. Daniel Siciliano, moderator
Dan Siciliano is a successful technology CEO-founder and entrepreneur, as well as Vice Chair of the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and a recognized expert in corporate strategy and governance, capital financial markets, executive compensation, and technological disruption (including fintech, AI and cybersecurity). He is currently Chairman of SVDX, board member of the Latino Corporate Directors Education Foundation, chair-elect of the Council of Federal Home Loan Banks, and a fellow at Stanford University.