In just under two weeks, the 15th Annual Inside Counsel Super Conference kicks off in downtown Chicago. If previous years are any indication, the event will be packed with a diverse group of senior level audience participants.  The speaking faculty is comprised of over 80 In-House Counsel, and more than 80 % of the attendees are in house counsel, with 65% at the senior level and above. This event promises to be packed with innovative speakers, fantastic panels and great conversation.

Karen Klein, General Counsel to Hotel Tonight, Inc,  took some time to speak with the National Law Review about the upcoming Inside Counsel Conference.  She has attended the conference for the last six years, and has been a speaker for the last five. Karen says, “The first year, I was invited by an outside law firm that was co-sponsoring the conference, and I have attended it ever since.”  Klein says this conference stands out because of the high quality of the programming.  She says, “I find the sessions to be not only informative and the speakers well-versed in their subjects, but the practical examples are invaluable.”  Klein suggests that to get the most out of the experience, attendees make an effort to be really “present” during the sessions.  She says, “we are all so tied to our phones and have a serious fear of our clients being upset that they can’t reach us 24/7, but it is important to our ongoing professional development to take some time to understand current issues facing our practices.”

Understanding current issues in your industry is important for success, according to Klein.  She suggests, “Listen and ask questions.  To provide true value to your clients, you have to understand their business.  Figure out how they make money and what keeps the CEO awake at night, and what are the biggest threats to success.”  Understanding that context and making your legal advice relevant means, “you won’t have to beg for a seat at the table--the management team will want you there.”  

This year, Klein will be speaking at the Global Lawyer Forum’s panel, “Contracting Internationally: Do’s and Don’ts” with Roberto Berry Assistant General Counsel, International Affairs and Compliance, Chrysler Group LLC  and Patrick M. Sheller, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary & Chief Administrative Officer, Eastman Kodak Company.  The panel is designed to provide an outline of some of the gray areas of working internationally in the contract drafting phase.  Klein says, “ we want to provide the audience with a really strong basis for understanding and spotting the issues that their businesses will encounter internationally, as well as some practical advice for how to deal with those issues.”

Klein says, “The biggest challenges companies face internationally are cultural.  US Companies in particular really need to understand a local market and have ‘feet on the street’ in the local market to be successful.”  Confronting these challenges can lead to some of the greatest benefits of working internationally; according to Klein--new challenges and opportunities the company probably wouldn’t encounter domestically. Klein says, “I think anytime we are forced outside our comfort zone, it expands our minds. . . Seeing things from the perspective of your employees and customers in another region brings new ideas, which ultimately make your products better, and your business stronger.”  

Klein has a resume that will resonate with anyone who likes to travel: with positions with Orbitz, Kayak, and Hotel Tonight.  Klein got her start as an in-house attorney when she was a third year associate in a corporate law department of a large law firm.  She says, “I was working (yet another) M&A transaction and as it closed, I found myself disappointed that I had learned all these things about the company during the diligence phase, and now it was time to move on.  Fortunately for me, it was just months later that one of the firm’s biggest clients had just finished an acquisition spree, and they asked me to join their team.  I never looked back.”  That position led to a position at Orbitz, and it’s been travel for Klein ever since.  Klein enjoys working in travel, she says, “Travel is a fun industry.  Everyone likes to talk about their travel experiences--good and bad, so I always have interesting cocktail party conversations.”

The 15th Annual Super Conference promises to be another great event packed with opportunities for professional development.  Check out the website here to see the agenda and get more information.