On June 3, Goodwin Procter held its 9th Annual Directors Forum in Boston. The invitation-only program, which focuses on key issues facing directors of public companies, included four discussion sessions and attracted board members, directors and executives from more than 45 companies.
The event’s first panel, “A Foundational Transaction,” discussed how Boards should approach strategic partnerships when a majority stake acquisition is being considered. In particular, the panel reviewed the partnership between Foundation Medicine and Roche formed earlier this year. The panel was moderated by Goodwin partner Stuart Cable, chair of M&A/Corporate Finance for the firm’s Technology and Life Sciences practice, and included Goodwin partner Lisa Haddad, a member of the firm’s Technology and Life Sciences practice focusing on M&A/Corporate Governance, as a panelist. Watch a full video of the session below.
“Sitting at the Head of the Table,” the third discussion, included a roundtable presentation with three Board chairpersons, including Lawrence Fish, former Chairman of Citizens Financial Group and current Chairman of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, Gino Santini, Chairman of AMAG Pharmaceuticals, and Robert Schechter, Chairman of PTC Inc. The group addressed succession, strategy, shareholder outreach and the relationship between a Board chair and the CEO. Cable acted as moderator. Watch a full video of the session below.
The forum concluded with feature speaker Jerry Kang, UCLA Professor of Law/Professor of Asian American Studies, presenting on implicit biases. His talk, “Diversity in the Boardroom,” examined the role implicit biases have on hiring decisions, evaluations and personal and professional interactions, among other things.
To learn more about Goodwin’s Directors Forum, please visit www.goodwindirectorsforum.com.