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28-29 June 2024 Conference Registration

28-29 June 2024 Conference News

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2nd US-CEE Connection Weekend: US and EU Perspectives on ESG: Towards a sustainable world or a dangerous utopia?

New event by Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Kraków

and Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C.

Participation is free of charge but demands upfront registration under this link (or button below/on the left).

Kraków, 28-29 June 2024

From Friday afternoon June 28 through Saturday afternoon June 29, UJ and CUA will host lawyers, business people, government officials to consider the past, present, and future potential and challenges of ESG and sustainability.

Programs will take place in the Jagiellonian University’s beautiful Collegium Novum just off the main square with a Friday reception and Saturday lunch in other historic Kraków venues.

Secretary of the organisational board: Olga Marzec

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Schedule

Pre-conference agenda (Friday, June 28, 2024)

Refektarz (downstairs), Collegium Wróblewskiego, UJ (Olszewskiego Str. 2)

8:00-2:00 pm Workshops offered by partner law firms for students connected with ESG and Sustainability

Main Aula (first floor), Collegium Novum, UJ (Gołębia Str. 24)

1:00-2:00 pm Commencement Ceremony, American Law Program

Jagiellonian University Faculty of Law & Administration and the Columbus School of Law of The Catholic University of America (Catholic Law). Awards to top program students.

2:00-3:00 pm Concert celebrating commencement and welcoming guests coming to the US-CEE Weekend

Duo Karolina Mikołajczyk & Iwo Jedynecki, one of the most vibrant and innovative chamber ensembles of the young Polish generation. Winners of Grand Prix and First Prizes at multiple international music competitions.

3:00-5:00 pm Informal Roundtable for Speakers and other Invited Guests

Invitation only. The Roundtable gives speakers, who come from business, the legal professions, US and Polish government, academia, and civil society an opportunity for informal, “off-the record” exchange. Possible topics include what is currently of most concern and controversy in the US, Poland, and Europe more generally regarding ESG and positions currently taken by stakeholders and interest groups on both sides of the Atlantic.

Refektarz (downstairs), Collegium Wróblewskiego, UJ (Olszewskiego Str. 2)

3:00-4:30 pm UJ-CUA American Law Program Information Session

Conference agenda (Friday, June 28, 2024)

Main Aula (first floor), Collegium Novum, UJ (Gołębia Str. 24)

4:00-5:00 pm Registration

Opening

5:00-5:30 pm Welcomes by Dean Stephen Payne, Dean Jerzy Pisuliński and Representative of the US Consulate to Poland

5:30-6:00 pm Opening Remarks (Keynote)

6:00-8:00 pm Panel #1: Conceptualizing ESG and Sustainability

This panel will address multiple perspectives on defining sustainability, e.g., philosophical, religious, and international law perspectives on sustainable development. Panelists also will consider overarching questions like what is/should be encompassed in ESG, purposes sought to be served, and relative effectiveness of contemplated approaches in achieving those goals.

Representative Rooms (first floor), Larisch Palace, UJ (Bracka Str. 12)

8:00- 9:30 pm Reception

Conference agenda (Saturday, June 29, 2024)

Main Aula (first floor), Collegium Novum, UJ (Gołębia Str. 24)

9:00-9:20 Where is responsibility for and interest in ESG investment located in the US government?

A dialogue between the Honorable Phyllis Borzi & Honorable Hester M. Peirce

9:20-9:40 Where is responsibility for and interest in ESG investment located in the Polish government and European Union?

A dialogue to be announced

9:40-11:40 Panel #2: Differing EU and US Approaches to Promoting ESG goals

Many US lawyers are not aware of what the EU is doing re ESG. Conversely, some in the EU are surprised by currents in the US including efforts within some states to block ESG directed investment, e.g., in pension funds. This panel will provide the basics of where each side “is” and explore the differing premises and politics that underlie differing approaches.

11:40-12:10 pm Coffee Break

12:10-2:10 pm Panel #3 Competing visions of corporate interests and ESG goals

It is important to focus on competing visions regarding the purpose of regulation in capital markets and debates about corporate purpose in smaller incorporated ventures as well. Discussion during this panel will include debate about relative effectiveness of differing approaches to corporations to push toward ESG goals.

2:10-3:10 pm Lunch Break

3:10-5:10 pm Panel #4: Law and Business Perspectives on Practice Challenges in Meeting ESG Requirements

This panel will build on the first three panels and talk about practical consequences for businesses and their in-house and outside counsel who must deal with compliance with current and contemplated regimes in the US and EU.

5:10-5:30 pm Closing

Place to be announced

from 5:30 pm Food & Drink & Networking

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Speakers

Opening remarks: Friday

Consul

Opening remarks: Friday

Dean Prof. Stephen Payne (CUA)

Dean, Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America; B.S. Cornell University; J.D. Yale Law School. Dean Payne was a partner and the chair of the FDA and Health Care practice group at the global law firm, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Previously, he practiced at Sidley Austin LLP and was a Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Admitted to the DC and New York bars, he received the highest rating of “Leading” from the Practical Law Company, was named a “Life Sciences Star” by the legal guide LMG Life Sciences, and was ranked in 2019 as a “Litigation Star” in Washington, D.C. by Benchmark Litigation.

Opening remarks: Friday

Dean Prof. Jerzy Pisuliński (UJ)

Dean, Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Kraków (UJ), professor of law; head of the Chair of Civil Law (UJ), chairman of the Legal Committee of the Polish Academy of Skills (PAU) in Kraków; past vice-chairman of the Codification Commission at the Polish Ministry of Justice; past member of the group of experts of the European Commission for European contract law. In his research, he focuses his scientific interests on contract law (consumer law), rights in rem (in particular security for claims in rem), inheritance law, private banking law (in particular monetary settlements and credit agreements), European civil procedure and private international law.

Keynote Speaker

The Honorable Hester M. Peirce

Commissioner, US Securities & Exchange Commission

Keynote Speaker

The Honorable Phyllis C. Borzi

A former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) from 2009 until 2017, overseeing approximately 700,000 private-sector retirement plans and 2.3 million group health plans as well as additional welfare benefit plans that together provide benefits to approximately 150 million Americans. She represented the Department of Labor (DoL) in implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She was instrumental in important pension regulations including the DoL’s Department’s 2016 rule extending Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) fiduciary duties to financial advisors to pension plans and retirement advisors to individual investors and the 2020 rules on ESG investments and proxy voting by pension plan fiduciaries. Ms. Borzi headed the U.S. delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Private Pensions and Insurance from 2009-2017. From 1995-2009, Ms. Borzi was a research professor in the Department of Health Policy at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and practiced law at a Washington, D.C. law firm. From 1979 to 1995, she was Pension and Employee Benefit Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and Labor. She is a nationally recognized expert in pension and health benefits, the author of numerous articles and a frequent speaker on these issues both in the U.S. and globally. She graduated from Catholic Law where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and now serves on the law school’s Board of Visitors.

Keynote Speaker

Prof. Jacek Jastrzębski

The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (UKNF), Chair of the Board

Ewa Całus, MBA

Plenipotentiary of Kraków City Mayor for Climate Education

Annette Capretta

Investment Company Institute (ICI) Global, Washington, D.C.

Christopher D. Christian

Dechert LLP

Sarah Duggin

Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America

Mary Graw Leary

Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America

Ph.D. Maciej Grodzicki

Department of Finance and International Economics, Jagiellonian University

Adv. Agnieszka Hajos-Iwańska, Ph.D. (B2R law)

Ph.D. in law (Jagiellonian University), advocate in Poland and partner in M&A / VC practice of B2RLaw - independent law firm that houses multi-disciplinary experts focused on the different types of matters and transactions ranging from VC, PE, Public Listed M&A, Cross-Border/Multi Jurisdiction; the standout leader for VC and NTT company transactions in Poland and CEE. An author of several books and articles in recognized magazines, co-author of the series of e-books "Make a startup right", free guides for startup originators. Conducts transactional projects from VC to multi-entity and multi-jurisdiction industry transactions. Has extensive cross-border experience and knowledge of international standards and requirements in the area of compliance & ESG as a head of B2RLaw’s Compliance 360 practice.

Mateusz Jurczyk (American Chamber of Commerce)

M.A. (Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Kraków), MBA (University of Bedfordshire, UK). He joined the American Chamber of Commerce in January 2019, to run the Kraków and Katowice Branch of AmCham Poland and was appointed Branch Director in January 2021. Mateusz is also responsible for running ’AmCham 30 Under 30’ - a youth development program, coordinates energy-related issues and the ‘Rebuild Ukraine’ working group. Except that he is a lead of American Investor Desk – an AmCham project supporting Polish companies on their way to the U.S. market expansion. He has 18 years of professional experience in senior management positions, working for both Polish and international companies, where he focused on finance, quality, relationship-building, and sales.

Adv. Dr. Rafał Kos, LL.M. (KKG)

Advocate, Managing Partner of KKG (Kubas Kos Gałkowski law firm), Ph.D. in law (Jagiellonian University in Kraków), LL.M. in American Law (CUA and UJ), member of the Entrepreneurship Council, an advisory body to the President of Poland, member of The Board of Visitors at the Columbus School of Law (CUA, Washington D.C.), recommended lawyer e.g. in Legal 500 Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist - CEE Region

Mariusz Mielczarek (Amazon, American Chamber of Commerce)

Regional Director CEE Public Policy at Amazon and chair of the Digital Economy Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Poland. Before joining Amazon, Mariusz was Executive Director, Government Affairs & Policy CEE at General Electric. Prior career steps include leading roles in Poland and in Brussels with Alstom, the European Commission (DG Regio, Unit Poland), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA). Mariusz holds a Bachelor in Business Administration, a Master’s degree in International Relations and a Postgraduate degree in European Law. He is also a graduate of the Stern Leadership Academy program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Jack W. Murphy

Columbus School of Law, The Catholic University of America

Dana M. Muir, MBA

Business Law Ross School of Business, University of Michigan

Ph.D. Maximilian Piekut

SSW Pragmatic Solutions

Prof. Piotr Szwedo (Jagiellonian University)

Dr. Hab. in law, Professor at the Chair of International Public Law, Jagiellonian University in Kraków; head of OKSPO Center for Foreign Law Schools; member of UNA Europa Sustainability Self-Steering Committee; member of Polish Accreditation Committee. He is a principal investigator of the NCN research grant entitled Rights of Nature – a vehicle for sustainable development ? Operationalisation and critique from an international and comparative law perspective. His research interests are: international trade and investment law, international law of natural resources, comparative legal language

Mariusz Wawer (3M, American Chamber of Commerce)

Head of Governmental Relations & ESG for all 3M entities in Poland and Central Europe. Responsible for strategic planning & coordination of regulatory & public affairs activities as well as communication with key company stakeholders and trade organizations. He actively works as within the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, chairing the Sustainable Development Committee. Prior to 3M he gained his professional experience in various consulting companies incl. Deloitte and as a journalist in Polish nationals dailies & business magazines. Academic lecturer in the areas of social communication and Public Affairs at MBA studies. Graduated from Faculty of Law.