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Community, Compliance and Ethics

ACC Chair Visits Middle East

Connecting in-person was as meaningful as learning about the role of in-house lawyers in championing and directing environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) when chair of ACC’s global board of directors, Mike Madden, visited the Middle East and North Africa Chapter in June 2022.

Members and chapter partners met for an after-work gathering followed by a panel discussion on the strategic role of in-house lawyers in ESG and leading with authenticity. The discussion was held with Madden; Hussain Hadi, LexisNexis Middle East publishing and technology head; Sahia Ahmad, Dubai Economy & Tourist executive vice president; and Rebecca Kelly, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, managing partner, Dubai.

Mike Madden, second from right, Hussain Hadi, right, Sahia Ahmad, second from left, and Rebecca Kelly, with the ACC Middle East and North Africa Chapter and partners.
Mike Madden, second from right, Hussain Hadi, right, Sahia Ahmad, second from left, and Rebecca Kelly,
with the ACC Middle East and North Africa Chapter and partners.
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The room, in the Waldorf Astoria, Dubai International Financial Centre, United Arab Emirates,  was full.

This and the following are miscellaneous photos of various participants and the audience, as well as networking afterwards.

Some takeaways shared by the panelists:

  • Know your own value (leading with authenticity), be able to demonstrate your success with data aligned to the organization, carve your own role, if you see an opportunity – grab it.
  • Bring the board along on the ESG undertaking. Present the board with an analysis of what their peers are doing. Ensure the board has the foundation needed to oversee the ESG strategy effectively. Involve the board in the creation of an ESG strategy.
  • Align the legal team's key performance indicators (KPIs) with company objectives and use different tools to tangibly measure value (e.g. internal surveys). Take 2–3 months to map out the time spent on 10 identified activities to draw meaningful conclusions on "unsung hero" work and where you want to be spending more time (e.g., championing ESG).
Watch this video collage of the Middle East and North Africa visit with
ACC Chair Mike Madden in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

This ACC MENA chapter event was co-hosted by Marsden, LexisNexis Middle East & Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

For more information about the Commercial Courts resolution and how chapters can use this resolution, please contact ACC’s AGC and Director of Advocacy Initiatives, Amy Chai.