2025 University of Chicago General Counsel Roundtable | CLE materials
Panel 1: The Current Regulatory & Enforcement Environment.
The current push for deregulation at both the federal and state level is both unprecedented and unpredictable. At the same time that we see deregulation in the financial sector, enforcement in healthcare and other industries has become more aggressive, making it more challenging for counsels to predict what might happen next. This panel will explore the ways in which general counsels in some of the most immediately affected industries are reacting to the deregulatory push and how this has affected their business and litigation strategies in the short and long term.
Panel 2: Managing Corporate Crises & Major Litigation.
Large corporations often face litigation and government investigations that pose major risks and sometimes threaten the core of their business. Managing these cases requires in-house lawyers to respond to demands from powerful government agencies, negotiate complex multi-party settlements, assemble and manage large teams of outside lawyers, and generally become crisis management experts. This panel will lead a discussion on high stakes litigation and investigations and explore the best practices for responding to the challenges they present.
Panel 3: Academic Institutions as Legal and Cultural Bellwethers.
A year ago, it may have been unthinkable that some of the country’s oldest and most prestigious universities, libraries, and museums would be subject to the current magnitude of government intervention. With threats of firings and funding withdrawals, general counsels may be trapped between a rock and a hard place as they consider the competing interests of their institutions and their institutional legacy. Through a discussion of the past and the present, this panel will explore the role of academic institutions in upholding the law and protecting history in the face of extreme pressure, and discuss lessons learned from the paths taken by different institutions thus far.
Panel 4: A New Day for Funds and Finance?
As finance increasingly shapes the governing philosophy of the new administration—through policies on tariffs, equity stakes, and interest rates—questions arise about whether major U.S. corporations must now operate as financial firms to remain competitive. The push to include private fund offerings in 401(k) plans and other retail investment vehicles may further blur the lines between operating companies and financial complexes, with uncertain consequences regardless of performance. Meanwhile, crypto continues its rapid ascent, backed by political influence and capital—raising the question of whether it will integrate with or disrupt traditional financial institutions and corporate models. Against this backdrop, the prospects for a return to free-market, laissez-faire governance remain unclear. What policies might emerge to support innovation, equity, and economic resilience in this shifting landscape?