Question: I am in-house counsel for a company that rents office space in various countries.  The CEO has asked for guidelines regarding the negotiation of new leases and lease renewals with an eye towards reducing costs.  Does ACC have any resources on this topic?

Answer: Yes, ACC has several resources addressing commercial lease negotiations that should help you with your task. Here are some examples to get you started:

• Rent: Just One Side of a Commercial Lease Agreement
• The Landlord (or Tenant) Wants Us to Sign What?
• Don’t Sign Blind: Cost Allocation in Commercial Leases
• Real Estate Lease Agreement
• Leasing Primer: A Summary of Issues and How-To Manual For Landlords and Tenants
• The In House Counsel Survival Guide for an Office or Company Move
• Corporate Real Estate: Germany,* (PLC country-specific Q&A resource)

*For other countries, simply go to www.acc.com/legalresources, enter the term “corporate real estate” in the Search box, and select the tab for “Practical Law Company” on the left-hand side of the screen.

The Real Estate Committee also has a wealth of information to offer: www.acc.com/committees/relc. For more legal resources, go to www.acc.com/legalresources.

Renew your ACC membership before Friday, December 16 and receive a free ACC online course. All members who renew before the December 16 deadline will receive a promotion code allowing them to choose an ACC online course from West LegalEdcenter at no cost – a savings of up to $175 (USD). Don't delay – renew today at www.acc.com/renew.

Featured ACC Polls: We Want to Know What You Think?

• Do You Work on Real Estate Matters in-house?

Featured Top Ten Articles:

• Top Ten (and a half) Rules For Winning Contract Disputes
• Top Ten Asset Acquisition and Environmental Due Diligence Tips
• First Ten Things to Investigate as a New GC of a Nonprofit
• Rooftop Solar PV Systems
• Top Ten Action Items in response to AIA
• Top Ten Rules for Powerful Witness Preparation

Featured QuickCounsels:

• Product Liability & Medical Device in Japan
• Exporting Canadian Oil and Gas: The Challenge of NAFTA Compliance
• Update on CMBS: What borrowers, lenders and other real estate mortgage industry participants need to know about the new retained interest regulations
• Protecting Innovation

ACC’s 2011 CLO Survey is now available to all members to download. The information provides useful data for corporate legal departments including demographics, staffing, managing expenses, the changing role of the CLO, expectations for the coming year, and managing outside counsel. For more information about the survey and to listen to the GC Roundtable discussion in the survey, click here.

Find the answer within the 2011 ACC/Empsight Law Department Compensation Survey. Results are now available for purchase. With over 500 participants, Empsight's database is the largest, most credible source of in-house law department compensation information in the U.S. Three editions are available for small, medium, and larger law departments. Find out more at www.accempsight.com.

The ACC Alliance brings you exclusive discounts on legal services from a select set of providers. Here are two featured partners for this month:

• Imagine that your CFO sued you for conflict of interest and ineffective representation following a regulatory investigation. Would your corporate indemnification agreement or management liability insurance policy protect you? They may not. Chubb has partnered with the ACC since 1998 to address malpractice issues unique to in-house counsel. Learn more.
• West, a Thomson Reuters business, offers products for in-house counsel and compliance professionals that cover compliance, mergers, acquisitions, transactions, litigation, and more. With each purchase of a West product or service, members earn “ACC Dollars” that can be used toward any ACC-related purchase, such as membership dues, registration fees or local or national ACC programs. Learn more.

• ACC Webcasts: Earn CLE/CPD from the comfort of your home or office with desktop learning from ACC. For a complete list of our upcoming webcasts, click here.
• Business Education Programs: Enhance Your Business Management Skills
• Mini MBA – December 6–8
• Advanced Mini MBA for In-house Counsel – March 6-8
• ACC’s Legal Service Management Workshops – February 28–29 or May 2–3
• ACC Europe’s 19th Annual Conference – May 13–15
• Corporate Counsel University® – May 20–22

For more information and a complete list of educational programs, please visit www.acc.com/education.

Dive deeper into the critical MBA disciplines with the Advanced Mini MBA for In-house Counsel program (March 6–8, Boston, MA).  Co-sponsored by ACC and the Boston University School of Management, this program is designed for those who have already completed the Mini MBA for In-house Counsel course. For more information on this program and other business education programs offered by ACC and BU, visit www.acc.com/businessedu.

Join law department and law firm leaders at ACC’s Legal Service Management Workshop (February 28–29, 2012, Dallas, TX; or May 2–3, 2012, Minneapolis, MN) to learn how to structure value-based fees and drive efficiency. Through a blend of instruction and business school style case analysis, this two-day, intensive executive workshop will help you develop techniques to improve value in legal spending and thrive professionally. Seats are filling up quickly. Learn more and secure your spot today at www.acc.com/legalservicemanagement.

Attend ACC Europe’s 19^th Annual Conference (May 13–15, 2012, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and find solutions to your cross-border challenges. This highly relevant and topical conference presents an unmatched opportunity to network and exchange ideas with your peers on pan-European and global issues. Register before January 31 to take advantage of the super early bird rate. Learn more at www.acc.com/acceurope.

Mark your calendar for Corporate Counsel University®  (May 20–22, 2012, Los Angeles, CA), a back-to-basics program specially designed for new-to-in-house counsel or those who want to revisit the critical elements of corporate legal practice. Offering up to 12 CLE/CPD credits, this program covers a wide range of topics such as law department management, finance, and accounting. Learn more at ccu.acc.com.

In comments submitted to the Supreme Court of Hawaii, ACC supports proposed rules for the multijurisdictional practice (MJP) of in-house counsel, which largely follow the ABA Model Rules for MJP. However, ACC identifies two areas of concern to in-house attorneys: denial of client representation in court without a “laborious pro hoc vice process” and limitations on the types of pro bono services in-house attorneys can deliver. ACC Comments to Hawaii Supreme Court, 10/31/11

ACC and its Iowa Chapter submitted comments on to the Iowa Supreme Court. These comments are a general support of proposed reforms to registration rules for in-house counsel, but request improvements to the proposals, which inadvertently identify in-house counsel as “second-class citizens on the bar.”

On November 14, ACC launched a new program as part of its ACC Value Challenge initiative, the “ACC Value Champions.” This recognition program will identify, celebrate and publicize successful law department value initiatives and law firm/client collaborations under the banner of the ACC Value Challenge. ACC Value Champions will showcase individuals in departments and law firms who are making a difference for their organizations through creativity and value-based legal management skills.  We invite you to nominate your value initiative.  For more information on how to become "ACC Value Champions," visit www.acc.com/valuechampions.

ACC Docket's first "Top 10 30-Somethings Award" will recognize excellence in the in-house legal profession among attorneys between the ages of 30 and 39. The nomination deadline is December 31, 2011. To nominate someone, click here, and for more information contact Maggy Baccinelli at 202.293.4103 ext.366.

DirectWomen is an organization founded by the American Bar Association and Catalyst. The centerpiece of the initiative is the Board Institute, an annual two-day program providing an update on key issues facing current and future directors. The deadline for the 2012 application is January 17, 2012. Additional information is available on the web site, www.directwomen.org.

The list of signatories to the Corporate Pro Bono Challenge^SM continues to grow. Last month, Walgreen Co. joined the ranks, including ACC Board member and executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Walgreens, Tom Sabatino. To learn more about the Challenge or how your legal department can become a Signatory, contact Eve Runyon at 202.729.6694.

Learn more about media coverage of ACC when you visit ACC in the News, including:

• What They Don’t Teach Law Students: Lawyering (New York Times)
• Associations Staging a Comeback (The Washington Post)
• In the House (European Lawyer)
• ACC Canada’s Membership Expansion (VIDEO: Canadian Lawyer)
• 'Privacy 101' at ACC's Annual Meeting of In-House Counsel (Corporate Counsel)
• CLOs Say Economy Forced Them to Look Inward (Canadian Lawyer Blog: Legal Feeds)

If you have any questions, or wish to receive additional information about items included in this month's newsletter, please contact the Legal Resources Department at legalresources@acc.com or the Membership Department at membership@acc.com.