To Our Readers,
As you have no doubt noticed, Metropolitan Corporate Counsel has a new look. Our content continues to be dominated by the same great thought leadership from elite law firms and service providers, always tailored to the needs of our readers, but we’ve enhanced our presentation to improve our readers’ experience. This includes a fresh new look for the cover, a more robust Table of Contents, and a new format for the presentation of legal news, such as new hires and announcements.
A significant addition to MCC is a new monthly section, In-House Ops. Recognizing the many changes afoot in the legal marketplace, many of them with a significant impact on – and often driven by – corporate law departments, we will present key information regarding leadership and management of these important organizations. Our goal is to make this section a must-read for in-house leaders, including lawyers and professional operations staff, with vital, forward-looking information designed to help you manage your department more efficiently and keep you in the know about new technologies and innovations in this space. Please let us know about any topics or issues you would like to see us address.
Our regional focus this month shines a light on Latin America, offering insights into how to conduct successful transactions in this growing and complex region, as well as a review of fiduciary duties for directors in the region.
In addition, and in keeping with our focus on industry sectors, this issue features a Special Section on Food & Beverage, with in-depth coverage of labeling issues, false claims and best practices for a recall. In preparation, I was fortunate to be able to speak to a number of general counsel and other readers in the Food & Beverage industry. In addition to defensive issues related to managing risk at their companies, a number of interesting initiatives are underway, including:
Sustainability. There is a strong shift to broaden the concept of sustainability from just slimmer packaging and looking at it from a cradle-to-grave perspective.
Sugar and Sweetness. The industry is looking beyond just reducing sugar in foods to developing ways to reduce the taste for sweetness in foods. That’s a major leap forward.
Children’s Food & Beverage Advertising Initiative. Rather than wait for stricter government regulations – even outright bans – on advertising to children, which would curtail advertising of nutritious foods along with foods considered unhealthy, a number of the nation’s largest food and beverage companies are working together on a voluntary, self-regulation program designed to shift the mix of foods advertised to children under 12 to encourage healthier dietary choices and lifestyles.
Partnership for a Healthy America. This is a nonprofit organization that is separate from, but works in conjunction with, First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative. This Partnership has almost 100 members, including food industry giants such as Dannon and Birds Eye, as well as companies such as Reebok, Nike and Sesame Street. For more information, see http://ahealthieramerica.org/our-partners/.
Please look for our May issue, which will feature special reports on the Transportation Industry and an in-depth look at conducting business in Germany.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Best,
Kristin Calve, Publisher
Published March 26, 2015.