IASA News
Houston IIA Luncheon - March 7th, 2011
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Topic: Modern Enterprise Risk Management
Speaker: John Harris, CIA, CPA, CFE
Content: An overview of recent surveys, studies and professional guidance for Enterprise Risk Management.
About the Speakers: John Harris, Jefferson Wells - John Harris is the Market Leader in the Houston office of Jefferson Wells and the Director of Risk Advisory Services. John has more than 15 years experience providing public accounting and internal audit experience in a variety of industries. His areas of expertise include internal audit control and process analysis, enterprise risk management, performance measurement, compliance testing, operational analysis, risk assessment, GAAP, financial reporting and disclosure, and joint venture contract reviews. He is adept at the alignment of internal audit resources with a company’s strategic objectives while maintaining the proper balance between compliance, operational and financial audits. John has managed audit teams locally and across North America, China and Mexico.
Houston IIA Luncheon - February 7th, 2011
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Topic: eDiscovery – Current Corporate Issues for Internal Audit Professionals
Speaker: Martin Beirne and David Pluchinsky
Content: eDiscovery latest developments and corporate issues.
Objective of the course/presentation: The objective of this presentation is to provide a basic update on the current eDiscovery issues that impact Internal Auditors.
About the Speakers:
Martin Beirne - Martin Beirne is a founding partner of Beirne, Maynard, & Parsons. He has extensive trial experience in complex business litigation, intellectual property, energy, products liability, automotive litigation, and antitrust. Mr. Beirne also provides advice and representation to corporations, corporate officials, and other individuals in investigations initiated by various government authorities as well as internal investigations on behalf of corporations. Corporate Legal Times has named Mr. Beirne a “Top Drawer Litigator” on its list of “go to” lawyers in the U.S.
Publications
· Co-author, "New Rule Could Shake Up E-Discovery," Executive Counsel, January-February 2007
· Co-author, "Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(2)(B) and The 2006 Amendments: How the Federal Courts Will Implement Two-Tier Discovery of Electronic Information," Andrews Litigation Reporter (various industry editions), November 2006
· Co-author, "Technology on Trial: Put on Your Parachute," Law Technology News, November 2006
· Co-author, "Electronic Information - A Trap for the Unwary in Business Litigation," Houston Business Journal - Business Survival Guide, April 2006
· Co-author, "Controlling the Cost of E-Discovery Through Preparation and an Organized Response," American Lawyer, Supplement, December 2005
David Pluchinsky - David Pluchinsky represents clients in commercial, products liability, and personal injury disputes in Texas, nationally, and internationally, concentrating largely on the energy and chemical industries. Mr. Pluchinsky's clients are typically Fortune 500 companies with complex litigation that may include trial and appellate work in both federal and state jurisdictions.
Publications
· Co-author, "Electronic Information - A Trap for the Unwary in Business Litigation," Houston Business Journal - Business Survival Guide, April 2006
· Co-Author, "Controlling the Cost of E-Discovery Through Preparation and an Organized Response," American Lawyer, Supplement, December 2005
· "Electronic Discovery After the New Federal Rules: Strategies for Coping with the Latest Challenges and Intricacies," West Legal Works, Austin, TX, September 2007
· Panelist, "E-Discovery Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: Exploring the Day-to-Day Impact for Legal Teams," T3 (Trial Tactics & Technology), ALM Events, New York, December 2006
Time: Registration begins at 11:30 am and the Meeting/Speaker begins at 12:00 pm
Venue: Houston Club (811 Rusk - Downtown)
Houston IIA Luncheon - November 1st
Topic: TBA
Please visit the Houston IIA for more information.
Contact us if you are interested in attending future Houston IIA events.
Houston IIA Luncheon - October 4th
Topic: Government Contracting
Speaker: Hilary Cairnie
Content: A discussion regarding the current environment around government contracting in the USA. Mr. Cairnie brings a wealth of experience from the legal profession and Washington DC for his presentation and frank discussion regarding government contracting. He will discuss the current regulatory environment and the risks and controls that auditors and business decision-makers need to be aware of as they plan and execute internal audits in their organization.
About the Speakers: Hilary Cairnie, a partner with Baker Hostetler in Washington, DC, focuses his practice in public contract law, encompassing virtually all aspects of government contract law, including contract formation, performance, administration and enforcement controversies at the federal and state levels. With two engineering degrees and several years experience working as an engineer for various companies, Mr. Cairnie uses his unique technical background to represent clients involved in aerospace, automotive, shipbuilding, transportation, construction, software, medical and healthcare, engineering and research and development endeavors, among others.
Mr. Cairnie negotiates and prepares technology licensing agreements involving patents and trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks. He counsels clients on the unique issues associated with conceptualization and reduction to practice of inventions developed under publicly funded procurement contracts and other agreements, inventions, technical data, computer software and other works. Mr. Cairnie advises clients on the pros and cons of using existing patents and inventions in connection with performance of government contracts and negotiates terms and conditions for their use in meeting government requirements.
Mr. Cairnie’s career highlights include:
Advising and representing clients in subcontract contract negotiations and dispute resolutions; Litigating contract claim appeals and other controversies before the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Federal and Fourth Circuits; Obtaining favorable rulings in connection with pre-award and post-award protests filed with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (COFC) on behalf of large and small businesses; Representing clients working for the Army Corps of Engineers on post-Katrina reconstruction projects throughout the Gulf-region; Advising clients that are working in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jordan, Israel and other Middle Eastern countries on projects with DOD, USAID, State Department and other agencies; Conducting internal corporate investigations and representing clients in connection with “hotline” reports, as well as criminal, civil and administrative investigations initiated by federal and state authorities and the concommitant legal proceedings; and Representing nonprofit clients in connection with non-procurement programs and agreements.
Mr. Cairnie is a member of the Bars of Virginia and the District of Columbia. He is also a member of the Federal Circuit Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the District of Columbia and Virginia Bar Associations and the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). He is a frequent public speaker on topics and new developments of interest to the government contracting community, including intellectual property licensing, data rights, patent rights, cost and pricing issues, cost accounting rules and regulations, audit procedures, changes, construction topics, and protests and claim appeals decisions. Mr. Cairnie has regularly appeared before various local, regional and national chapters of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) and other trade associations.
Mr. Cairnie served as lead intern for the Honorable Roger B. Andewelt, U.S. Court of Claims (COFC), 1988-1989.
Houston IIA Luncheon - September 13th
Topic: FBI Update on White Collar Crime
Speaker: Jason Lowder (FBI)
Objective of the course/presentation:
To inform IIA members about mortgage fraud, embezzlement and current white collar issues/trends. Discussion by an FBI agent regarding mortgage fraud, embezzlement, and white collar crime. The most recent trends in these criminal activities will be presented along with a discussion regarding detection and prevention of these schemes
About the Speaker:
Jason Lowder worked for a regional accounting firm as an auditor from 1998 through 2002. He moved into network administration and accounting information systems installations. In 2004, Mr. Lowder joined the FBI and started working on white collar criminal investigations.
