Legal Pitch Day – Powered by CMCP is a unique opportunity for in-house attorneys and Black outside counsel to meet for focused 15-minute interviews and begin to establish or strengthen an already existing relationship.

Legal Pitch Day is just one component of the Summit organized by Coalition of Black Excellence (CBE). The Summit, including inspirational speakers, educational and networking events and sponsorship opportunities, will take place February 20 – 22, 2020.

Who Can Participate in Legal Pitch Day?

Law Firm Attorneys: Participation in Legal Pitch Day will be limited to a maximum of 25 law firms. For this unique program, law firms are not required to be CMCP members. Law firms will determine which of their Black partners or associates will participate in interviews.

In-House Counsel: Participation in Legal Pitch Day will be limited to a maximum of 12 legal departments of companies and public agencies, whether or not in CMCP member organizations. Legal departments will determine which of their attorneys will participate in interviews. CMCP will communicate whether there are sufficient potential interviews for a legal department based on likelihood of law firms providing attorneys with experience in the desired practice areas.

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Legal Pitch Day Matching
Participating Companies
Legal Pitch Day Practice Areas
Make Legal Pitch Day Work for You
CBE Legal Pitch Day Sponsored by

2020 Corporate Participants

Apple Inc.
Chevron Corporation
Dropbox
Facebook
Flynn Restaurant Group
HP Inc.
Intuit Inc.
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.

Lyft, Inc.
Oakland City Attorney
PayPal, Inc.
SoftBank Robotics
Uber Technologies Inc.
University of California
Zendesk, Inc.

2020 Corporate Participants and their Practice Areas

Practice Areas2020 Corporate Participants
Bankruptcy – CommercialOakland City Attorney’s Office
Business Litigation – GeneralChevron Corporation, Dropbox, Intuit Inc., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., PayPal, Inc., Apple Inc., Lyft, Inc., Uber, HP Inc.
Corporate – FinanceApple Inc.
Corporate – GeneralKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., University of California Office of the President, PayPal, Inc., SoftBank Robotics, Uber
Employment – Counseling/InvestigationsChevron Corporation, Dropbox, Flynn Restaurant Group, Intuit Inc., Oakland City Attorney’s Office, University of California Office of the President, PayPal, Inc.
Employment – General LitigationChevron Corporation, Dropbox, Flynn Restaurant Group, Intuit Inc., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Oakland City Attorney’s Office, University of California Office of the President, PayPal, Inc., Apple Inc., Lyft, Inc., Uber
Financial Institutions – FinTechIntuit Inc., Apple Inc.
Government InvestigationsDropbox, Intuit Inc., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Oakland City Attorney’s Office, Lyft, Inc., Uber
Internet/E–Commerce TransactionsDropbox, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Dropbox, PayPal, Inc., SoftBank Robotics
IP – Patent LicensingDropbox, Intuit Inc., PayPal, Inc., Apple Inc., SoftBank Robotics, HP Inc.
IP – Patent LitigationDropbox, Intuit Inc., PayPal, Inc., Zendesk, Inc., Apple Inc., Uber, HP Inc.
IP – TM/Copyright/Trade Secrets LitigationDropbox, Intuit Inc., PayPal, Inc., Apple Inc., HP, Inc.
Labor Law – GeneralOakland City Attorney’s Office, University of California Office of the President, PayPal, Inc.
Mergers & AcquisitionsChevron Corporation, Zendesk, Inc., Apple Inc.
Privacy & Data Security – CounselingDropbox, Flynn Restaurant Group, Intuit Inc., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.,University of California Office of the President, Zendesk, Inc., Lyft, Inc., Uber
Privacy & Data Security – LitigationDropbox, Flynn Restaurant Group, PayPal, Inc., Apple Inc.
Real Estate – Finance TransactionsApple Inc.
Real Estate – LitigationOakland City Attorney’s Office, PayPal, Inc., Apple Inc.
Securities – General
Technology Services AgreementsDropbox, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., PayPal, Inc., Zendesk, Inc., Apple Inc., Apple Inc., SoftBank Robotics
White Collar Criminal Defense

Legal Pitch Day Practice Areas

Be sure to include all relevant practice areas when registering for your interviews

*Practice Areas subject to change*

Legal Pitch Day Practice Areas

Make Legal Pitch Day Work for You

Read CMCP’s guidelines for you – the interviewer – and for interviewees

Outside Counsel

 10 Commandments for Successful Legal Pitch Day Interviews

Registration for Legal Pitch Day is your commitment to attend. The in-house attorneys with whom you are assigned interviews are giving their time to meet with you. Please honor the scheduled interview.

Your interviews will be 15 minutes only if you start on time.

Prepare a brief elevator pitch about your firm, your personal expertise, and skill sets relevant to the interview practice areas – a 2-3 minute version. Practice before the interviews.

Prior to the program, learn everything you can about the companies you are interviewing with. Don’t waste 15 minutes asking questions you can answer with Google.

Or they will be if you come prepared. Develop specific questions geared to find out where your expertise fits the company’s legal needs. Think about the questions you are likely to be asked, and prepare a short response for each.

Come prepared to discuss specific examples of the legal work you do, and the services your firm provides, focusing on the relevance to the company conducting the interview.

Bring firm resumes, attorney biographies – especially yours – and other relevant marketing materials.

This is Legal Pitch Day – Powered by CMCP. In-house attorneys anticipate meeting Black attorneys with expertise in the interviewer practice areas.

Recognize the opportunity for what it is; an introductory meeting, and a chance to initiate a relationship. It may be the start of a beautiful friendship… and perhaps a business opportunity.

The key to success is in appropriate follow-up. What is appropriate for one interviewer may not be for another. Ask each interviewer how best to follow up with them. Listen to the answer and do what they say.

If you cannot attend Legal Pitch Day, please notify CMCP immediately so we can reassign your interviews. If assigned interviews are missed without notice, CMCP may reassign the remainder of your interviews.

In-House Counsel

 7 Steps to a Successful Legal Pitch Day

Your registration for Legal Pitch Day is your commitment to attend. The outside counsel with whom you are assigned interviews are giving their time to meet with you.

Interviews are 15 minutes. Please give your interviewees the full time allotted.

Prepare a brief elevator pitch about your company and its specific legal needs relevant to the interview practice areas – the 2‐3 minute version. Give those interviewing time to speak.

Prior to Legal Pitch Day, learn everything you can about your company’s legal needs generally, and specifically with respect to your interview practice areas.

Or they will be if you come prepared. Develop specific questions geared to find out where outside counsel’s expertise fits your company’s legal needs. Think about the questions you are likely to be asked, and prepare a short response for each.

ALWAYS! If you know an interviewee is not a good match for your company, tell them the truth. It is better to be honest than to waste someone’s time after the interview with follow-up that you ignore.

Advise potential candidates for your company’s work how best to follow up with you. And then respond when they do.

If you cannot attend Legal Pitch Day, let CMCP know immediately so we can reassign your interviews.If you miss an assigned interview without notice, your organization will be expected to meet with the assigned outside counsel outside of Legal Pitch Day.

Legal Pitch Day Matching

When legal departments and law firms register for Legal Pitch Day they will be asked to identify the practice areas for which they are seeking counsel or qualified to provide counsel, respectively. CMCP cannot guarantee the number of scheduled interviews. Factors that affect interview scheduling include (a) the practice areas and other interview parameters specified by each registrant, (b) potential conflicts of interest, and (c) each registrant’s “Do Not Match” list. Registration fees will not be refunded if an attorney has no scheduled interviews or for any reason cannot meet with a scheduled company or firm. CMCP will send complete interview information to those registered for Legal Pitch Day as soon as feasible after registration closes. If interview slots become available after notification, they will be filled on-site at the event.

Do Not Match Requests: CMCP understands there may be companies, public agencies or law firms with which an organization cannot meet due to conflicts or other reasons.
Approximately January 27, 2020, we will send each attorney registered for Legal Pitch Day a list of law firms or companies/public agencies then registered so participants can inform CMCP if there is any firm or company/public agency with which they cannot interview. (Note: only one response is required from each company/agency/firm—not from each attorney.)
Responses will be due at close of business on January 24, 2020 – so mark your calendar.

Cost: Legal departments will not be charged for this program. The price to participate for law firms will be based on size (total attorney headcount, all offices):

• 1-10 attorneys = $500 (maximum 5 firms at this level)
• 11-100 attorneys = $2,000
• 101 – 500 attorneys = $3,000
• 500+ attorneys = $4,000

Expectations: Legal departments are expected to send in-house counsel who have genuine interest and authority to retain law firms. Law firms are expected to send Black attorneys specializing in the areas requested by the participating companies. Law firms should be aware that they are being provided an introduction to various legal departments without a guarantee of work.

Registration Period: December 18, 2019 to Extended Deadline January 26, 2020

2020 CBE Legal Pitch Day Sponsored by

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Registration and Participation

USE OF NAME AND LOGO
By registering for Legal Pitch Day – Powered by CMCP (Legal Pitch Day), you grant each of California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP) and Coalition of Black Excellence (CBE) the right to use, copy, distribute, exhibit, broadcast, transmit, perform, publish, and display the registering organization’s name and/or logo, in any media including in print and electronically for the purpose of promoting Legal Pitch Day and the Summit organized by CBE.
You also grant CMCP the right to take and use photographs or videos of your personnel participating in Legal Pitch Day and/or the Summit for the purpose of promoting Legal Pitch Day and the Summit organized by CBE.
CMCP and CEB are under no obligation to compensate you with respect to the foregoing rights.

ALLOCATION OF REGISTRATION FEES
California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP) and Coalition of Black Excellence (CBE) have agreed to an equal division of registration fees for Legal Pitch Day – Powered by CMCP (Legal Pitch Day) such that fifty percent (50%) of your registration fees will be retained by CMCP and fifty percent (50%) will go to CBE.
Coalition of Black Excellence is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Tax ID: 82-5355679
CMCP is a 501(c)(6) mutual benefit corporation. Contributions or gifts to CMCP are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. However, they may be tax deductible under other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. For credit card payments, a convenience fee of 3% will be assessed and added to the total payment.