About Us

Overview

The Directors Roundtable organizes the preeminent worldwide programming for corporate Directors and their advisors including C-Suites, General Counsel, and Bankers.  It has created the leading forum for Directors to discuss their concerns with peers and distinguished experts.  The challenging topics focus on key developments, regulations, and pragmatic solutions directly impacting their company and their roles.  Since 1991, it has organized more than 800 events worldwide.  The Directors Roundtable is a civic group benefiting the broad community and no fee to attend has ever been charged the audience.

Directors attend this VIP series because of (1) the unique opportunity to learn from and network with their peers; (2) the challenging topics directly impacting their companies and their roles; (3) the recognized quality and expertise of the speakers; (4) the convenience of meeting in their local area at a time tailored to their busy schedules with no fee to attend; and (5) the benefits of our Director education to their companies in enhancing credibility with investors, government agencies, judges, rating agencies, and media.  The Directors Roundtable’s hosting of these events means that content and professionalism will be at the highest standards. Find our Privacy Policy here.

Speakers

A typical VIP program is a breakfast with a panel of Distinguished Speakers, including Directors, other business leaders, senior government officials, a law firm, an accounting/consulting firm, and/or company or financial institution.  A renowned CEO or public official may be an honored Keynote Speaker.  In addition to the presentations, there is a roundtable discussion among the Speakers and audience regarding problems and questions of concern to Directors.  The prior evening, we may have a dinner for the speakers and specially invited VIPs.  After selective programs, we make available electronically to 100,000 or more leaders a full-color transcript edited by the speakers with text, bios, photos, and firm overviews.

As a civic organization and not a vendor, we are permitted to host government officials who cannot be hosted solely by private sector entities.  Our Distinguished Speakers have included officials such as Chief Justices of Delaware and California; members of Congress; SEC Commissioners; the Commissioner of the Patent and Trademark Office; Federal Reserve Governors; and similar positions in the EU and other countries.

The topics are diverse such as governance; regulation; best practices; crisis management; shareholder relations; risk management; growth and financial strategies; legal disputes; international trade and investment, mergers & acquisitions; technology; compensation; investigations; and others.

Invitees

Our invitation lists include thousands of corporate Directors.  We have conducted extensive research to compile a unique list of personal contact information for the Directors of thousands of public companies including those listed on the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and other exchanges; and of important private companies and not-for-profits.  

We can invite thousands of leaders in each area:  In-House Counsel including virtually every key legal decision maker for major corporations, Directors, C-Suite executives, financiers, partners of professional firms, others of your peers, and your guests.  In addition to our lists, the Directors Roundtable invites leading business groups and alumni of schools such as Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, INSEAD, Beijing, and other leading universities.

Prior Events

The Directors Roundtable has organized events in 25 U.S. cities and 14 other countries.  They are held in areas such as Canada; Latin America; United Kingdom; Europe; Middle East; and Asia including Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and India; and Australia.  As examples of the diversity of our programs over the last three decades, below is a selection of events including programming held at the Harvard Business School and other prestigious locations worldwide.

The Executive Summary of an event at Harvard with a Nobel Laureate in Economics is available at this link.

  • U.S. Economic, Tax & Regulatory Outlook

Distinguished speakers for events at Harvard included a Nobel Laureate in Economics; a former Vice-Chairman of Goldman Sachs overseeing global investment banking; and a Managing Director of Bain Capital.

Five Announcements for other VIP programs can be seen at this link.

  • A Dialogue with the Chairman of the Blackstone Group
    (world-renowned private equity firm)
  • A Dialogue on Corporate Governance
    (with the Chief Justice of Delaware and a Commissioner of the SEC)
  • A European Conference on Tapping U.S. Capital Markets
    (with Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Merrill Lynch)
  • The Credit Crisis: Sources of Potential Liability & What to Do About It
    (five government agencies participated with major law firms in this unique event)
  • A Dialogue with Distinguished Women Leaders of American Business
    (three top executives in business, accounting and law)

Also, the Directors Roundtable has organized unique series such as presenting World Recognition of Distinguished General Counsel and Their Legal Departments.  The transcript of the event presenting this world honor to the then General Counsel of Microsoft (now the global President) is available at this link.

Companies Honored

ABB, AB-InBev, Accenture, Airbus, Amgen, Apollo Global Management, ArcelorMittal, Arm, AXA, Bank of Montreal, Bechtel, Bell Canada, BlackRock, BMW, Bosch, Caisse de depot, Carlyle Group, Chevron, Citigroup, Computer Sciences, ConocoPhillips, CSL Limited, CVS Caremark, Deloitte Global, Deutsche Telekom, Dubai World, DuPont, EY, Fidelity Investments, FIS, Ford Motor, Freddie Mac, Fresenius Medical Care, Gap, GlaxoSmithKline, Hershey, HSBC, Ingersoll Rand, Intel, Johnson Controls, Kraft Heinz, Lam Research, Lockheed Martin, Manulife, Marsh & McLennan, McKesson, Medtronic, MetLife, Michelin, Microsoft, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, Nestle, New York Life Insurance, News Corporation, Nexans, Nokia, Procter & Gamble, Public Storage, Raytheon, RELX Group, Rio Tinto, Royal Dutch Shell, Sculptor Capital Management, Seagate Technology, Sun Life Financial, Swiss Reinsurance, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., TD Bank Group, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The MacArthur Foundation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, TIM (Telecom Italia), Total, TPG, TransCanada, UBS, Vanguard, Viacom, WellPoint, Western Digital, and Yum! Brands.

At other Distinguished Events we have hosted the General Counsel of AIG, Bank of America, Boeing, Disney, General Motors, Morgan Stanley, Oracle, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Wells Fargo Bank, and others.

Jack Friedman, Chairman

Jack Friedman is an executive and attorney active in diverse business and financial matters.  He has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and PBS; and authored business articles in the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and the New York Times.  He has served as an adjunct faculty member of Finance at Columbia University, NYU, UC (Berkeley) and UCLA.  Mr. Friedman received his MBA in Finance and Economics from the Harvard Business School and a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law.

Selected Events

The Directors Roundtable Institute Invites You to Attend a Program for Boards of Directors & Their Advisors


A Dialogue on Corporate Governance with Leadership of the SEC & the Delaware Supreme Court

Friday, January 16, 2004, 8:30 A.M.-2:00 P.M.
The Harvard Club, 35 W. 44th Street, New York

There is no fee to attend. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served.
Four hours of CLE credit is provided.

The SEC has the leading role regarding corporate governance at the Federal level and the Delaware Judiciary at the State level. Distinguished leaders of both institutions will join in a unique dialogue. They will be joined by leading authorities from the private sector who will speak regarding securities litigation; Directors & Officers insurance; executive and director search; proxy contests; accounting, disclosure, and internal controls; and recent developments in SEC and Delaware law. The Directors Roundtable is a civic group headquartered in the United States which organizes worldwide programming for directors and their advisors.

Distinguished Speakers

Hon. Paul Atkins
Commissioner of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission

Hon. Myron Steele
Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court

Distinguished Panelists

Fred Dunbar, NERA; Julie Daum, Spencer Stuart; Daniel Burch, MacKenzie Partners; Dana Kopper, Lockton Financial Services; Edward Welch, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Mark Kirsch, Clifford Chance; Stephen Radin, Weil, Gotshal & Manges; Creighton Condon, Shearman & Sterling LLP; and Jack Friedman, Directors Roundtable Chairman.

The Directors Roundtable Institute Invites You to Attend a Program for Boards of Directors & Their Advisors


Leadership in Challenging Times: A Dialogue with Peter Peterson

Tuesday, March 18, 2003, 12:00 – 2:00 P.M.
The Harvard Club, 27 W. 44th Street, New York

There is no fee to attend and lunch will be served.

The distinguished panelists are: Prof. Lynn Sharp Paine, the John G. McLean Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School; Philip Moyle, Managing Director, MARSH Private Equity and Merger & Acquisitions Services; and Jack Friedman, Chairman of the Directors Roundtable.

Peter G. Peterson is Chairman of The Blackstone Group, a private investment banking firm which he co-founded in 1985 and was formerly Chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers. He was U.S. Secretary of Commerce; and is now Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Council on Foreign Relations; and a Trustee of the Japan Society and the Museum of Modern Art. He is a Director of Sirius Satellite Radio, and was a director of Sony, 3M, Federated Department Stores, Black & Decker, General Foods, RCA, the Continental Group, Cities Service, and UCAR International. Mr. Peterson is also the co-Chair of the Conference Board’s Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise, along with John Snow, now U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Mr. Peterson is married to Joan Ganz Cooney, Founder and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Children’s Television Workshop, (“Sesame Street,” “Electric Company,” and “3-2-1 Contact”) and is the father of five children.

The Directors Roundtable Institute Invites You to Attend a Program for Boards of Directors & Their Advisors


A European Conference on Tapping US Capital Markets in 2002

  • LONDON May 14
  • PARIS May 23
  • FRANKFURT May 24
  • MILAN May 28

There is no fee to attend and continental breakfast will be served.

After a disappointing 2001, capital markets are starting to come back in the United States and Europe, and European companies are again beginning to look at their options for raising capital in the largest market in the world. This event focuses on techniques that European companies can use to access US capital markets, such as establishing a dual listing on a US stock exchange; issuing directly in the United States (through global shares or by redomiciling in Bermuda or another jurisdiction); or using Rule 144A transactions.

The Directors Roundtable is a civic group headquartered in the United States which organizes the preeminent worldwide programming for directors and their advisors.

The Distinguished Speakers Are Senior Executives of:

  • Credit Suisse First
  • Deutsche Bank
  • Goldman Sachs
  • JP Morgan
  • Latham & Watkins
  • Merrill Lynch
  • Nasdaq
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers

The Directors Roundtable Institute Invites You to Attend a Program for Boards of Directors & Their Advisors


The Future of High Tech Dealmaking & Investment

Wednesday, April 3, 2002, 6:30 – 7:45 P.M.
The Harvard Club, 27 W. 44th Street, New York

There is no fee to attend.

Larry Sonsini is a world-renowned high-tech lawyer. His law firm, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, represents more technology companies in their public offerings and mergers and acquisitions than any other firm. Mr. Sonsini serves on the Board of the New York Stock Exchange and seven public companies. He is joined on this panel by executives of Pequot Ventures & Goldman Sachs. The Directors Roundtable is a civic group headquartered in the United States which organizes the preeminent worldwide programming for directors and their advisors.

Distinguished Speakers

  • Larry Sonsini
    Chairman & CEO of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; member of the Board of Directors of the New York Stock Exchange; director of seven public companies
  • Lawrence D. Lenihan, Jr.
    Managing Director, Pequot Ventures
  • Charles T. Harris III
    Managing Director & Co-Head of the High Technology Group, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
  • Jack Friedman
    Chairman, Directors Roundtable

The Directors Roundtable Institute Invites You to Attend a Program for Boards of Directors & Their Advisors


Will the M&A Boom Create Financial Opportunities in Future Restructurings & Chapter 11’s?
Spring 2007

Tuesday, June 26, 2007, 8:30 – 10:30 A.M. (8:00 A.M. Registration)
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Offices, 767 Fifth Avenue, New York

There is no fee to attend and continental breakfast will be served.

Restructurings and Chapter 11’s have created remarkable financial and dealmaking opportunities for creditors, investors, and businesses. Wall Street is debating if, when, and how the recent unprecedented level of mergers & acquisitions, often with few debt covenants, will create a new major surge of opportunities. They may be as varied as equity speculation, claim purchases, litigation settlements, asset purchases, spinoffs of operations, and buying entire companies after Chapter 11 is exited. These distinguished speakers will share their expertise based on participating in many of the most important restructuring and Chapter 11 cases including America West, Delphi, Enron, Eurotunnel, Owens Corning, and PG&E.

The Directors Roundtable is a civic group which organizes the preeminent worldwide programming for directors and their advisors. Special appreciation is given to Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for their cooperation in this event.

Distinguished Speakers

  • David Resnick
    Managing Director & Head of the Restructuring Group Rothschild Inc.
  • Thomas Fuller
    Managing Director, Angelo Gordon & Co.
  • Martin Bienenstock, Alfredo Perez
    Partners, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
  • Cyrus Pardiwala
    Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
  • Jack Friedman
    Chairman, Directors Roundtable

The Directors Roundtable Institute Invites You to Attend a Program for Boards of Directors & Their Advisors


World Recognition of Distinguished General Counsel: Michael Helfer General Counsel of Citigroup

Thursday, May 12, 2005, 8:30 – 10:30 A.M. (8:00 Registration)
The Harvard Club, 27 W. 44th Street, New York

There is no fee to attend and continental breakfast will be served.
Two hours of CLE credit will be provided.

General Counsel are more important than ever in our nation’s history. Boards of Directors are looking increasingly to them to enhance financial and business strategy, compliance, and integrity of corporate operations to support shareholder value. In recognition of our distinguished Guest of Honor’s personal accomplishments and of the vital role of the Corporate Counsel profession, we are honoring Michael S. Helfer, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Management Committee member of Citigroup. The topics will include visions of the role of the General Counsel of a world-leading financial institution; mergers and acquisitions; duties of directors; and employee policies.

In addition to his experience in law firm practice and as Corporate Counsel, Mr. Helfer clerked for Chief Judge David Bazelon (D.C. Cir.) and served as a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Counsel. He is a founding director of Lawyers for Children America, which provides pro bono legal services to abused and neglected children; and is a director of the Legal Aid Society of New York and the Lincoln Center Theatre. Mr. Helfer earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and B.A. from Claremont Men’s College.

The Directors Roundtable is a civic group which organizes the preeminent worldwide programming for directors and their advisors including General Counsel. The National Law Journal is the leading national legal news publication and an American Law Media publication.

Honored Speaker

  • Michael S. Helfer
    General Counsel, Citigroup

Distinguished Panelists

  • David Heleniak
    Partner, Shearman & Sterling; (became Vice Chairman, Morgan Stanley in May 2005)
  • William McLucas
    Partner, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
  • Allen Fagin
    Chairman & Partner, Proskauer Rose
  • Jack Friedman (Moderator)
    Chairman, Directors Roundtable

The Directors Roundtable Institute Invites You to Attend a Program for Boards of Directors & Their Advisors


A Dialogue with Representative Michael Oxley:
Co-Author of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act & Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Institutions

Friday, April 4, 2003, 8:30 – 10:00 A.M.
The Harvard Club, 27 W. 44th Street, New York

There is no fee to attend and continental breakfast will be served.

Congressman Michael Oxley co-authored the historic Sarbanes-Oxley Act. He is Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Institutions, which legislates for the securities, banking, and insurance industries.

The Directors Roundtable is a civic group headquartered in the United States which organizes the preeminent worldwide programming for directors and their advisors. He will address the impact that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act has had on corporate governance and key legislative proposals now before his committee. Congressman Oxley will take questions and dialogue with the audience.

The Directors Roundtable Institute Invites You to Attend a Program for Boards of Directors & Their Advisors


Leadership in Challenging Times:
A Dialogue with Distinguished Women Leaders of American Business

Wednesday, January 29, 2003, 12:00 – 2:00 P.M.
Omni Hotel, 251 So. Olive Street, Los Angeles

There is no fee and lunch will be served.

This event is co-hosted by the local business school alumni chapters of Berkeley (Haas), Chicago, Columbia, Harvard, Michigan, Northwestern (Kellogg), NYU (Stern), Pennsylvania (Wharton), Stanford, UCLA (Anderson), USC (Marshall), and Yale. The Directors Roundtable is a civic group headquartered in the United States which organizes the preeminent worldwide programming for directors and their advisors.

Distinguished Speakers

  • Roxanne Austin
    President & Chief Operating Officer of DIRECTV, Inc., the nation’s leading direct broadcast satellite TV service; member of the board of directors of Abbott Laboratories and Target
  • Sharon Allen
    Managing Partner for the Pacific Southwest Practice of Deloitte & Touche, its second largest market in the nation; member of Deloitte & Touche’s Board of Directors (Became Chairman of the Board in June, 2003)
  • Martha Jordan
    Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins’ Los Angeles Office, the largest office of this full-service, global law firm with more than 1,500 attorneys in 21 offices worldwide