Presentation:
See how the promising merger between an innovative small company (MeDvc4U) and a larger global company (ABC Corp) turned into a class action lawsuit.  
MeDvc4U is headquartered in a small town in Virginia.  ABC Corp, headquartered in northern Virginia, is a global leader in implantable medical devices with offices and manufacturing sites around the globe.  
MeDvc4U recently created a new medical device the “Sugar Shield” and ran a limited clinical trial with promising results.  The simple device helps control Type II diabetes.  The company needed to expand clinical trials and needed capital to produce the product and market it to a national or even global market.  A merger looked like the best opportunity to expand the product reach and capitalize on the creative solutions and ideas of the company founders.  A number of instances of poor records management decisions and practices before, during and after the merger resulted in ABC Corp getting more than it bargained for in the merger.  After the merger, ABC Corp is sued for failure to adequately protect information during a merger, failure to properly destroy information, failure to notify claimants of a possible exposure and/or loss of their personal information, and inflicting financial harm and emotional stress on the claimants. Join us to find out what happened before, during and after the merger.  Hear the prosecution and defense attorney arguments and testimony from witnesses.  Learn the judge’s verdict.

Bio:
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Christine R. Hardy
Christine R. Hardy, General Attorney with Norfolk Southern, began her professional career in 1999 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she managed a group home for adjudicated and delinquent minors. Christine worked with and supported over 90 young women over 4 years, while simultaneously matriculating through law school. After law school graduation, Ms. Hardy served as judicial law clerk for the Honorable S. Michael Yeager in the Court of Common Pleas of Butler County, Pennsylvania for two years. In this role, Ms. Hardy researched, analyzed and applied higher court decisions to compose Common Pleas Court opinions. Ms. Hardy served in all areas of civil, criminal, family and orphans’ court law. In 2006, Christine joined the law firm of Burns White & Hickton (now Burns White, LLC) where she practiced in a wide range of areas that included litigation, business practices and workers compensation matters. In 2014, Ms. Hardy joined the Norfolk Southern Law Department where her practice focuses on the Federal Employment Liability Act, the Federal Railroad Safety Act, Occupational and Traumatic Incidents and Injuries and general legal advice to various departments in the company. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ms. Hardy has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a Juris Doctorate Degree from Duquesne University School of Law.  Christine Hardy enjoys life with her husband Derrick R. Hardy and their family of five, Amber, Jeremiah, Angel, Amia and their beagle terrier, Rocket. Christine enjoys running marathons, kickboxing, and participating in pro-bono and community service events. 

Joe Carpenter
Mr. Carpenter began with Norfolk Southern in 2002 and has practice in the Corporate and Litigation Sections of the Law Department.  He is currently General Counsel of the Markets and Regulations Section, overseeing legal issues arising out of customer relationships, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Surface Transportation Board, among other federal and state entities.  Joe has overseen the development and implementation of the company’s Information Management Program, including records management, e-discovery, and data loss prevention elements.  He is also the company’s Information Governance Counsel.

Caroline Weeks
Ms. Weeks is a General Solicitor for Norfolk Southern Corporation.  Caroline’s practice focuses on labor and employment law.  She handles all of the company’s employment litigation as well as employment related compliance questions, including those related to Title VII, ADA, ADEA, USERRA, and various state law requirements.  She also handles labor issues on behalf of NS, which has a workforce that is heavily unionized and governed by the Railway Labor Act and a myriad of Collective Bargaining Agreements.  
Previously, Caroline supervised traumatic litigation, which included employee injuries, property damage, insurance recovery litigation, and third party claims.  She has experience defending occupational claims with a focus on repetitive stress injuries and musculoskeletal disorders.  Caroline also supervised a portion of the railroad’s FRSA whistleblower/retaliation litigation, which often has a direct impact on traditional FELA (personal injury) claims.  
In addition to managing litigation, Caroline routinely provides advice to departments that may play an integral role in the defense of the railroad, including Human Resources, Labor Relations, Safety, Government Relations, Operations, and Corporate Communications.   She frequently presents to NS employees on best practices when handling evidence in anticipation of litigation.  
Caroline is a native of the great state of North Carolina and a true believer of her beloved Tar Heels.  GO HEELS!  She is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and Virginia.