How A Financially Savvy Lawyer Can Substantially Increase Their Value to Clients (2025 Edition)
He served as senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary at a global education corporation where he led a team of 30 and guided the business development, M&A transactions, investor relations, corporate governance, risk and compliance, and litigation functions.
2 hour CLE
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Program Summary
This CLE program is designed to equip legal professionals with a foundational understanding of how financial statements impact legal decisions and negotiations. We will explore the essential components of key financial statements, including the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement and what they reveal about a business's financial health. Participants will also gain insights into other critical financial documents, including the Annual Report/10-K and the Proxy Statement. We will dive into the basics of accounting, covering both foundational concepts and more advanced topics like accrual vs. cash accounting. Through a practical step-by-step analysis of a sample financial statement, attendees will learn to navigate financials with confidence. Additionally, we will discuss how to use client earnings calls and Wall Street analyst's reports to deliver more effective and timely legal advice to clients. This webinar aims to empower lawyers to integrate financial insights into their work, enhancing their ability to advise clients effectively and make informed legal decisions.
Key topics to be discussed:
- Importance of Accounting & Finance in Legal Contexts
- Understanding the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement
- Other Major Financial Statements
- Deep Dive into Accounting Basics
- Practical Navigation of Financial Statements
Closed-captioning available
Speakers
Chaka Patterson | Alston & Bird LLP
Chaka Patterson has over three decades of experience in corporate government and private practice. He served as senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary at a global education corporation where he led a team of 30 and guided the business development, M&A transactions, investor relations, corporate governance, risk and compliance, and litigation functions. He was the chief of the Civil Actions Bureau for Cook County’s State’s Attorney in Illinois where he managed a team of 100 lawyers defending the county and its officeholders and employees in civil suits. Chaka also served as an assistant attorney general and chief of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Special Litigation Bureau, where he prosecuted civil and criminal fraud cases, including health care fraud, securities fraud, complex consumer fraud, charitable trust fraud, and False Claims Act cases.
Chaka’s private practice experience as a partner in two Am Law 100 law firms includes representing clients in complex business and commercial litigation, white-collar criminal defense involving state attorneys general investigations, and internal investigations.
Chaka’s background includes:
- Partner at Alston & Bird
- Former General Counsel of a Fortune 1000 Global Education Company
- Former Treasurer & VP for Investor Relations of a Fortune 100 Energy Company
- JD from Harvard Law School and MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Agenda
I. Importance of Accounting & Finance in Legal Contexts | 1:00pm – 1:20pm
- How financial statements influence legal decisions and negotiations
II. Understanding the Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement | 1:20pm – 1:40pm
- How financial statements influence legal decisions and negotiations
III. Other Major Financial Statements| 1:40pm – 2:00pm
- Annual Report/10-K and the Proxy Statement
Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm
IV. Deep Dive into Accounting Basics | 2:10pm – 2:40pm
- Basics of accounting
- Advanced topics such as accrual vs. cash accounting and GAAP v. Non GAAP
V. Practical Navigation of Financial Statements | 2:40pm – 3:10pm
- Step-by-step analysis of a sample financial statement
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