We were honored to have Lawrence A. Cunningham as the 2024 John L. Weinberg Distinguished Speaker.  Mr. Cunningham is Professor Emeritus at George Washington University and Special Counsel at Mayer Brown.

The topic of his talk will be "Speaking Out on Hot Button Topics: How Boards Can Steer CEOs and Companies in Choppy Waters."  Corporate leaders face complex challenges in responding to public debates on contentious topics. They must balance competing pressures to speak or remain silent, while navigating the polarization of today's discourse and the diverse and powerful interests of various constituents not only among shareholders but employees, consumers, and civil society groups. In this talk, Professor Cunningham will suggest that corporate leaders should not follow a fixed or ideological rule on whether to take public positions, but rather a pragmatic approach that evaluates the specific context and circumstances of each situation. The talk will use the history and law of corporate governance, as well as practical experience, to illustrate that the best strategy for each board and CEO will vary depending on the unique features of their corporation and its leadership, its shareholder base, its workforce, the markets it serves, and how these factors relate to given public debates.