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Innovations in Science and Technology:
Practical and Ethical Challenges for Lawyers

2:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., InNevation Center
Las Vegas, Nevada

A Continuing Legal Education Program and Reception
Sponsored by the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law

For its Alumni and Others in the Las Vegas Area
In Cooperation with the InNEVation Center

This event is free and includes 3 hours of CLE. Registration requested >>

Program

2:30 p.m.
Introduction and Welcome (Bob Adler, Interim Dean, James I. Farr Chair and Distinguished Professor, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law; Co-host Tom Thomas, Managing Partner, Thomas & Mack Co.)

2:45 p.m.
Tweets, Posts and Pokes: Social Media Ethical Landmines for the Unwary Lawyer (Randy Dryer, University of Utah Presidential Honors Professor; Shareholder, Parsons Behle & Latimer)

3:45 p.m.
Genetics, Genomics and the Law: An Inside Look at AncestryDNA (Ken Chahine, Professor of Law, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law; President for Ancestry DNA, LLC

4:45 p.m. – Break

5:00 p.m.
Navigating the Cloud: Large Data Sets in Cyberspace (Jason Mendenhall, Executive Vice President, Cloud at Switch)

5:30 p.m.
Technological and Teaching Innovations in the New S.J. Quinney Law School Facility (Bob Adler)

5:50 p.m.
Concluding Remarks and Thanks (Tom Thomas)

6:00 p.m.
Reception

Participants

Robert Adler, Interim Dean and James I. Farr Chair in Law
Bob Adler is the Interim Dean and the James I. Farr Chair and Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law.  As Interim Dean, he is overseeing construction of the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law’s astonishing new law building, scheduled to open in the fall of 2015, and pursuing the Building Justice capital campaign to help ensure that the College can continue to provide a superb legal education for its students at an affordable cost. He is also dedicated to continuing the College’s recent history of curricular reform—particularly in ways that improve real world learning opportunities and skills training for its students —to meet the needs of the next generation of lawyers.

Adler has published dozens of articles and reports in law, policy, and science journals. He has also published two books on water law with Island Press, in addition to an environmental law casebook and a water law casebook (co-authored with Robin Craig, also on the Quinney law faculty).  He regularly teaches classes in water law and environmental law.

Tom Thomas, Managing Partner of the Thomas & Mack Co
Thomas A. Thomas is the Managing Partner of the Thomas & Mack Co., an investment management and commercial real estate development company.  Mr. Thomas has managed the company since its formation as a Limited Liability Company in 1992.

After obtaining his law degree from the University of Utah College of Law in 1986, Thomas joined the Valley Bank of Nevada as Vice President and Legal Counsel.  In 1988, he was named Regional Vice President for retail banking operations.  In 1990 he was named Senior Vice President over Private Banking and Corporate Trust Services.  With the merger of Valley Bank of Nevada into Bank of America in 1992, Thomas left his banking career to formalize the real estate and wealth management operations of the Thomas & Mack Company. The real estate operations of the Company include the ownership and management of over 3.5 million square feet of office and light industrial properties in Clark County, Nevada as well as real estate developments in California, Arizona, and Utah.

For over two decades Thomas has been intimately involved with numerous local charitable organizations, including the UNLV Presidents Associates, the Opportunity Village Foundation Board, the Board of Governors of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Las Vegas Rotary Club, where he served as president.

Randy Dryer, University of Utah Presidential Honors Professor and Visiting Professor of Law
Randy Dryer is a Presidential Honors Professor at the University of Utah, with a joint appointment at the S.J. Quinney College of Law and the University Honors College. Prior to his faculty appointment, he practiced law with Parsons Behle & Latimer, Utah’s largest law firm, for 30 years.

Dryer is a nationally recognized expert in Media and First Amendment Law and Crisis Management. During his legal career, he represented virtually every major news organization in the State of Utah and many national news organizations. He speaks frequently on First Amendment issues and regularly advises businesses in preparing crisis management plans and in responding to a crisis when one occurs.

At the S.J. Quinney College of Law, Dryer teaches courses in Media Law, Pretrial Practice, Crisis Management, Cyberlaw and Privacy. In 2010, he was named the Outstanding Adjunct Teacher of the Year at the College of Law.

Ken Chahine, Professor of Law, S.J. Quinney College of Law
Ken Chahine is a Senior VP at Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online resource for family history.  He is also the President of AncestryDNA where he leads the development of the company’s genomic and population genetic research, as well as the commercialization of its direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy test AncestryDNA.com.

Prior to Ancestry.com, Chahine was President, CEO, and Director at Avigen where he led the development and partnership of several pharmaceutical drug candidates. He has also helped develop the strategy and raise money for various startups in the medical diagnostic and pharmaceutical industries.

As a professor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, Chahine teaches a class in New Venture Development where students experience the legal and business aspects involved in launching a technology-based venture. Chahine received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Michigan, his law degree from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, and a B.A in chemistry from Florida State University.

Jason Mendenhall, Executive Vice President of Cloud
Jason Mendenhall is the Executive Vice President of Cloud at Switch. In that role, he oversees Switch C.U.B.E (Cloud Ubiquitous Business Exchange), which delivers a comprehensive technology and cloud ecosystem to Switch clients and partners.

Prior to becoming a partner at Switch, Mendenhall was the co-founder of Verde Communications, which was grown and sold to Sparkplug, Inc. He has 15 years of experience serving as an executive for global enterprise-level companies in the telecommunications, software, and technology consulting industries.

An advocate for the role technology ecosystems play in economic diversification, Mendenhall is president of the Technology Business Alliance of Nevada, sits on the UNLV College of Engineering advisory board, serves on the Nevada Knowledge Fund Advisory Council, and acts as a mentor to the start-up community.

For questions about this event contact Kayla (801-585-3440).