This talk will be a discussion of legal issues for the information security professional. It will discuss common provisions in service and employment contracts, including those you should never agree to and those you always need―to avoid betting your future, and the future of your company, on the hope that nothing will go wrong. Ever. In short, this talk will help you keep yourself out of trouble. Topics will include dealing with "standard" contracts and "standard" provisions; what it means to "indemnify" someone else; how to protect your intellectual property and confidential information; and other dangers, including warranties and audit-rights provisions. It will also cover some negotiation strategies.
Richard Goldberg, a software architect turned attorney, represents both companies and individuals, including private software companies, public OpenSource companies, information security consultancies, federal appointees, civil service employees, corporate officers, and non- profits. His practice ranges from general corporate work, including spin-offs, acquisitions, and privacy and information security issues, to litigation, including vendor and shareholder disputes and government investigations. Prior to joining the legal profession, Mr. Goldberg worked at Internet start-ups and commercial and government consultancies designing enterprise-level software systems for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and the U.S. military. Mr. Goldberg is a graduate of Duke University Law School.