Chair’s Message

By Christopher Passarelli

Hello, Business Law Section Members and Friends:

With June now upon, us summer is in full swing at CLA and there is much going on with the Business Law Section!

2023-2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

With the conclusion of summer comes the conclusion of this 2022-2023 CLA term at the end of the State Bar Annual Meeting on September 24, 2023. The section is now duly making preparations for smooth leadership succession. The appointment of a new Chair of the BLS Executive Committee, as well as its vice chairs and officers, is imminent. Please stay tuned!

CLA BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES VACANCY

With the coming 2023-2024 CLA leadership term comes new opportunity for our members. Our Section’s longtime CLA Board representative (and past BLS Chair), Uzzi Raanan, will be vacating the position. Thanks for your longstanding, dutiful service to our association, Uzzi! The BLS will now appoint a new representative to the CLA Board. Any BLS member may nominate another member, or nominate themselves for the appointment. If you are aware of any promising candidates, please by all means submit your nomination to BLS Section Manager, John Buelter (john.buelter@calawyers.org) by June 30, 2023.

MEET THE SECTIONS & JOIN BLS IN SAN DIEGO FOR THE CLA ANNUAL MEETING

It is time to block off the dates and begin making preparations to join the BLS at the 2023 CLA Annual Meeting in San Diego, from September 21-23, 2023 at the beautiful San Diego Hilton Bayfront! On the first day of the Annual Meeting, Thursday, September 21, the CLA sections are hosting a lunch for all attendees to “Meet the CLA Sections and Committees” – this will be a fantastic opportunity to meet your BLS Executive Committee leaders in person, and set the stage for your successful Annual Meeting experience. You can register for the 2023 CLA Annual Meeting here.

CALL TO ACTION: INCREASING CLA MEMBERSHIP

It just wouldn’t be a complete Chair’s message without an appeal to our members to spread the word about the BLS value proposition. This term, the members dutifully answered my call to action, and it shows in our membership numbers for this year, which remained relatively consistent. Now is the time to grow and strengthen section, and our association. Please continue to encourage your esteemed colleagues to become members of the CLA (here) and join the Business Law Section, to explore the many diverse opportunities for professional advancement and personal fulfillment that come with membership, and participation.

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?

I wish to thank those of you who have reached out to me directly while I have served as the Chair of the BLS (some even reached out, in response to my monthly missive). Those personal connections form the basis for my own membership in the section, and I find our discussions to be of extreme value. Please continue to reach out to me, to discuss the good, and the bad; as well as areas of interest for the future of the section, and also to let me know how you would like to get involved!

Finally, I take this opportunity to wish you all a terrific summer, from all of us at the BLS Executive Committee!