The Masters Conference: focus on Sasha Hefler, Masters Conference President

Last week saw one of the most successful Masters Conferences (click here).  The Masters conference brings together leading experts and professionals from law firms, corporations and the bench to develop strategies, practices and resources for managing the information life cycle. 

It is a daunting task for any corporation to organize and launch a program of this magnitude.  Luckily they have Sasha Hefler, President of the Masters Conference (click here) whose  many endeavors included placing appropriate speakers and providing an advanced level of educational programming.  The Masters Conference is known for its unique and relevant content in the realm of risk and e-discovery.  Sasha Hefler stays ahead of the curve with Masters being on the leading edge of the legal industry.

We caught up with Sasha at the conference:

TPL:   You have created a pretty elite conference in a very short period of time.

SH:  I am proud to say that in just four years the Masters Conference has developed into the pre-eminent legal educational and networking events.  This year our theme was “Global Corporate Change – Navigating through Discovery, Risk and Security” wherein we focused on how corporations can protect themselves against the risks associated with high-profile scandals, security breaches, IP threats, increased litigation, audits and regulatory investigations.

TPL: It was an incredible success.  You attracted Sprint Nextel, DHL counsel, Home Depot, Intel, Samsung and counsel for XO communications.  as speakers and participants.  Why do you think Masters Conference has become an elite addition to the legal space? 

SH:   Masters has taken an out of the box approach to programming while keeping its standards the highest in the legal conference industry. This has set Masters  apart as a unique educational experience. 

TPL:   But its success is really due to your concept of building a unique brand in the legal market, yes?

SH:  Yes.  I have a “Build a Brand” philosophy.  At the Masters Conference I believe one of our keys to building a successful brand (and thus a successful conference) is by establishing strong relationships with key people within the industry and building upon those relationships through networking, loyalty …  and giving back-not just taking.  It is a business minded approach involving balance between fairness and toughness.

TPL:   The global emphasis to the conference this year was incredible.  We attended fabulous presentations on international disclosure and privacy, international compliance and risk, best practices for cross-border discovery, and cross border and data breach investigations.  The U.S./UK judicial panel was especially informative.

SH:   The conference was a pleasure to deliver and I am happy that you found it to be a unique educational experience.  Oour purpose was fulfilled this year.  And I agree, the US/UK judicial panel on e-discovery presented the best thinkers from both sides of the  Atlantic talking about the differences, the commonality, and what each can learn from the other in this changing area.  They provided a wealth of experience.

TPL:  Where do you see the future of the conference?

SH:  Although increasingly global in substance, we will see a continuing move toward smaller spaces and facilities, and more intimate environments affording greater opportunity for networking and relationship building. These intimate venues give attendees the unique opportunity to speak with providers that offer products and services as well as interact with the educators, speakers, and attendees on a one-on-level.

TPL:   What’s on deck for next year?

SH:  Masters will continue to build on the international issues discussed this year while covering relevant cutting edge legal trends.  Look for strategic participation from LG Electronics and the Eli Lilley corporation in 2010. 

TPL:   Many thanks for taking this time to chat with us, and many thanks for helping The Posse List at the conference.

SH:  My pleasure.