ChIPs Global Summit to spotlight chief legal officers in Los Angeles

ChIPs Network will bring top chief legal officers from Owens Corning, Qualcomm, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Western Digital to its sold-out 2026 Global Summit in Los Angeles on Oct. 22. The panel will focus on how the CLO role is changing as AI, tariffs and board engagement reshape corporate strategy.

Why it matters: - The panel will put senior legal leaders in front of more than 800 ChIPs members at a sold-out summit in Los Angeles. - The discussion centers on how chief legal officers are taking on broader business, governance and risk responsibilities. - The topic lands as companies face faster-moving AI oversight, tariff shifts and greater pressure from boards.

What happened: - ChIPs Network said its 2026 Global Summit will feature a panel titled “Setting the Stage: CLOs Driving Strategy.” - The session is scheduled for Oct. 22 at the J.W. Marriott LA LIVE in Los Angeles. - ChIPs Board Chair Dorian Daley will join Gina Beredo of Owens Corning, Ann Cathcart Chaplin of Qualcomm Incorporated, Jill Ratner of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Cynthia Tregillis of Western Digital. - ChIPs said the event is sold out. - The summit theme is “The Next Act: IP, Innovation, and Influence.”

The details: - ChIPs Executive Director Joan Toth said differing AI oversight across markets, fluctuating tariff policies and an evolving role in board engagement have shifted modern corporate practices. - Toth said the CLO role is more expansive than ever and that the panel will help members understand what lies ahead for legal departments. - Daley said the four panelists represent long-established companies that are innovative and vibrant leaders in the market. - Beredo became executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel at Owens Corning in 2025 after joining the company in 2021 as general counsel. - Beredo led Owens Corning’s acquisition and integration of Masonite International in a deal valued at nearly $4 billion. - Beredo oversees human resources, legal and corporate affairs, aviation, and community affairs. - Chaplin is EVP, general counsel and corporate secretary at Qualcomm, with global responsibility for legal operations and functions. - Chaplin joined Qualcomm in 2021 after nearly six years at General Motors, where she served as corporate secretary and deputy general counsel. - Chaplin previously oversaw corporate governance, litigation, IP and compliance at General Motors. - This will be Chaplin’s second appearance on a ChIPs Global Summit stage after speaking in 2023. - Ratner has served as EVP and general counsel at Sony Pictures Entertainment since May 2024. - Ratner oversees legal, compliance and labor relations, music affairs, government affairs and corporate social responsibility. - Ratner spent five years at The Walt Disney Company before joining Sony Pictures, where she had been deputy general counsel since 2019. - At Disney, Ratner led a global legal team focused on litigation, intellectual property and digital antipiracy. - Ratner also spent 15 years at 21st Century Fox and earlier worked at the Motion Picture Association. - Tregillis is chief legal officer and secretary at Western Digital. - Tregillis oversees worldwide legal, risk management, compliance and government relations. - Tregillis has been at Western Digital since 2012 and most recently served as senior vice president and deputy general counsel. - Tregillis serves on the boards of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, the U.S.-India Business Council and the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition. - Tregillis is a founding chapter leader of ChIPs Los Angeles.

Between the lines: - ChIPs is positioning the CLO not just as a legal adviser but as a strategic operator tied to corporate transformation. - The speaker lineup spans entertainment, communications, technology and manufacturing, which broadens the panel’s relevance across industries. - The focus on AI, tariffs and board engagement suggests legal teams are being pulled deeper into executive decision-making.

What's next: - ChIPs members will gather in Los Angeles on Oct. 22 for the summit session. - The panel is likely to frame how legal departments prepare for a more complex operating environment. - ChIPs continues to build its network across 30 regional chapters and more than 10,000 members.

The bottom line: - ChIPs is using its 2026 Global Summit to highlight how chief legal officers are becoming central to strategy, not just compliance.