Thursday, August 20, 2026, 12:00 PM-1:00 PM (CT)

Energy Projects: Leasing, Financing, Permitting, & Operating

This presentation provides a broad overview of developing an energy generation project, from siting through offtake. With demand for new energy generation growing, the topic is timely as agricultural producers are increasingly offered opportunities to partner with energy developers by leasing land for wind, solar, battery, and geothermal projects.

Hannes D. Zetzsche is a real estate and energy attorney. He helps clients negotiate land rights, prepare real-estate agreements and secure land-use and environmental permits for energy, infrastructure and other commercial and industrial projects throughout Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon and Wyoming. He has experience developing renewable energy projects, including wind, solar and battery storage, electric-vehicle charging stations, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, pipelines, mineral rights and water rights. Hannes is also a registered lobbyist in Nebraska. After attending college, Hannes managed a large hay farm in central Oregon. He then moved to Nebraska to attend law school. Before joining the firm, Hannes worked as a judicial clerk to the Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, Michael G. Heavican.

Spencer A. Hosch works alongside urban and rural clients in a variety of matters pertaining to land development as well as general real estate, financing, and agricultural matters. He assists clients at all stages of their respective projects including land acquisition, project financing, local zoning compliance and permitting, contract drafting and negotiation, and ongoing counseling on issues of compliance, legislation, and other general matters. Spencer also represents lenders and investors in regard to the structuring of their various commercial and agricultural real estate developments, including enforcing their rights in the same. Spencer also has experience in structuring creative capital stacks for real estate development including traditional financing, equity investment and mezzanine financing, development incentives offered through local and state governments, and alternative financing such as tax-increment financing. Spencer received his Juris Doctor with emphases in Business Taxation and Real Estate, with distinction, from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2023. While in school, Spencer was a member of the First Place and Best Brief award-winning team in the Thomas Stinson Allen Moot Court Competition and a member of the Nebraska National Moot Court Team. Spencer was subsequently elected to be the Chair of the Nebraska Moot Court Board and eventually was inducted into the Order of the Barristers.

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Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 12:00 PM-1:00 PM (ET)

Generative Artificial Intelligence: Ethical Use, Risks, & Responsible Implementation

This presentation will provide a practical, lawyer-focused overview of generative artificial intelligence covering how modern AI systems work and the significant legal, ethical, and operational risks they introduce. We will examine security, privacy, and professional responsibility considerations – including attorney competence, confidentiality, sanctions, and legislative and judicial responses – alongside actionable guidance for responsible implementation, use, and risk management. This presentation is eligible for submission for CLE credit and is designed to equip legal personnel with both strategic understanding and actionable governance practices for responsible AI adoption.

Nicole Hancock is a member of Stoel Rives’ Executive Committee and a trial attorney who handles complex business litigation matters in federal and state court. Nicole is a business-savvy trial attorney, having served as in-house counsel for a global seed company and as lead trial counsel in state and federal court matters. She is focused on her clients’ business needs and works to find solutions that meet their business goals. In addition to her litigation work, Nicole serves as outside general counsel for mid-sized companies, using her prior experience as in-house counsel to provide legal services that mitigate against corporate risk and exposure. Nicole uses her business and courtroom experience to develop and implement winning legal strategies that are efficient and help achieve her clients’ desired outcomes.

Nicole’s trial practice emphasizes commercial and corporate disputes and risk mitigation. She has litigated cases involving contract disputes, corporate fiduciary duty claims, non-compete disputes, product liability claims, chemical application and drift claims, corporate risk management, business transactions, advertising claims, trade secret defense and enforcement, corporate torts, and injunction actions. Nicole is a highly respected litigator who has successfully first-chaired trials in federal and state courts, arbitration, and regulatory actions ranging from high-stakes litigation to smaller matters that impact her clients’ businesses. She is also recognized for her handling of administrative and regulatory enforcement proceedings.

Jon Washburn brings more than 30 years of information technology, security, and governance experience—nearly 20 years of which have been in the legal industry—to his role as Chief Information Security Officer, leading the firm’s information security and business intake teams and the firm’s administrative governance and compliance functions. As a resource for Stoel’s AI, Privacy & Cybersecurity practice, Jon assists the team with breach response, performing risk assessments, identifying information governance policy and process improvements, and evaluating information systems architecture, operational resilience, and security strategies.

This webinar will be offered to AALA members only for continuing legal education credit. If you are not currently an AALA member but want access to this webinar, you can become a member here.

Members:

Click here to be taken to your AALA member portal home page to register!

Please note the following:

This webinar is offered to current AALA members only as a part of the member benefits.

This program is being offered for CLE credit in each state and reporting will not occur until after the program.

Pre-registration and active participation during the program are required in order to receive credit.

AALA is seeking CLE approval from the most stringent states before the program and approval for all other states will be sought afterwards. AALA will do its best to seek CLE credit for all members who attend, but it is possible that some states may not approve the webinar.

CLE credit will not be offered to those who only watch the recorded version provided after the webinar on the member portal.

Please see Past Webinars for information about the webinars that we have recently offered.