Securities Attorney Laura Anthony Talks Roth Conference and the Necessity of Old School Networking in the Age of Virtual Business

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Mar 02, 2016, 11:07 ET

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, March 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Prior to the dawn of the computer age, the word "virtual" was defined as: almost or nearly as described, but not completely or according to strict definition. Simply stated, it is something that's not as good as the real thing.

"Face Time" was once the tried-and-true business practice of meeting someone in person to initiate or strengthen an important relationship. The objective: get to know them on a slightly more intimately professional basis so as to truly understand their needs, desires, skills, sense of humor, likes, dislikes and a myriad of other personality traits. Repeatedly, face time afforded business associates the opportunity to become business friendlies.

The very same term is now universally known as something one does on a mobile device. Irony has never been so ironic. The overwhelming majority of contemporary business communication is indeed conducted via email, text messaging and Skype. Although highly efficient and economical, the human element, the actual heart of communication, has been replaced by fast-access internet and lithium batteries.

The upcoming 28^th Annual Roth Conference in Dana Point, California, March 13-16, is a prime opportunity for everyone in the small to mid-cap sector to get up from their computers, put down their tablets, look each other in the eyes, and speak in their own voices. The result: attendees can come away from the event considerably more assured when doing business with someone who was previously just an email address. This type of interpersonal reliability can be rather difficult to cultivate in the corporate finance sector on a strictly "virtual" basis.

Securities Attorney Laura Anthony is recognized for maintaining a very sophisticated online presence. Her blog, SecuritiesLawBlog.com, is read by thousands; her online news channel, LawCast.com™, has revolutionized the way attorneys communicate with the corporate sector; and her social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram are methodically updated daily. Even so, Attorney Anthony maintains an equally strong traditional physical presence in the corporate finance industry. She travels in excess of 50 days annually to attend industry conferences, group meetings and every other conceivable form of one-on-one personal interaction.

"In the corporate finance industry, people have a tendency to fall into one of two categories: virtual or personal," Attorney Anthony said. "My experience has been that both forms of communication are equally important; they work together in concordance, not opposition. The two elements, when combined, create a nearly perfect communication system, one that allows professionals to exchange large amounts of technical information quickly while getting to know each other on a personal level simultaneously. Without the human element, trust and confidence can be elusive, but if not for the internet, I wouldn't be afforded with so many amazing opportunities to meet people face-to-face. If you engage in one form of networking, let's say virtual, then it is essential to do the other with the same level of intensity."

In 2009 BusinessWeek published an article entitled "Virtual Meetings Will Erase Face To Face." Seven years later, virtual meetings are a commonplace occurrence, but the value of bona fide physical networking has become more apparent than ever.

The following year, The Wall Street Journal featured an article that stated, "Psychologists and behavioral scientists have long known that facial expressions, hand gestures, voice tone and the like provide more clues to listeners than the words themselves." "It's harder to follow cues such as expressions on people's faces in two dimensions," says Dr. Carlos Ferran, D.B.A., assistant professor of Management Information Systems at Pennsylvania State University, who specializes in research that develops a better understanding of how technology mediated communications differ from face-to-face communications. Dr. Richard D. Arvey, a psychologist and professor with the National University of Singapore, agrees: "You can't see someone frowning on a conference call," he notes.

As shocking as it sounds, someone may actually be grimacing with trepidation while they draft and send a glowingly positive response to a business proposal via email.

"The Roth Conference makes it easy to just jump in at the deep end if you want to really get out there and meet the key players," Attorney Anthony said. "This year Roth is expected to attract more than 3,000 attendees, and it's a great way to shake hands with the core players in corporate finance in just four short days. It is impossible to develop instincts about people without meeting them in person. On the surface, they may say the right thing at the right time, but their facial cues, mannerisms, intonations and demeanor tell the entire story about their true nature. And yes, all of my 'virtual' platforms will announce and detail my participation at the Roth Conference."

Attorney Anthony's opinion about "subconscious communication" is backed by scientific fact.

In an article published in Psychology Today on September 30, 2011, Jeff Thompson, Ph.D., addressed this topic and referenced research conducted by Albert Mehrabian and his associates in 1967. Mehrabian concluded that true communication is 55% body language, 38% is tone of voice, and the remaining 7% is the spoken word.

In summary, if you really want to know who you are dealing with, or intend to deal with, putting boots on the ground at the upcoming 28^th Annual Roth Conference is a logical decision.

The Author:

Securities attorney Laura Anthony and her experienced legal team provide ongoing corporate counsel to small and mid-size OTC and exchange traded issuers as well as private companies going public on the over-the-counter market, such as the OTCQB and OTCQX or an exchange such as NASDAQ or NYSE MKT. Legal & Compliance, LLC is a comprehensive corporate, securities and business transactions law firm assisting clients in all aspects of commerce, including initial public offerings, reverse mergers, registered public offerings, exempt private offerings, all forms of complex corporate finance transactions, compliance with national exchanges such as the NASDAQ and NYSE MKT and the over-the-counter market trading platforms such as OTCQB and OTCQX, compliance with FINRA and DTC, strategic planning for unique management and ownership issues, and broad-scope legal services. Laura Anthony, Esq. is an approved OTCQX Advisor (DAD/PAL). Laura Anthony, Esq., is also the creator and author of SecuritiesLawBlog.com and the producer and host of LawCast.com , The Securities Law Network.

Contact:
Laura Anthony, Esq.
Founding Partner
Legal & Compliance, LLC
+1-561-514-0936
[email protected]
http://www.LegalAndCompliance.com
http://www.SecuritiesLawBlog.com
http://www.LawCast.com

SOURCE Legal & Compliance, LLC