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Our team observes that general counsel struggle to manage outside lawyers while still preserving value and responsiveness alongside cost-effective results. While there are no “silver bullets,” we have listed five techniques for selecting and managing outside counsel without upsetting the applecart.

Although artificial intelligence has now moved from the research and development stage to commercialization, its wider deployment in business imposes challenges for enterprises and for patent legislation, as it is a completely new concept and a very powerful force for change.

Inclusion allows for superior decision-making by bringing balance and equilibrium to any team or group and to the environment in which the team operates. And a diverse group will develop different strategies, approaches, solutions, and ideas.

We’ve dedicated this issue of ACC Docket to stories that touch on employment issues and emerging trends.

Leslie Thornton, the recently retired senior vice president and merger transition counsel for WGL Holdings and Washington Gas Light Company, has had the same mandates as most high-profile general counsel. She has navigated and managed major litigation, employment and labor law matters, supported the board of directors, and dealt with complex cybersecurity issues and data protection, all while being cognizant of what that means in the energy industry.

Prior to law school, I worked as a server in a restaurant. I’ve often said that my experiences back then were particularly valuable in forming my worldview; their relevance certainly rushed back to the fore when I began in-house practice in a department of one.

The legal profession has experienced several years of upheaval and disruption. General counsel are now optimizing their internal service delivery model in the same way that they have done with their external ones.

I decided to keep a log and write down the most important lessons I have been learning while managing my plant and on my journey outside the legal department. I have to admit, some of these lessons are the result of not so smooth — even at times painful — experiences.

Naturally, patents figure prominently into the business strategy, and Haas’ legal department involves itself more and more in strategic discussions to be able to focus on patents that deliver business solutions.

Despite their possible shortcomings, performance metrics — including profit and loss — are vital to helping businesses track and report results to shareholders. The question is, how can we craft meaningful performance metrics that incentivize desirable behaviors while avoiding potential negative consequences?

This article will provide a history and overview of CFIUS, as well as predictions about how the Committee may operate going forward. Based on recent CFIUS activity and the broad language of FIRRMA, it is highly likely that CFIUS’ role in reviewing foreign investment in the United States will increase. In particular, CFIUS will be getting involved in reviews of more types of transactions involving more types of industries, including industries such as health, finance, and retail, in which personal information or information transfer could occur as a result of the proposed transaction.

According to Spitzer, there are four distinct levels of happiness that both individuals and organizations must understand to assist them in pursuing excellence.

For a legal-minded numbers guy like Alasdair Moodie, Thermo Fisher Scientific’s vice president and general counsel of Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), he knew that the chances of receiving the honour were slim. But for the multiple colleagues and peers who nominated him, it wasn’t a surprise when he did.

Rose Marie Glazer, vice president, deputy general counsel, and corporate secretary of American International Group (AIG), has some advice for in-house counsel who may not always be invited to executive table: invite yourself. And for those who aspire to advanced roles within (or outside of) the legal department, she says to have a plan, but to also embrace the twists and turns that life will undoubtedly throw your way.

Participating on panels of fellow legal professionals is another superb way to share what you’ve learned, exchange experiences with your peers, and increase your visibility among your professional contacts. Before seeking to become a serial panelist, however, you should consider taking a number of steps to ensure that you are successful in this effort.

It was a comfortable spring day on March 23, 2017, when Yibing Mao, Marriott's chief legal counsel for Asia Pacific, walked into the retro-chic China Club.

Given the magnitude of the recent jurisdictional changes, all in-house business and litigation counsel — in corporations large and small, foreign and domestic — can benefit from learning about the new jurisdictional world the Court has created, why it is important, and what future developments might be in store.

Eleanor Lacey looks to impact her company in more ways than just legal. She considers herself a strong advocate for family friendly policies. After working in-house for over 30 years, she reflected on why she loves being a general counsel.

Today, Allison Despard is the general counsel of labor and employment in the Asia Pacific region for Honeywell International, Inc., an American conglomerate that produces all kinds of products — from home thermostats to fluorine chemicals to turbo engines — and sells them to individuals, governments, and large corporations.

As more companies look to expand overseas, more global GCs confront tougher decisions for how to manage expansion while mitigating risk.

Given the significant financial benefits tempting whistleblowers, and the knowledge that a whistleblower could thwart the benefits of cooperation, companies are increasingly incentivized to self-report violations of the law.

Not having a government investigation end in a tragedy is largely contingent on planning, preparing, and executing a plan of action. In-house and outside counsel must have a cohesive objective and should work together to set the stage well before the investigators appear on the scene.

In-house counsel can greatly improve the arbitration process by providing a broader scope of review than allowed domestically by the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) (and many similar state statutes), or internationally by the New York Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.

The solutions to cross-border legal problems do not always lie with seeking legal relief. Rather, one needs to think multidimensionally about the legal challenges that global organizations face, and also holistically about potential solutions — which may not be legally driven at all.

The gray areas, and navigating through them, are what Patrick Kong finds most interesting about his job. As general counsel and head of compliance for Chubb, the world’s largest publicly traded insurer, he is constantly looking for gray areas and figuring out the best way forward.

When an organization is blind to where its data resides and what is in it, it becomes impossible both to meet preservation obligations and comply with GDPR’s guidelines to protect and delete sensitive data. By understanding the full scope of the data, counsel can begin to assess the legal requirements involved with it.

When Ellis joined CP in 2015, he was told that the world he was about enter was fast-paced, exciting, and, most importantly, efficient. Under Harrison’s leadership, the company’s corporate culture prioritized answering to its shareholders, cutting extraneous clutter, and paving a clear pathway to success.

If you ask Chan about his legal career, he will tell you that his journey from firm to global in-house counsel was a result of “jumping at the opportunity.”

Raj Barot has studied, worked, and lived all over the world. Currently managing director and general counsel at Agile Counsel, Barot has spent the majority of the last 10 years working and living in Singapore, Bangkok, and Mumbai. However, if you ask him where he's from, the lawyer/entrepreneur will claim the San Francisco Bay Area as home.

A day in the life of Edward T. Paulis III, VP & Assistant General Counsel at Zurich North America in Owings Mills, Maryland.