In two recent posts I discuss a conclusion drawn from a recent conference about globalization and its effects on law departments (See my posts of July 13, 2008 and July 27, 2008: is globalization driving the agendas of law departments.). The press release analyzed in the two posts notes that…
“It’s best not to position compliance and ethics people in the law department, says Joseph E. Murphy, counsel at Compliance Systems Legal Group and author of Building a Career in Compliance and Ethics (Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, 2007).” I have felt that one reason for this separation is…
“Over the past few decades, Fortune 500 corporations have increasingly opted to self-insure, with retentions of at least $3 to $5 million per occurrence and often $25 million or more. They look to insurance companies only for coverage of catastrophic events. The insurance industry is not seen as offering cost-effective…
There, I’ve said it. Plain as day. Perhaps that is why the blog has been almost barren of references to the function (See my posts of Oct. 27, 2005: whether workers comp claims were in certain benchmark reports; April 23, 2006: metrics on claims that result in litigation; Jan. 25,…
It is all too easy for the law department to don the mantle of responsibilities that have legal elements, but should be handled by others. This creeping legalization applies to such functions as electronic discovery, compliance, risk management, records management, contract administration, equity awards oversight, workers comp, and ethics. Each…
An article in ACC Docket, Vol. 30, June 2008 at 85, discusses General Electric’s Asia-Pacific legal group. It has about 140 lawyers located in 11 countries as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan. In only three locations do more than 10 lawyers sit in the same building complex “and even…
ACC Docket, Vol. 30, June 2008 at 44, explains how the law department of Starbucks Coffee Company uses paralegals “to perform a significant volume of real estate and intellectual property work.” The company’s global legal department is comprised of approximately 150 “partners,” which is the term the company uses for…
Compliance Week conducted a survey that InsideCounsel, June 2008 at 14, draws on for some metrics. Of the companies that responded, a third (31.7%) had a position called “Chief Compliance Officer.” As to where the “top compliance executive” reports, about a third (34.9%) report to the CEO and one out…
Every now and then we learn of a law department that has expanded rapidly (See my posts of Feb. 19, 2006 #4: Home Depot; Nov. 19, 2005: Google: and Sept. 22, 2005: Wal-Mart.). In the U.S., the law department of Caterpillar has doubled in size, to 179 lawyers, since 2002,…
I am aware of at least six terms for legal specialties within law departments (See my post of May 5, 2008: 30 references to specialists.). (1) Some general counsel refer to core competencies (See my posts of June 4, 2007: nine references to core competencies; and Aug. 5, 2007: clash…