I’m of an age where I form part of a group of lawyers who elected to pursue careers in-house from the outside. I had failed to complete a chemical engineering course so I had a very clear purpose in studying law: I wanted to work in-house. I identified a couple of industries I thought should grow so I might surf that wave.

I started out in pharma in the late ‘70s, which was immensely enjoyable. I grew a love of complex businesses – global, multinational businesses. They provide rich opportunities for lawyers in a variety of areas – commercial, corporate, M&A. That is the theme I followed throughout my career. Continue reading “Perspectives: Philip Bramwell, BAE Systems”

Richard Tapp argues that GCs can define their companies like never before.

‘So, what do you do?’ A straightforward question – in my case asked by a new chairman, clearly expecting a simple answer. But, for any in-house lawyer, where to start? Do you talk about your legal specialism? About the business risks that you identify and manage? About the way you provide and source legal advice? Or that you keep your chairman out of jail? Continue reading “The best seat in the house: the unique role of the modern GC”

Stefan Stern argues these days a legal defence alone can prove no defence.

Last month the 67th annual oil and gas conference was held by the Center for American and International Law in Houston. Lucky delegates got to hear from a special guest speaker – CFO magazine’s chief financial officer of the year, 2000. The speaker displayed the trophy he had received for his work, and then held up another item – a red prison ID card. He had been given both these things, he remarked, for the same activity – doing deals for Enron, the collapsed energy company. Continue reading “Just remember, GCs, Enron thought it was all perfectly legal”

Paul Gilbert argues too many corporate counsel fail to seize the risk agenda.

Barclays, Volkswagen and Tesco are three massive businesses in three significant, sophisticated and important business sectors. Each one of these successful and long-lived businesses has access to significant in-house legal expertise, each is capable of paying for the best legal advice money can buy, each has invested heavily in risk management. And all of them are now paying the price for poor decisions made by some senior people behaving badly, very badly. Continue reading “GCs have scraped a seat at the table but too many are wasting the opportunity”

With this issue of The In-House Lawyer we are unveiling a total overhaul of the magazine first launched over 20 years ago. The title, the first dedicated to the UK’s expanding community of corporate counsel, has long been an important part of the stable of our parent company Legalease, which is committed to expanding its links with general counsel. But IHL was in need of investment and a thorough re-imagining if it was to remain a magazine worthy of the modern in-house counsel. Continue reading “A title fit for the modern GC”