Indispensable Counsel: The Chief Legal Officer in the New Reality
E. Norman Veasey and Christine T. Di Guglielmo
Abstract
Legislation and case law following the relatively recent corporate scandals have increased scrutiny on the ethics and integrity of individuals, and the culture they create, at the highest levels within the corporate structure. The corporate General Counsel (GC) is a key member of that group. This enhanced attention increases the already substantial tensions facing the GC, who must navigate the demands and interests of various corporate stakeholders—including the board of directors, officers (particularly the CEO), stockholders, and employees—while also serving the best interests of the client, ... More
Legislation and case law following the relatively recent corporate scandals have increased scrutiny on the ethics and integrity of individuals, and the culture they create, at the highest levels within the corporate structure. The corporate General Counsel (GC) is a key member of that group. This enhanced attention increases the already substantial tensions facing the GC, who must navigate the demands and interests of various corporate stakeholders—including the board of directors, officers (particularly the CEO), stockholders, and employees—while also serving the best interests of the client, which is—and should only be—the corporation itself. In light of these heightened expectations on ethics, integrity, and other liability concerns, this book examines the key role of the independent, yet business-oriented, chief legal officer. The book provides readers with the foundations of corporate representation followed by practical guidelines on how the multiple roles of GC are, or should be, resolved, with best practices as the goal.
Keywords:
General Counsel,
ethics,
integrity,
liability,
chief legal officer
Bibliographic Information
Print publication date: 2013 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780199315604 |
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: April 2015 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199315604.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
E. Norman Veasey, author
Senior Partner, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Delaware Office), Wilmington, DE, United States
Christine T. Di Guglielmo, author
Associate, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Delaware Office), United States
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