In-House Counsel

Best In-House Legal Departments (2015)

Which are the best in-house departments this year?

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For many young Biglaw attorneys stuck in high-pressure jobs they’re starting to realize that they hate, the notion of moving on to an in-house job shimmers like an oasis in the distance. The mythos built up around the transition is unrealistic, but hope springs eternal with legend trumpeting all aspects of in-house life as better, sweeter, and more engaging. Actual in-house lawyers know that reality falls short of these dreams, but are often able to find rewarding careers.

Yet not all in-house legal departments are created equal. Corporate Counsel has come up with their list of the best legal departments. The honorees are:

* Wikimedia Foundation — Yup, a non-profit made the list! This department is lauded for its dedication to the community of writers, photographers, and volunteers that work together to create the Wikimedia online properties. The Wikimedia Foundation’s mission is “to empower and engage people around the world to collect and develop educational content under a free license or in the public domain, and to disseminate it effectively and globally.” And that mission is at the center of all the legal department’s work. The team’s work is compared, favorably, by the Wikimedia executive director to snipers.

The WMF’s executive director, Lila Tretikov, puts it this way: “You can have an army of soldiers, or you can have a team of snipers. They’re a team of snipers.”

* Office Depot — This legal department has successfully navigated the potentially hazardous waters following a merger with former rival Officemax. Under the leadership of General Counsel Elisa Garcia, the merger cleared the FTC and the work of making two companies one could begin.

“Elisa is courageous, smart, honest and definitely not intimidated,” says Roland Smith, who became Office Depot’s CEO in late 2013. “I trust her implicitly, and it is because of her department that this merger was executed faster and more successfully than anyone had ever imagined.”

The department is also dedicated to providing pro bono legal services to people in need and participates in community service activities. The commitment to these activities remained strong even during the busy merger.

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* Marriott Vacations Worldwide — This is the timeshare spin-off separated from Marriott International in 2011 and has flourished as a department since. Initially, the members of the new company’s legal department found themselves missing the experience of their parent company, but General Counsel James Hunter quickly formed a team with expertise in all the divisions the new company would need. Getting these legal heavyweights on the same team has been a boon for the company, and morale.

“We still embrace the culture and values of Marriott International, which is known for its caring and collaborative environment,” says general counsel James Hunter IV. “If you are a silo kind of person, this is not a good place for you to be.”

* Intel — The technology company obviously needs a cutting-edge legal department, but it also thrives by fostering relationships within the department, in the company, and with outside counsel. The department even has a “proximity team” dedicated to organizing events and pro bono activities. And of course they use technology to help strengthen those relationships.

Intel uses a legal portal that was originally built to focus exclusively on sharing memos and legal information. “We’ve found, somewhat to my surprise, that perhaps the best use of the portal is to help build relationships,” says [General Counsel Steven] Rodgers. For example, an Intel lawyer at one location who needs help drafting a particular document might post a note in the portal, and then another Intel lawyer he or she has never met from a faraway country may immediately volunteer to help out. The portal has also developed into a sort of informal social networking site, where the legal department holds photo contests and facilitates conversations between members.

Congratulations to all the in-house departments recognized!

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Best Legal Departments 2015 [Corporate Counsel]

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