http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/gcc_articlearchive.php General Counsel Consulting Articles Section en-us © 2007 General Counsel Consulting. All rights reserved. admin@gcconsulting.com(General Counsel Consulting) admin@gcconsulting.com Monday, 16 April 2007 07:38:07 EDT ARTICLES http://www.gcconsulting.com/rssfeed/gccrssfeedarticle.xml 60 http://www.gcconsulting.com/images/logo.gif http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/gcc_articlearchive.php On Monday, April 16, Michael Brizel joined the Saks, Inc., team, and on May 7, he will begin his new duties as the company's general counsel and executive vice president. The former general counsel and senior vice president for Reader's Digest, Brizel will be taking the place of Charles Hansen at the company, which is most recognized for its Saks Fifth Avenue department stores. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120169&cat=125 gcc60 Monday, 16 April 2007 07:38:07 EDT When Angela Williams was in the 11th grade, she had her career goals narrowed down to two options: she was either going to be a professional musician or an attorney. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120166&cat=125 gcc59 Monday, 09 April 2007 07:38:07 EDT While working for his family's business, Paul Barringer made the decision to enter the legal profession. His motivations sprang more from a sense of practicality and necessity than from any deep aspirations to become a lawyer. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120164&cat=125 gcc58 Monday, 02 April 2007 07:38:07 EDT Douglas J. Wood is an attorney who knows how to maximize his skills. In addition to being a partner at Reed Smith, LLP, and chairman of its advertising, technology, and media group, he's general counsel for three different organizations: the Association of National Advertisers, Inc., the Advertising Research Foundation, and the Advertising Council. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120160&cat=125 gcc57 Monday, 26 March 2007 07:38:07 EDT After working at two law firms, Megan Muir became interested in working in-house because she wanted to "learn more about the business and operational side of my client." http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120157&cat=125 gcc56 Monday, 19 March 2007 07:38:07 EDT Georgia Yuan was working as a project geologist for the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco when she first considered a career in law. She said that the environmental lawyers with whom she worked piqued her interest in the legal field. However, it wasn't until she and her husband relocated to Pullman, WA, a few years later that she took action and entered law school. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120155&cat=125 gcc55 Monday, 12 March 2007 07:38:07 EDT When Ian Thompson joined SeaMobile as general counsel last year, he had an extensive and variegated work history. In addition to practicing law at several different firms, he had also worked as a paralegal/legislative analyst and as a sales representative and assistant winemaker for a winery. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120151&cat=125 gcc54 Monday, 05 March 2007 07:38:07 EDT Stephen Martin believes that a successful general counsel needs to have the ability to think outside the box and to be proactive. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120146&cat=125 gcc53 Monday, 19 Feb 2007 07:38:07 EDT Lorraine Koc has spent almost her entire legal career working in-house. For more than 20 years, she has served as General Counsel for Deb Shops, Inc., a national retail clothing chain for teenage and pre-teen girls. Koc decided early on that building an in-house career would be more satisfying than working at a law firm; she left prominent law firm Fox Rothschild, LLP, in 1985—after working there for only two years—to join Deb Shops. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120143&cat=125 gcc52 Monday, 12 Feb 2007 07:38:07 EDT While in high school, Richard T. Hills decided to follow family tradition and go into law. His father, Richard A. Hills, Jr., is General Counsel for MidCountry Financial Corporation based in Macon, GA, and several other members of his family are also lawyers. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120140&cat=125 gcc51 Monday, 05 Feb 2007 07:38:07 EDT When he was a law student at Brooklyn Law School, Gil Goldschein never aspired to work at a big law firm and one day make partner. Instead, he wanted a legal career that would allow him to be more directly involved in the company he represented and have more of a firsthand perspective on the matters he handled. And a career as an in-house counsel seemed to fit the bill. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120137&cat=125 gcc50 Monday, 29 Jan 2007 07:38:07 EDT Like many other young boys, Lewis Shender had big career plans set for himself when he was in grammar school. In addition to wanting to be a Major League Baseball player, a rock star, and a professional racecar driver, among other common career dreams of young males, Shender also aspired to be a lawyer. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120134&cat=125 gcc49 Monday, 22 Jan 2007 07:38:07 EDT A passion for justice compelled Jeff Kerr to enter the legal field, and that same passion ultimately led him to become a champion for animal rights. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120131&cat=125 gcc48 Monday, 15 Jan 2007 07:38:07 EDT As an undergrad studying history at Brown University, Thomas Dorer decided that he wanted a career in law, but not just any type of law. He specifically wanted to practice higher-education law. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120128&cat=125 gcc47 Monday, 08 Jan 2007 07:38:07 EDT It was not Wayne Lovett's dream to become a lawyer. In fact, one might say he fell into the profession by accident. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120123&cat=125 gcc46 Monday, 25 Dec 2006 07:38:07 EDT With about 1 million practicing attorneys in the United States, it is often argued that there are too many lawyers. However, according to one attorney, quality is more important than quantity. "We don't have enough good lawyers," said David Williams, Vice Chancellor, General Counsel, and Secretary of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120120&cat=125 gcc45 Monday, 18 Dec 2006 07:38:07 EDT Marvin Krislov grew up in the 1970s, a time when social activists challenged the government and, consequently, influenced social and political change. After witnessing the civil rights movement firsthand, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in law. "Law can be an instrument in bringing about social change and greater opportunity for all people," said Krislov, who is now Vice President, General Counsel, and Adjunct Law Professor at the University of Michigan. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120117&cat=125 gcc44 Monday, 11 Dec 2006 07:38:07 EDT It is Sunday night, and tomorrow is the start of another long workweek. Has the weekend once again gone by too quickly, or are you excited about getting back to the office? http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120115&cat=125 gcc43 Monday, 04 Dec 2006 07:38:07 EDT Lawrence Schauf, who started his first job when he was just 12 years old, has worked hard his entire life. His drive and determination have ultimately paid off because he is now the Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Jack in the Box, a fast food hamburger chain. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120110&cat=125 gcc42 Monday, 27 Nov 2006 07:38:07 EDT Whether you're job hunting or happily employed, it's always a good idea to talk with legal recruiters, said Rosland McLeod, Vice President, General Counsel, Ethics and Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary for Novation, Inc. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120107&cat=125 gcc41 Monday, 20 Nov 2006 07:38:07 EDT Television isn't always a bad influence on kids. Just look at Thomas Mills, who credits television shows about lawyers, like Perry Mason, for steering him toward the right career path. Today, Mills is the General Counsel of both the New Mexico Tourism Department and the New Mexico Economic Development Department. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120103&cat=125 gcc40 Monday, 13 Nov 2006 07:38:07 EDT Ms. Getzels is general counsel for the Art Institute of Chicago. As such, she handles all of the legal work for the institute's museum and school, including art acquisitions, copyright questions, employee issues, nonprofit tax matters and the legalities of the museum's new building project. A 1985 graduate of Harvard Law School, her official title is Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. One of the perks of her job is being surrounded by great works of art. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120042&cat=125 gcc39 Saturday, 02 Nov 2006 07:38:07 EDT Through his experience in leading roles both in private practice (at Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly) and in an in-house environment (at Ceridian Corporation), Gary Nelson has several different perspectives on what the practice of law can offer. He shares them with LawCrossing this week, offering candid answers about the different positions he has held, the effects of Sarbanes-Oxley on his current job and his rise to success. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120045&cat=125 gcc39 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Look no further than the complicated, costly process involved with developing a new drug, biologic, or medical device to understand why life science law practices are growing. According to a December 2004 Standard & Poor's Industry Survey on Biotechnology, creating a single new drug often requires researching and reviewing more than 10,000 substances. The report also estimated that on average, it takes 10-15 years to refine, test, develop, and shepherd that new drug through a labyrinthine regulatory process. And at what cost? Companies should plan on spending $897,000,000. That's right-897 million dollars. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120043&cat=125 gcc39 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Mike Gibbs probably never imagined he would be asking, "Do you want fries with that?" his first day on the job as an in-house attorney. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120042&cat=125 gcc39 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT The purpose of this article is to provide you with insight as to whether or not you should go in-house. Many attorneys claim that going in-house was their best career move. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120024&cat=125 gcc39 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Are you more cut out for practicing in a law firm or a corporation? We talked to corporate in-house attorneys from various companies across the country to see what they thought their line of work had to offer that law firm life didn't. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120026&cat=125 gcc38 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT One of the misunderstood facets of the legal-recruiting industry is the following: You have many options when choosing a legal recruiter (not just the one that cold-called you), and how well you work with your legal recruiter will directly influence how successful the legal recruiter is in working with you. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120025&cat=125 gcc37 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT When a company hires its first in-house attorney, an array of business practices are subjected to legal review for the first time. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120022&cat=125 gcc36 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Needing to pick up her child from daycare, a female attorney places a full cup of coffee on her desk, leaves the lights on, pretends to visit the ladies' room, and then sneaks down five flights of stairs to her car, where she has purposely left her purse to help speed a swift getaway that enables her to avoid being seen by her supervisors. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120023&cat=125 gcc35 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT One of the attractions of going in-house is that the corporation will likely call upon you to give advice about matters involving both legal and business issues. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120020&cat=125 gcc34 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Accepting mediocrity in yourself is the only real way to achieve balance in your life. If you are a lawyer in private practice and you want to practice law while raising a family, then you need to be a mediocre lawyer. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120019&cat=125 gcc33 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Traditionally, many smaller and earlier-stage companies have met their legal needs by retaining outside law firms. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120018&cat=125 gcc32 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Last year, I attended a workshop on stress management for lawyers. At the session, the presenter relayed the following anecdote. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120017&cat=125 gcc31 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Once upon a time, a law school graduate could join a firm right out of school, work hard for several years, do great legal work, and expect to become a partner at the same firm. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120016&cat=125 gcc30 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT You have spent the last few months updating your resume, working with your search consultant, evaluating companies, and interviewing. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120015&cat=125 gcc29 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Look no further than the complicated, costly process involved with developing a new drug, biologic, or medical device to understand why life science law practices are growing. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120014&cat=125 gcc28 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Individualism is deeply ingrained in the culture of the United States. We live in a country where anyone can make it if he/she works hard enough. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120013&cat=125 gcc27 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT If you believe what you read in the popular and legal press, career satisfaction is woefully lacking for most attorneys. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120012&cat=125 gcc26 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Several years ago, I was brokering salary negotiations for an in-house position. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120011&cat=125 gcc25 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Corporate Counsel's recent report on the job satisfaction of in-house lawyers highlights the lack of opportunity for advancement within most corporate legal departments. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120010&cat=125 gcc24 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT If you practice law in a corporate environment, you know that finding the right balance between your professional and personal lives is no easy task. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120001&cat=125 gcc23 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Corporate Governance Issues Have Benefited From High-Profile Business Scandals And Mismanagement That Have Made Enron Corp. And Worldcom Inc. Front-Page News http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120009&cat=125 gcc22 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT For many attorneys, life in the profession can seem pretty solitary. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120008&cat=125 gcc21 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT "Can you be trusted?" Beyond any other single question-regardless of how motivated you are, where you went to law school, or your work history-if you slip up on an issue of credibility, you might as well forget about a successful career in the law. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120007&cat=125 gcc20 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Corporate America is at a crossroads. Revenue is increasing. Profits are up. The world economy is creating potentially huge new markets. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120006&cat=125 gcc19 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT In every organization, there are people who are positive forces that lead, inspire, and build and others who are negative forces that criticize, depress, and tear down. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120004&cat=125 gcc18 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT For more than 10 years, Danielle worked in the in-house legal department of a prominent high-tech company. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120003&cat=125 gcc17 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT In 2000, Linda Kline of New England Legal Search and Bob Licht, Vice President and General Counsel of Homeruns.com, launched the 2000/2001 Sandwich Hub series with a terrific overview of the pros and cons of in-house legal careers. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120002&cat=125 gcc16 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Networking is a powerful tool that anyone can master. Networking is not rocket science. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120038&cat=125 gcc15 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT As a legal recruiter, I spend my days speaking to lawyers about their job transitions and speaking to law firms about my candidates' credentials. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120039&cat=125 gcc14 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Cover letters are a necessary evil in all job searches-a necessary and critical evil. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120037&cat=125 gcc13 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Men are more ready to repay an injury than a benefit, because gratitude is a burden and revenge a pleasure. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120036&cat=125 gcc12 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Numerous books have been written about resumes, and many career professionals will try to convince you that there are hard-and-fast rules about proper resume drafting. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120040&cat=125 gcc11 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT The primary purpose of an interview is for an employer to measure how well you will fit into the organization. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120041&cat=125 gcc10 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT On many antiquarian maps, there is a simple, chilling statement scrawled at the edge of the known world: "Here be monsters." http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120034&cat=125 gcc9 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT A good resume is an extremely important tool in the job-search process. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120033&cat=125 gcc8 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT You just had a good interview. In fact, it was great! You really connected with the people that you met. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120032&cat=125 gcc7 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Daniel Smart was having a difficult time with his job search. Dan (whose name has been changed for this article) had an impressive resume. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120031&cat=125 gcc6 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT One thing that most lawyers have in common is that they don't want to be lawyers. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120029&cat=125 gcc5 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT If you are like most people, you will be excited when a legal employer extends you an offer for a job. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120028&cat=125 gcc4 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT I spend a lot of my professional time giving out advice about networking. I frequently talk to experienced lawyers about using networking as a business-development tool. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120027&cat=125 gcc3 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT We regularly read and hear that "jobs for life" are disappearing, to be replaced by a pattern of consecutive jobs and unpredictable career dislocations. When the time comes to face such a change on a personal level, these statistics take on a whole new meaning. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120030&cat=125 gcc2 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT Attorneys often forget the importance of a first impression. As a law student, you are groomed for first impressions during the on-campus interview process. But somewhere between the time you land your first job and the time you start looking for your next, attorneys often overlook the significance of their resumes, which is the first impression a prospective employer gets of you. http://www.gcconsulting.com/articles/index.php?id=120041&cat=125 gcc1 Friday, 11 Aug 2006 07:38:07 EDT