In-house Counsel

Toyota Proclaims Victory, Says Arbitrator Ruled Ex-Counsel Must Pay $2.6M for Whistle-Blowing

A former in-house lawyer for Toyota Motor Corp. has been ordered by an arbitrator to pay the automaker $2.5 million plus $100,000 in punitive damages for publicly revealing confidential information, according to a company press release. Although attorney Dimitrios Biller portrayed himself as a whistle-blower informing the public about his…

Jan 5, 2011 9:59 PM CST

Onetime BigLaw Partner, Now In-House, Was Aided by Teen Son in ‘Torture’ of Reviewing Time Entries

When he was a partner at a large law firm, Mark Hermann took seriously the job of reviewing attorney time entries before sending out the bills to his clients. But after a solo session at a local coffee shop, he was ready to stick toothpicks into his eyes after several…

Jan 3, 2011 5:26 PM CST

King & Spalding Advised Ex-Glaxo Lawyer Charged With Obstruction, Defense Filing Says

A former lawyer for GlaxoSmithKline Plc now facing an obstruction case is seeking information in discovery from a well-known law firm that advised her on her employer’s behalf, according to a defense filing. But as lawyers for Lauren Stevens apparently prepare an advice-of-counsel defense, the government is arguing that the…

Dec 22, 2010 12:03 AM CST

Former Alito Clerk May Be First In-House Lawyer to Argue ‘Orphan Position’ in High Court

Over the years, the U.S. Supreme Court has appointed 42 lawyers to argue positions abandoned by the parties, and only one, apparently, has been an in-house lawyer. He’s Adam Ciongoli, the general counsel of a large insurance company, and he argued the case last week, the New York Times reports.…

Dec 15, 2010 12:00 PM CST

GCs Disclose Sticking Points to Alternative Fees

A new survey has found alternative fee arrangements are being discussed more often, but comments by some general counsel indicated there are several sticking points to such arrangements. The survey by the Association of Corporate Counsel and the American Lawyer found a disconnect between the percentage of law firms that…

Dec 3, 2010 4:05 PM CST

Survey Editor Says Lower In-House Pay Hikes Are ‘the New Norm’

Pay increases for in-house counsel averaged 2.6 percent in the year ending in March, setting a “new norm,” according to the editor of the survey data. The newly released figures show the average base salary across all in-house job levels was $174,000, Corporate Counsel reports. The numbers come from the…

Nov 12, 2010 3:32 PM CST

Ex-Glaxo Lawyer’s Defense in Criminal Case Raises Tricky Privilege Issues for Company, Experts Say

A retired in-house lawyer’s announced intent to rely on claimed legal advice from outside counsel in defending against criminal accusations of wrongdoing concerning her work at GlaxoSmithKline raises tricky privilege issues for the company, experts say. On the one hand, if former vice president and associate general counsel Lauren Stevens…

Nov 11, 2010 5:17 PM CST

Onetime Top In-House Lawyer Faces Charges Over Drugs Allegedly Found in Under-Desk Safe

Two years after a raid by federal agents of a Minnesota company allegedly revealed cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamine to be in the under-desk safe of its chief legal counsel, felony drug charges have been brought against attorney David Baer, 37. Baer was not implicated in the Ponzi scheme at Petters…

Nov 10, 2010 11:04 PM CST

Pfizer GC Offers Tips to Women Lawyers: Don’t Worry About Being Perfect, and Have Fun

Women lawyers tend to think they need to be perfect, and, in contrast to their male colleagues, they are often overly critical of themselves. But mistakes are inevitable, and it’s important to be able to learn from them and move on without agonizing, says Amy Schulman, senior vice president and…

Nov 10, 2010 8:11 PM CST

In-House Counsel in NY Shouldn’t Have to Pass State Bar Exam, Bar Group Says

In-house lawyers with a “continuous presence” in the state of New York shouldn’t be required to pass the state bar exam, according to the New York State Bar Association. Bar leaders have asked the state’s top court to drop the exam requirement but to require payment of the $375 lawyer…

Nov 10, 2010 1:52 PM CST

Former Glaxo In-House Lawyer Charged with Obstruction, False Statements

Updated: A former associate general counsel at GlaxoSmithKline has been charged with obstruction and making false statements during a probe into the promotion of a prescription drug. The lawyer, Lauren Stevens, has retired from the company, a Glaxo spokeswoman told the Boston Business Journal. Stevens is accused in a federal…

Nov 9, 2010 5:14 PM CST

Lawyers Have Incredible Lack of Interest in Changing Legal Marketplace

Editor’s note: The New Normal is an ongoing discussion between Paul Lippe, the CEO of Legal OnRamp, and Patrick Lamb, founding member of Valorem Law Group. Paul and Pat spend a lot of time thinking, writing and speaking about the changes occurring in the delivery of legal services. We hope…

Nov 9, 2010 2:17 PM CST

Book Sets Bizarre BofA Scene: GC Fired Over Pay Fuss; Lawyer Tells New Boss, You’re My 3rd GC Today

Some think of top in-house lawyers as masters of the universe, but a new book may help disabuse them of that notion. Written by Financial Times correspondent Greg Farrell, it contends that a former Bank of America Corp. general counsel, Tim Mayopoulos, was fired because he carped that those in…

Nov 5, 2010 6:59 PM CDT

Nestle Fired Law Firm Over Poached Secretary Incident

A word of advice to law firms: Don’t steal secretaries from your clients. And keep your yacht plans to yourself. Those kind of mistakes proved fatal for a law firm that once worked for Nestle, general counsel Richard Anderson revealed at an Australian legal conference. Lawyers Weekly has the story.…

Oct 28, 2010 4:20 PM CDT

Law Departments Will Be Able to Post and Peek at Others’ Data

Most law departments measure metrics such as outside legal expenses and legal spending as a percentage of revenue, but few know how their stats measure up against others. Only 24 percent of law departments report that they have the ability to compare their performance against others, according to preliminary results…

Oct 28, 2010 3:47 PM CDT