Evan Slavitt
VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL FOR BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS
AVX CORPORATION
FOUNTAIN INN, SC, USA
2015 COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE
COMMITTEE AFFILIATION: LITIGATION
What influenced you to join the Association of Corporate Counsel?
I was in private practice for about 20 years before I moved in-house. I knew I would have to develop whole new skillsets very quickly, not to mention the cultural adjustment. ACC seemed a natural place for resources, education, and to make connections with other in-house attorneys. In fact, of all the professional organizations I have joined, ACC has not only been the most valuable, it has been the most congenial.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career thus far?
I have never been bored. There is always something interesting to do or something new to learn. I have never regretted my career choice. Where else can you find a profession that not only has such a long history — Cicero was making arguments that still ring true when physicians were bleeding patients to adjust their humors — but which still has to respond to new issues all the time? Just last year the Litigation Committee issued a questionnaire and guide for law firm cybersecurity — a concept that did not even exist when I graduated from law school.
What ACC resources have been the most beneficial to you?
I always read the Docket (although, in fairness, I note that I write for it too). Probably the most directly relevant are the InfoPAKs or the Top Ten lists to get my arms around a problem that I have not faced before. I also always go to the Annual Meeting, not just to get CLEs but to meet colleagues from all over.
What is the most interesting aspect of working for AVX Corporation?
There is always variety. I face issues from around the globe every day. Just as important, I not only solve legal issues, I can be a counselor and teacher to help others do their jobs better. And I never, ever have to do marketing ever again.
What are the biggest challenges in-house attorneys will face in the coming years?
Our roles keep getting more difficult without necessarily an increase in resources to do the work. When I started, for example, there were no IPRs (inter partes reviews) in the US Patent Office — they simply didn’t exist. Now I have to analyze and track quite a few. Similarly, conflict minerals disclosures have developed as an entire area since I moved in-house.
You were nominated for Committee Member of the Year last year. Tell us about your contributions and accomplishments in service to the Litigation Committee.
I have been a bit of a hummingbird. I started out doing advocacy issues then moved to publications. I have done some educational programs at the Annual Meeting including the program on GM and the Valukas Report in 2015. Also, as I mentioned, I worked on the "Law Firm Cybersecurity: Questionnaire and Guide" (available on our committee page), which I think is a really valuable resource for all in-house counsel. This year I have contributed to the revitalized blog and will be revising an InfoPAK that was originally issued a few years ago.
