Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your chair this past year; it has been an honor and personally rewarding experience. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge ACC’s dedicated staff for all that they do for us as members and in elevating the in-house bar. Today, ACC represents 45,000-plus members, employed by over 10,000 organizations, in 85 countries. And our network is a vast one with more than 60 chapters and 20 practice area networks.
The legal department should champion and lead innovation in new technologies, offering guidance that projects a path forward toward adoption of new technologies.
Are you aware of the tremendous work that ACC’s advocacy team does on behalf of your in-house practice? You happen to belong to an international association that prioritizes advocacy on public policy that directly affects you and your practice.
Litigation is always a possibility. The best we can do as advisors to our organizations — charged with keeping everyone out of the courtroom — is to prepare for the inevitable.
While the shingle we hang out professionally denotes lawyer, for most of us, our day is shaped by the business we’re in, how they operate, and today’s wider influences. We’re counselors, strategists, and managers for our companies.
Our roles within our companies offer us a unique view of the business, as well as the outside and internal forces that influence it. As in-house counsel, we like challenges and thrive on finding solutions that push our organizations forward.
In law school, we’re often not taught to think about the role of a lawyer as a strategic advisor to our clients. The ESG space is an opportunity to bring our traditional strengths as legal advisors to unconventional new challenges and opportunities.
