If you could push your way past the real and imaginary
guitars, you would have found yourself in the heart of
"country," Nashville. That's where the Section
of Business Law got together for its Spring Meeting
right around April Fool's Day. No, that's not a
statement about value, just about the calendar.
There was real, lawyerly value during those days
in Tennessee. Almost 1,700 business lawyers found it
hard to leave the building with all that CLE, assorted
practice tips and networking opps floating
around.
So let's let the good times roll, or at least the solid
advice and commentary — one note at a time:
"Lawyers are sales people, but we were not told
that in law school." A member of the audience at
"Collateral careers that collide into greatness:
The business lawyer as an entrepreneur."
"Work real hard to get client contact. You have to
make yourself more valuable than a gnome who just
completes an assignment." Larry Papel, Nashville,
Tenn., at the program: "Meet the managing partner,
the hiring partner and the general
counsel."
"The major law firms are still the main training
ground for new lawyers. From an in-house perspective, I
haven't hired anyone just out of law school." Karl
Ege, Tacoma, Wash., at the program: "Meet the
managing partner, the hiring partner and the general
counsel."
So how do in-house counsel spend a lot of their time
these days? Employee strife. "What is it about the
workplace that makes you want to offend your co-
worker?" Richard Jones, Atlanta, at the program:
"Hottest topics facing corporate counsel
today."
"I don't know of a single corporation today that
uses just one (outside) law firm to do all of its
work." Karl Ege.
"When you don't have lawyers involved, you tend to
have looser record keeping." John Grossbauer,
Wilmington, Del., at "So your CEO wants a raise
— developing standards for setting executive
compensation."
"Board members' memories tend to be pretty short
because this isn't a full-time job. The worst thing that
can happen is that something comes out in the newspapers
before the compensation committee knows about it."
Donald Delves, Chicago, at the program, "So your
CEO wants a raise — developing standards for
setting executive compensation."
"You should worry about courts second-
guessing you" and you should keep records with that
in mind. Myron Steele, chief justice of the Delaware
Supreme Court, at "So your CEO wants a raise
— developing standards for setting executive
compensation."
"I revel using my old law firm as my lawyers. I
don't want to do what they do, but I need them to help
me" with my new business. John Bailey, Nashville,
Tenn., at "Collateral careers that collide into
greatness: The business lawyer as an
entrepreneur."
"Law rewards contentiousness at some level and I'm
not a contentious person" — thus my new
career. Andrew Branham, Memphis, Tenn., at
"Collateral careers that collide into greatness:
The business lawyer as an entrepreneur."
"One of the poorest things that law schools do for
us is helping us understand that a law degree can be
used for lots of different things." John Bailey,
Nashville, Tenn., at "Collateral careers that
collide into greatness: The business lawyer as an
entrepreneur."
"When you see something, like a new career, that's
going to be exciting and maybe a little fun, go with
it." Annie Clement, Dania Beach, Fla., at
"Collateral careers that collide into greatness:
The business lawyer as an entrepreneur."
No foolin': words you might live by. Thank you. Thank
you very much.
DeLong is editor of Business Law
Today.
|
