Message from the Chairs

Welcome. A single word that can have tremendous impact or be tossed around as an afterthought. So why do I begin my message to you with this word? Well, quite simply, because I believe one of the Committee on Corporate Counsel’s greatest goals and strengths is its very sincere desire to welcome everybody as a member, from the newly minted attorney to the grizzled veteran and from the mid-level partner at the biggest law firm to the lone attorney of a small privately held corporation. You are all welcome to be a part of our Committee.

Over my 19 years of practice, I have had the good fortune to participate in several bar associations and attend quite a few CLEs and events. There is nothing quite like being a newcomer or “newbie” to these groups and events. It can unnerve even the most confident socialite to walk amongst a group of strangers, especially lawyers and especially if you have an unusual name as I do. Here is how it typically goes:

“Hi, my name is Hob.”

“Welcome to the meeting, Bob.”

“No, it’s Hob with an H.”

Pause. “Great Bob.”

“Actually, it’s Hob.”

“Well, that is a funny name.”

“It’s a nickname.”

“Oh, is it short for Hobbit? I just loved that book, but you don’t really look like a hobbit” [as he chuckles thinking that I have never heard such a line.]

[Gee, I think to myself, do you see me criticizing or making fun of the name your parents gave you??]

The conversation continues:

“Well I see on your name tag that you work for Knightsbridge Holdings.”

“No, its Kingsbridge Holdings, we are an equipment leasing company in the Chicago area.”

“Oh [pause] well that’s nice. Chicago is a great town, the Windy City; I once tried one of the biggest class action cases ever in Chicago. Do you know Ritchie Daley?”

“Not personally.”

“Well, I got to depose him and blah blah blah.”

After several minutes of this “welcome,” I politely excuse myself, make a bee line to the bar for another beer or, if I’m lucky, a shot of premium tequila, muttering to myself that it is no wonder lawyers are so loved.

So aren’t the ABA Section of Litigation and the Committee on Corporate Counsel filled with these same “welcoming” lawyers more intent on sharing stories about themselves than learning about others or inviting others to get involved? With over seventy thousand members in the Section and over a thousand members in the Committee, I would think that there are some that do not epitomize the best of social graces, charm and an interest in bringing in newcomers. But I can say with confidence that those members are the exception and I would be hard pressed to name even one.

My own history with our Committee may not be typical, but I do think it demonstrates the welcoming nature of our group. About seven years ago, I left my partnership at a large law firm and went in-house. Shortly after assuming this new position, I decided to attend the Committee on Corporate Counsel’s CLE. The programs offered looked interesting and, candidly, the prospect of a few days in Rancho Mirage, California during the month of February looked pretty nice from my Chicago vantage point. If the people are jerks, I thought, I can just attend the programs and scurry off to the pool for some rest and relaxation. So off I went, a newbie again, prepared to engage in the usual banter about my name.

The opening reception was filled with a bunch of lawyers, both in-house and outside counsel, laughing and carrying on as if they actually were friends. Oh great, I thought; now I really feel like an outsider. Yet, something was different. Sure, there was some of the discourse about my name, but unlike so many other CLEs and bar groups, the people I talked to actually wanted to know about me, my practice and my company. Four days later I was invited to get involved in one of the subcommittees, the next year I was a panelist on a program, the next year I was a Subcommittee Chair, then a meeting Chair, Vice Chair and now Co-Chair of the Committee. I can say without hesitation that the reason I got so involved was because I was made to feel welcome from the beginning as a professional and soon thereafter as a friend. Indeed, I have found that same welcome in the Section as a whole, but I am slightly biased in my view of our Committee.

Reflecting back on another wonderful CLE this past February in chilly Amelia Island, Florida, I am proud to say that one of the most memorable parts of the meeting was the opportunity I had to welcome many first-time attendees. We did not have first-time attendee ribbons or stickers and maybe this is something we should do in the future. But we did have the desire to welcome these new folks and I took great pleasure in seeking them out. This year these first-time attendees may have been strangers but I am confident that over the next few years many of these folks will be friends and the future leaders of this Committee and, perhaps, the Section.

So welcome to the ABA’s Section of Litigation, welcome to our Committee, welcome to this website and whether you are new to our group or have been around since its inception, please let me or my Co-Chairs, Yuri Mikulka and Robert Simpson, know what we can do better to assure you feel like you belong.

And oh, by the way, Hob is short for Horace.

Yuri Mikulka
Tracey Salmon-Smith
Robert Simpson
Co-Chairs, Committee on Corporate Counsel