Just Say No to Management?

• Posted by Geoffrey G. Gussis on March 4th, 2005


• Filed in Careers (In-house Jobs), News

The International Bar Association’s corporate counsel forum in Amsterdam is focusing new attention on the increasing power of inhouse counsel to "just say no" to management, according to an article by Sophie Evans in the Legal Director.  Sophie includes an interesting quote by Beat Hess, the General Counsel of Shell:

"Looking back over a decade’s changes, Hess said that what has changed the most is his ability to say ‘no’. "Ten years ago, I did not have the freedom to say ‘I will not go along with that’ when I was convinced that a top manager was wrong," Hess said. "Today, I feel I have that freedom. The general counsel is probably more respected by top management nowadays and everyone is more sensitive to what the lawyer has to say."

Are you thinking what we’re thinking? Why don’t we get to go to conferences in Amsterdam?