Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1023905
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 30 INHOUSE CATEGORY: Law Department Leadership DEPARTMENT SIZE: Small COMPANY: Coca-Cola Ltd., Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada, and Minute Maid Canada By Jennifer Brown I n the midst of intense change at the busi- ness he serves, Scott Kirkpatrick has em- braced the need for legal to adopt that which can make his team more efficient and valuable to the business clients he serves. From developing talent and keeping an eye on the need for greater diversity of thought in the department to tapping tools such as artificial intelligence and going pa - perless, Kirkpatrick is working every angle to make sure his lean legal team is going in the right direction to stay competitive. In late 2010, the Coca-Cola Company ac - quired numerous North American bottlers including a dozen bottler organizations in Canada. When Kirkpatrick joined Coca- Cola legal in 2011, he was instrumental in leading Coca-Cola Canada on to an inte - grated business path, ultimately resulting in the divestiture of a single unified bottling entity (Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada). Along the way, Kirkpatrick has been chal- lenged to bring together the lawyers in the department and find efficiencies using tech- nology as well as a more streamlined use of external counsel. There are three lawyers, two paralegals and one administrator on the Canadian legal team. "We had three separate legal departments at one time and we really sought to bring the different personalities, talents and strengths together in a unified fashion where we were able to service the clients in a way that was both efficient while at the same time still providing sound legal advice to our clients," says Kirkpatrick, who is general counsel, executive vice president and corporate sec - retary for Coca Cola in Canada. In light of the pending 2018 divestiture, Kirkpatrick led the restructuring of three internal legal departments into one unified department. Dur - ing this time, Kirkpatrick's legal team has increased effi- ciency and productivity in the Canadian business while simultaneously becoming more diverse (84 per cent of the legal department reflects underrepresented groups within the legal profession). Kirkpatrick led Coca-Cola in the use of electronic file management tools to the re - Promoting diversity of team and adoption of technology at Coca Cola Scott Kirkpatrick, general counsel, executive vice president & corporate secretary for Canada PHOTO: RAMESH PURADCHITHASAN