19
By Gail J. Cohen
The 14
th
annual InHouse roundtable focuses on the business
advisory role of in-house counsel. From the burgeoning can-
nabis industry to established actuarial and real estate compa-
nies, the five general counsel on this year's panel all say their
jobs are so much more than providers of legal advice or risk
analysis to their companies.
Their real value, they say, is in becoming embedded in the
business and being able to provide a birds-eye view to help
guide the company's decision-making process — no matter
what the size of the legal department.
Companies are recognizing the trend and giving their
GCs a seat at the table.
It's the deep knowledge of the business, ability to liaise
between departments, to translate what their outside legal
advisers might be telling them or being able to spot poten
-
tial issues before they become problems that make in-house
counsel so valuable to organizations.
David Forrest, of Canada Goose Inc., points out that his
in-depth knowledge gives him a real strategic advantage that
he felt was particularly beneficial in shaping the company's
message during its recent initial public offering.
And it's not just large or established companies that can
benefit from in-house legal counsel. Vivian Leung, of tech
-
nology company BlueCat Networks, says, "I've come across
companies that don't have an in-house legal department, and
they've said to me, 'We're not big enough to need one.' And
I always reply back, 'No, you just don't know what issues you
have. You don't know what you're doing wrong.'"
It's also not just the organizations that might need an at
-
titude adjustment, so to speak.
Bird's-eye
GC
S
GETTING A
SEAT AT
THE TABLE
view
CANADIANLAWYERMAG.COM/INHOUSE JULY/AUGUST 2019
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
RAMESH
PURADCHITHASAN
