profile
Wired for a different
kind of legal career
When Chris Gouglas was offered an opportunity to move from a law firm to
counsel at Best Buy Canada Ltd. he jumped at the chance.
By David Gambrill
In-house counsel Chris Gouglas
prefers his law to be vibrant and dynamic.
His passion for variety and using the
law to come up with creative business solutions is a big part of what keeps his spirit youthful in his current role as head
counsel at Best Buy Canada Ltd.
Given his professional background and
interest in sales, computers, technology,
commerce, and intellectual property law,
he seems custom-made for the role. Best
Buy was a client when Gouglas was practising in Vancouver at Borden Ladner
Gervais LLP 11 years ago.
At BLG, Gouglas practised as a solicitor
in corporate commercial law, with an emphasis on technology and intellectual
property. When an opportunity came up
for him to move to in-house counsel, he
accepted it with the enthusiasm of a
young boy in an electronics store.
"I was doing some work for Best Buy
and then Catherine Smith, who was the
company's sole lawyer and head of the legal department, asked me if I wanted to
come over," Gouglas recalls. "I always
knew I wanted to ultimately go in-house.
"Coming from a commerce back-
People aren't as interested in the background legal
analysis of an issue. What they really want are
solutions to problems. If you are good at finding
solutions to problems in a wide range of areas, then
you will be a good in-house counsel.
CHRIS GOUGLAS, Best Buy Canada Ltd.
36
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a u gu st 2013
INHOUSE
