Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50160
Representing big tobacco Ask Glendinning about how she views representing big tobacco and she gives you a steely look and you get an idea of what it might be like to litigate against her in court. "I look at them in bewil- derment and ask them why they would ask that? Big tobacco is no different than any other big corporation. Why do people have these preconceived notions that it is different or should be treated differently?" Kiser's history with tobacco, he It's about taking a higher, wider view of things and trying to solve the bigger problem. I say win the war, not necessarily every battle. Lawyers can sometimes be closed-minded and sometimes even one-minded. To me, one of the best things Deborah has done is to show her ability to adapt to a changing situation. JOHN KISER, Imperial Tobacco Canada explains with a grin, is a little different. "I grew up and was raised on a tobacco farm. I worked with tobacco since I was a young child. I've been around tobac- co, cigarettes, smoking, and quitting all of my life," says Kiser, who smoked when he was younger. "I'm fitness ori- ented now — I believe it's a choice like it's a choice for so many other things. People still choose to smoke and still choose to quit and I have never had any moral dilemma with it whatsoever. Occasionally though, people will ask me the question." In building the litigation team, Kiser knew from the beginning he want- ed a solid understanding of who was going to be on the roster and what they brought to the game. "I'm a huge believer in staffing plans. One of the things Tamara and I told Deborah from the beginning is we want to know every lawyer who is on our case and what they're doing. We don't get a bill that has names on it we don't recognize and there's a description of what everyone is doing." ... to help you navigate legal obstacles, outside your window and around the world... Your lawyer. Your law firm. Your business advisor. BennettJones-2_IH_Dec_11.indd 1 INHOUSE DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012 • 11-11-25 10:35 AM 23