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mandated that innovation be at the core of what they do both on the back end and outward facing to customers. With that in mind, Jamieson approaches legal matters with a non-traditional approach at all times. She sources alternatives to problem solving and looks at the company's counterfeit product issues with the idea that the "bad guys" need to be chased down in a new way. The common theme in the stories you will read on the following pages is that they all share a passion in enabling the businesses they work for and they all identify strongly with what their organization is trying to achieve. There is no siloed identifi cation of "the legal department," there is really just "the business" and how to make it grow for the future. IH nce you see the Herschel Supply Co. logo, chances are you will start seeing it everywhere. It seems the Vancouver-based global accessories brand can be spotted everywhere these days: on the backs of university students and in the hands of stylish urbanites everywhere. Its popular line of backpacks with the signature Herschel logo has gone through a rapid ex- pansion since its launch in 2009. Consumers have eagerly adopted the functional lifestyle products, and it wants to be known as more than a backpack company. Herschel was founded by brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack in Vancouver. They named the company after the town where three generations of their family grew up. "We really focus on attention to detail. The company is extraordinarily product driven and design driven," says Katie Ja- mieson, general counsel at Herschel. "One of our founders, Jamie Cormack, has said he wants us to be industry leading on the front and back end. I think those are great words to live by for any legal department." Jamieson is the only lawyer at Herschel and is the fi rst general counsel the company has had on its team. Heading into 2017, she is busy overseeing global expansion initia- tives and with that comes a lot of corporate development, M&A and investment op- portunities. Her focus in private practice was on corporate commercial work, but in-house she is responsible for a wide range of matters for the company including protection of the company's trademarks and intellectual property. "I am absolutely a gen- eralist," says Jamieson who worked with Herschel as external counsel before going in-house. "We're always looking for cool investment opportunities, but I'm also involved in the standard back offi ce issues such as employ- ment law issues, too." Finding new ways to approach legal work is something Jamieson is challenged to do in a company that is not traditional in the way it approaches business. "Innovation at our company is huge," she says. "We recently hired a director of inno- vation. We really take innovation seriously in my role on two fronts — the fi rst being geographical expansion. We're expanding all over the world. We sell in 70 countries worldwide through an international distri- bution network." The company is also incorporating new subsidiaries worldwide, which allows it to connect with the end consumer in new mar- kets such as Korea, the United Kingdom and China in new ways. One of her biggest challenges is on the intellectual property side of the business. "Any counterfeit or trademark in- fringement is a huge problem for us and in fact all brands around the world," says Jamieson. "Grey-market goods are a problem for us given our international distribution structure. Products are pur- NG NESS Katie Jamieson: Head of legal, Herschel Supply Co. BY JENNIFER BROWN ON THE FRONT LINES OF BRAND PROTECTION PHOTOS: ROBIN KUNISKI

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