Canadian Lawyer InHouse

JULY 2017 14 INHOUSE I n the 12 years Canadian Lawyer InHouse has been conducting its annual general counsel roundtable, we have routinely put questions about external law firm relationships and managing resources internally on the agenda for discussion. This year, we wanted to cover those basics but also get into what today's changing business world is demanding of in-house departments to spark disruption and change how they look and function differently. What skillsets are they looking to add to their in-house teams given the increased need to have data feeding decisions and inspiring the next business move? Today, it's not just about answering the constant bar - rage of legal questions; it's about legal advisers playing a role in where the next acquisition target will be or how the strategy for the year is mapped out. They work closely with the operations and risk teams of their organizations and are, therefore, better positioned than ever before to lend their legal knowledge to how the business can best move forward with the right plan of execution. That is, therefore, with some progressive legal depart - ments, also influencing the role of external counsel. As Peter Nguyen, general counsel for Resolver Inc., a cloud software company with big global expansion plans, said, he recently brought his main external law firm partner in to discuss with his executive team their plans for the year. That discussion will help shape what work gets done and how. Another strong message these general counsel empha - sized during the discussion was the need for solo in-house counsel especially to have a trusted external partner they could reach out to for advice without concern that every call would end up on a bill. They are more than happy to pay for advice, but they want a service model where in their rapidly changing worlds they can call and get the help they need almost instantly. The paid work will in - evitably come, says Nguyen and Megan Vesely of Sigma Analysis & Management who talk about the expansion plans their companies have. As Nguyen said, "Anything lawyers and law firms can do to re-think the relationship" is important to him. In our 12th Annual General Counsel Roundtable, in-house lawyers from different sectors and law department sizes talk about the challenges of managing growth in a rapidly changing business world. The GC role is changing and more integrated with the business than ever before. PINAR OZYETIS General Counsel Air Miles Canada/LoyaltyOne There are eight people in the legal group, at LoyaltyOne separated in terms of lines of business and the function that they perform. Ozyetis manages contractual relationships, keeping an eye on the regulatory landscape, managing marketing and advertising-related legal matters as well as the trademarks and IP portfolio and any employment issues that may arise. ANDREA COTRONEO VP, General Counsel Capital One Bank (Canada) Capital One is a data-driven company focused on building financial products and services that help Canadians succeed with credit. In Canada, there is a team of 10 in the legal function including eight lawyers. The mandate includes not only legal but also government relations and reputational risk. PETER NGUYEN General Counsel, corporate secretary and privacy officer Resolver Inc. Resolver Inc. is a cloud-based integrated risk management software company that helps Fortune 1000 companies protect what matters to them. Nguyen is the first lawyer in the organization. He joined the company 18 months ago with a mandate to build out a global legal function and is responsible for worldwide legal affairs. The company has subsidiaries in the Middle East, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. As the company continues its merger and acquisitions activities, it has its sights set on opening offices elsewhere. MEGAN VESELY General Counsel and corporate secretary Sigma Analysis & Management Ltd. The company is an asset manager in Toronto that provides advisory risk and technology services to an institutional client base. It's been in existence since 1999 and Vesely is the first and only lawyer in-house. She heads up both the legal and compliance group. Her mandate is to build to help grow the company into the U.S., Europe and Asia. TERRA REBICK Chief Counsel for legal and tax business for Canada Thomson Reuters A legal department of one in Canada, Rebick is part of a legal team of 200 globally. Locally, her mandate is to manage all legal issues of the legal and tax business from employment to new lines of business. BY JENNIFER BROWN MANAGING GROWTH NEW ECONOMY

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