Features Contracts

Homer Simpson once said, “Well, I’m not one for taking new jobs on a whim. But as we say in the snow plow business, ‘I’m your astronaut.’” Homer may be a walking contradiction, and a cartoon to boot, but he hit the nail on the head when it comes to not taking a new job […]

When VHB was looking for a deputy general counsel in 2008, someone it could groom for the top spot, it emphasized a technical background. Someone well-versed in civil engineering might have been ideal. That wasn’t quite Khristopher M. Gregoire’s specialty, but one might have thought he was overqualified. For prior to graduating from the University […]

Like many lawyers, Juli Faris Bruce chose the legal path because she was an idealist; she wanted to make the world a better place. While the reality of the legal field—the grind, the competitive edge, the win-lose nature—can break some once-idealistic attorneys, Faris Bruce has found a way to contribute to the greater good. That’s […]

Defense contractors navigate a sea of regulations—it comes with the territory of handling sensitive material for nations and militaries. And the more a contractor grows, the more it must reconcile its increasingly complex business structure with the regulations that govern it. In charge of that task for U.S.-based Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions (CAES) is Bruce […]

Somewhere in her files Heidi Young has a copy of the now defunct British music magazine “Melody Maker,” with a photo of The Ramones on the cover—a photo that she shot. Today, Young is executive vice president and deputy general counsel for Re:Sources USA Inc., a shared services group that supports Publicis Groupe, the third […]

When you stay in business for nearly 200 years, you’re bound to grow. And growth, while a sign of success, has its risks—new markets have pitfalls that can swallow underprepared companies whole. In the case of Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification (TIC) services to over 400,000 businesses in 140 countries, […]

When Otis Carter, general counsel for TriMark USA LLC, made plans to have dinner with friends in Chicago, they asked if he might be able to get a reservation at Duck Duck Goat, a new restaurant opened by Stephanie Izard—the first female chef to win the Bravo television show Top Chef. As it turned out, […]

Often the hardest part of using new software is getting users onboard, not choosing the program or plugging it in. That was the case when David Vetter told Tech Data Corporation’s legal team he was going to use a different “matter management system” to manage cases, draft letters and perform daily tasks. Vetter recalls the […]

Growing up as the daughter of an attorney, Anna Mechling has had an interest in law for as long as she can remember. An experienced litigator, Mechling’s father imparted two pieces of advice that have long stuck with her. “He said law school teaches you a new way of thinking and he also always told […]

Darryl Mitchell took an unusual path on his journey to become chief legal officer at elevator manufacturer Fujitec America Inc. After five years in sales, the Columbia University grad returned to school to earn his law degree from University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1993. From there, Mitchell spent six years at law firms […]