Three Issues in Law Department Talent Management
September 22, 2003
A key element to in a successful law department is management of in-house legal talent. By the term 'talent management,' we mean all the methods available to general counsel for training, mentoring, coaching, motivating and directing in-house lawyers. This article, the first in a series of three, is based on consulting projects and research Hildebrandt International has conducted with a number of leading law departments. This article will describe the top three issues law departments have with talent management, and more importantly, will show some of the techniques now employed by general counsel for coping with them. The second part of the series will describe three progressive practices in the arena of talent management, and the series will close with a foray into three controversial practices. Taken together, the series will survey law department talent management ' its major issues, newer practices and difficult decisions.
Corporate Investigations: Their Hidden Traps ' and How to Avoid Them
September 22, 2003
This is the first in a two-part series on how to conduct corporate investigations for corporate counsel. Corporate counsel face a myriad of challenges when conducting or overseeing an internal workplace investigation. From ethical issues to potential third-party liability, the pitfalls are everywhere. New responsibilities and risks under Sarbanes-Oxley make the job even more daunting for counsel in publicly held firms. However, with advanced planning, there are ways to conduct a workplace investigation that may prevent it from coming back to haunt you.
Developments of Note
September 19, 2003
Recent developments in e-commerce law and in the e-commerce industry.
Dragnet On the Internet
September 19, 2003
This article sheds some light on how investigators in one large U.S. city are using technology to fight e-commerce crime.
Taxing The Sale Of Digital Goods In Europe
September 19, 2003
On July 1, new legislation concerning the application of value-added tax (VAT) to sales of digital goods within the European Union became effective. While the legislation is European, it will have important implications for companies based outside of the EU to the extent that such companies sell digital goods to consumers based in one of the EU countries.
The Importance Of Encryption ' and Planning
September 19, 2003
The impact of California's new security breach disclosure law ' which requires state agencies and businesses that conduct commerce in California to notify California residents that certain circumstances ' is being carefully monitored by boards of directors, legislators, regulators and other concerned parties nationwide.
The <i>Horn</i> Decision: Significant Victory for Employers
September 19, 2003
New York's Court of Appeals recently issued an important decision in which it declined to expand the narrow exception to the 'at-will' employment doctrine enunciated in <i>Wieder v. Skala</i> for attorneys to physicians employed by non-medical employers. The court's decision in <i>Horn</i>, however, arguably is limited to that particular class of physicians whose duties are not limited to providing medical treatment, but include non-medical-related management responsibilities as well. Consequently, the court will likely be faced with future attempts by professionals, including physicians employed by medical employers, to expand the Wieder doctrine to them.
