In Their Own Words: Corporate Counsel Speak Out
Michelle Behnke, CUNA Mutual
"When I was in private practice, I did not mind the obligation to
participate in client-generation activities. But in today's climate,
clients bounce around . . . So, I'm glad I don't have to wake up and
say, 'Who am I going to network with today or who will I get a referral
from?'"
Mike Mulcahy, Gehl
Company
"As outside counsel working with a company, you normally get a
legal problem after the shoe has dropped. ... An inside lawyer is able
to be familiar enough with the business to prevent legal issues from
becoming problems."
Ron McCray, Kimberly Clark
"One of the toughest issues I've always struggled with is how to
know that my skills are where they need to be for my experience level.
When I was in private practice, I had five or six people I could talk to
to get a sense of where I stood."
Kathleen Rivera,
Northwestern Mutual Life
"It's not that money is unimportant in the corporate setting. But
it's less likely to be the end-all and be-all of the way you're judged
or recognized for your contribution to the organization - and of the way
you think about yourself."
Marv Strawn,
Firstar Corp.
"We tell people that if you come to work for us, you won't make
the really big bucks, but you'll be well compensated. You won't have a
steady diet of working late at night and weekends. And your lifestyle
will allow you to devote time to interests other than your work."
Dean Zakos,
Modine Manufacturing
"Ethically you have to draw a line between business advice and
legal advice. ... If you're not careful, you could lose your right to
claim the usual privileges that shield your work."
Sigrid Dynek,
Kohl's Dept. Stores
"This company is much more complex today than it was when I
arrived in 1991, and a lot of work of a legal nature has gone into that
transformation. So not only do I have to live with my advice, but I can
also grow with it."
Wisconsin Lawyer