Vol. 70, No. 5, May
1997
In Their Own Words:
Corporate Counsel Speak Out
Michelle Behnke, CUNA Mutual![](/SiteCollectionImages/WisconsinLawyer/1997/05/behnke.gif)
"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![](/SiteCollectionImages/WisconsinLawyer/1997/05/rivera.gif)
"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
![](/SiteCollectionImages/WisconsinLawyer/1997/05/zakos.gif)
"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." |