Europe’s new patent system: there’s good news and bad

Your company’s patent portfolio and patent strategy in Europe is soon to become either very simple or a little more complex. The Unified Patent Court (UPC) and the Unitary Patent (UP)are both expected to come into being in early 2017 and will co-exist with the current patent system for a transitional period of seven years. Either you can do nothing and your bundle of European patents will fuse into a set of patents enforceable and revocable as one (the simple option, subject to any licence arrangements that might need to be revisited). Continue reading “Europe’s new patent system: there’s good news and bad”

Who is fuelling the counterfeiting fire? The search is on

Wiggin’s Simon Baggs says online counterfeiting is an exploding global problem but Google is doing nothing about it.

Finding counterfeit goods is simple – Google leads you straight to them. These goods are always inferior and sometimes extremely dangerous. Sellers range from small operators selling one or two items using online marketplaces, to larger operators using websites and social media to operate substantial businesses. These larger operators in turn provide the demand for manufacturing of items in industrial quantities. Continue reading “Who is fuelling the counterfeiting fire? The search is on”

Heat, friction and violent collision – GCs face challenge and opportunity on data security

PwC Legal’s Stewart Room warns that emerging regimes on data protection and cyber security will present new challenges for GCs.

If you’re observing the developing legal environment for cyber security and data protection and just happen to have an interest in star-gazing, you might have an image of a planetary nebula in your mind’s eye, the universal womb and nursery for new planets and stars. Continue reading “Heat, friction and violent collision – GCs face challenge and opportunity on data security”

Perspectives: Philip Bramwell, BAE Systems

I’m of an age where I form part of a group of lawyers who elected to pursue careers in-house from the outside. I had failed to complete a chemical engineering course so I had a very clear purpose in studying law: I wanted to work in-house. I identified a couple of industries I thought should grow so I might surf that wave.

I started out in pharma in the late ‘70s, which was immensely enjoyable. I grew a love of complex businesses – global, multinational businesses. They provide rich opportunities for lawyers in a variety of areas – commercial, corporate, M&A. That is the theme I followed throughout my career. Continue reading “Perspectives: Philip Bramwell, BAE Systems”

The best seat in the house: the unique role of the modern GC

Richard Tapp argues that GCs can define their companies like never before.

‘So, what do you do?’ A straightforward question – in my case asked by a new chairman, clearly expecting a simple answer. But, for any in-house lawyer, where to start? Do you talk about your legal specialism? About the business risks that you identify and manage? About the way you provide and source legal advice? Or that you keep your chairman out of jail? Continue reading “The best seat in the house: the unique role of the modern GC”

Profile: John Tribolati, JPMorgan Chase

The investment bank’s EMEA GC on tackling the growth of global regulation and avoiding potholes along the way.

There’s a school of thought that says ‘never go back’ to a former lover or job. But having spent eight years at JPMorgan Chase & Co in the 1990s, a phone call from the investment bank’s ‘very persuasive’ general counsel Stacey Friedman in 2015 made John Tribolati’s decision to return to his old shop very easy. ‘It was an opportunity to have my own gig,’ he says. Continue reading “Profile: John Tribolati, JPMorgan Chase”

Just remember, GCs, Enron thought it was all perfectly legal

Stefan Stern argues these days a legal defence alone can prove no defence.

Last month the 67th annual oil and gas conference was held by the Center for American and International Law in Houston. Lucky delegates got to hear from a special guest speaker – CFO magazine’s chief financial officer of the year, 2000. The speaker displayed the trophy he had received for his work, and then held up another item – a red prison ID card. He had been given both these things, he remarked, for the same activity – doing deals for Enron, the collapsed energy company. Continue reading “Just remember, GCs, Enron thought it was all perfectly legal”

GCs have scraped a seat at the table but too many are wasting the opportunity

Paul Gilbert argues too many corporate counsel fail to seize the risk agenda.

Barclays, Volkswagen and Tesco are three massive businesses in three significant, sophisticated and important business sectors. Each one of these successful and long-lived businesses has access to significant in-house legal expertise, each is capable of paying for the best legal advice money can buy, each has invested heavily in risk management. And all of them are now paying the price for poor decisions made by some senior people behaving badly, very badly. Continue reading “GCs have scraped a seat at the table but too many are wasting the opportunity”

A title fit for the modern GC

With this issue of The In-House Lawyer we are unveiling a total overhaul of the magazine first launched over 20 years ago. The title, the first dedicated to the UK’s expanding community of corporate counsel, has long been an important part of the stable of our parent company Legalease, which is committed to expanding its links with general counsel. But IHL was in need of investment and a thorough re-imagining if it was to remain a magazine worthy of the modern in-house counsel. Continue reading “A title fit for the modern GC”