A number of recent scandals have put the role of GCs and in-house Counsel in the spotlight, raising the difficult question as to how GCs can manage the tension between their obligations to act in the best interests of their employer and their regulatory duties.
Following the recent 3rd IFSEA International Conference on Risk, Reward and Reputation Management Issues for Senior Executives & Founders, we are delighted to share with you a follow up video and podcast on the breakout session, ‘Ethical Issues for GCs and other In-house Counsel Facing Issues of Potential Corporate Wrongdoing – dealing with potential conflicts of interest and professional conduct duties as in-house legal advisers to a business accused of wrongdoing. And what if the in-house counsel is the whistleblower – what protections are available and what steps should they take?’
Watch the video above or listen to the podcast here.
The video and podcast explore further some of the themes discussed by our expert panel, as well as some new perspectives:
- An overview of the regulatory regime that applies to GCs and in-house counsel and how this interacts with the contractual duty to employers;
- The need to think about support structures/reporting lines for in-house lawyers to protect them from commercial pressures to act in certain way;
- Whistleblowing issues for GCs and in-house lawyers – how can a GC/in house lawyer blow the whistle without breaching regulatory obligations of confidentiality/privilege?
- Remuneration for GCs and in-house lawyers; does incentivising commercial success put the in-house adviser into conflict?
- What are the advantages of having GCs on boards?
We have thoroughly enjoyed exploring this topic and thank our expert panel for their excellent and insightful contributions:
Timothy Dutton CBE QC, Fountain Court Chambers (UK)
Cathy James OBE, James & West Law LLP (UK)
Katherine Murray, Partner and General Counsel, Wallbrook (UK)
Chair: Andrew Pavlovic, CM Murray LLP (UK)
We also thank Rosamund Browne, SVP & Global Chief Counsel, Labour & Employment Law, ABB (UK) and Mathilde Houet-Weil, Weil et Associés (France) who were unable to join the podcast, but attended on the day of the conference and provided excellent insights.
If you have any questions regarding the issues raised in this podcast recording, please contact our Partner Andrew Pavlovic, who specialises in professional discipline and regulatory law.
