ACC Update - June 13, 2007 (Plain Text Version)Leading with a Vision for InnovationInsights from Mike Dillon, CLO, Sun Microsystems
Dillon is the first Fortune 200 CLO to have his own blog, called ‘the legal thing’ (http://blogs.sun.com/dillon/). He also participates in the company’s Open Work Practice program and opts not to have a dedicated office to call his own. Dillon describes this flexible, open work arrangement as a plus for the company and an efficient way to manage and lead. This article provides insights from Dillon on some of the practices he implements as a progressive legal leader. VIEW CORPORATE BLOGGING AS A FORM OF COMMUNICATION RATHER THAN A RISK
At Sun, blogging is encouraged and is part of the corporate
culture. More than 3300 Sun employees have registered their blogs via
Sun’s blog portal (http://blogs.sun.com/), writing about business,
outside passions, family and community. Leading the way with his own
blog is Sun’s CEO, Jonathan Schwartz, who Dillon describes as a “very
prolific and well-known blogger.” In addition to encouraging employee
blogs, Sun has a blog site for its alumni community
http://friends.sun.com/blogs/ (more on this below).
Asked about the legal risks of blogs, Dillon explains, “I worry
more about emails than blogs. Blogs are a deliberative process.
People who blog are writing for an audience with the expectation that
their postings will be public so it’s rare to see postings that are
nasty and inappropriate.”
Dillon's Blog: the legal thing… notes from a General Counsel
Dillon writes his blog with a broad audience (internal and
external) in mind, and uses it as a forum to express what it’s like to
do his job rather than as a technical substantive communication tool.
He writes his entries himself and emphasizes the importance of having
the blog entries be natural and in your own voice (rather than written
by some public relations function). His goal is to write four entries
per month, and he reads every post added by others. To date, his blog
has been visited by more than 21,000 people from around the globe, with
several hundred visits per day. An intriguing feature: the blog site
includes a ‘clustr map’ showing the locations around the globe of
visitors to the site.
On challenges: “The most difficult thing is that blogs are a
lot of work. I don’t get to write as often as I would like, and as a
General Counsel privy to lots of sensitive information, it’s sometimes
difficult to find the right subject. The more popular the blog gets,
the more scrutiny it gets. I have a whole new sense of empathy for
people in the journalistic profession,” says Dillon
On rewards and value: “My blog has enabled me to open up a
dialogue with people all over the world. People posting to the blog
often times point to other sources of information that is helpful. The
legal thing… creates value both for me and for the company,” explains
Dillon.
On nuggets for CLOs wishing to start their own blogs: Dillon
advises: (1) consider your company’s culture; (2) determine your
audience (internal vs external; law department vs all employees for
internal); (3) find your ‘voice;’ and (4) make the time.
Sun’s Blogging Policies & Guidelines
• Sun’s Policy on Public Discourse: This policy encourages
Sun employees to “tell the world about their work without asking
permission first.” By this statement, the policy notes that the company
is “accepting higher risks in the interest of higher rewards” since
employees are able to speak “directly to the world without management
approval.” The policy politely asks employees to read and follow advice
on Sun blogs, and summarizes important information on: ‘blogging as a
two-way street,’ financial rules, and disclaimers. It also advises
employees: not to tell secrets, to write what they know, to think
about consequences, and that quality matters more. See Sun's Policy on Public Discourse.
Read the rest of this article.
Insights from Mike Dillon, CLO, Sun Microsystems
Dillon is the first Fortune 200 CLO to have his own blog, called ‘the legal thing’ (http://blogs.sun.com/dillon/). He also participates in the company’s Open Work Practice program and opts not to have a dedicated office to call his own. Dillon describes this flexible, open work arrangement as a plus for the company and an efficient way to manage and lead. This article provides insights from Dillon on some of the practices he implements as a progressive legal leader. VIEW CORPORATE BLOGGING AS A FORM OF COMMUNICATION RATHER THAN A RISK At Sun, blogging is encouraged and is part of the corporate culture. More than 3300 Sun employees have registered their blogs via Sun’s blog portal (http://blogs.sun.com/), writing about business, outside passions, family and community. Leading the way with his own blog is Sun’s CEO, Jonathan Schwartz, who Dillon describes as a “very prolific and well-known blogger.” In addition to encouraging employee blogs, Sun has a blog site for its alumni community http://friends.sun.com/blogs/ (more on this below). Asked about the legal risks of blogs, Dillon explains, “I worry more about emails than blogs. Blogs are a deliberative process. People who blog are writing for an audience with the expectation that their postings will be public so it’s rare to see postings that are nasty and inappropriate.”
Dillon's Blog: the legal thing… notes from a General Counsel
Dillon writes his blog with a broad audience (internal and external) in mind, and uses it as a forum to express what it’s like to do his job rather than as a technical substantive communication tool. He writes his entries himself and emphasizes the importance of having the blog entries be natural and in your own voice (rather than written by some public relations function). His goal is to write four entries per month, and he reads every post added by others. To date, his blog has been visited by more than 21,000 people from around the globe, with several hundred visits per day. An intriguing feature: the blog site includes a ‘clustr map’ showing the locations around the globe of visitors to the site. On challenges: “The most difficult thing is that blogs are a lot of work. I don’t get to write as often as I would like, and as a General Counsel privy to lots of sensitive information, it’s sometimes difficult to find the right subject. The more popular the blog gets, the more scrutiny it gets. I have a whole new sense of empathy for people in the journalistic profession,” says Dillon On rewards and value: “My blog has enabled me to open up a dialogue with people all over the world. People posting to the blog often times point to other sources of information that is helpful. The legal thing… creates value both for me and for the company,” explains Dillon.
On nuggets for CLOs wishing to start their own blogs: Dillon advises: (1) consider your company’s culture; (2) determine your audience (internal vs external; law department vs all employees for internal); (3) find your ‘voice;’ and (4) make the time. Sun’s Blogging Policies & Guidelines
• Sun’s Policy on Public Discourse: This policy encourages Sun employees to “tell the world about their work without asking permission first.” By this statement, the policy notes that the company is “accepting higher risks in the interest of higher rewards” since employees are able to speak “directly to the world without management approval.” The policy politely asks employees to read and follow advice on Sun blogs, and summarizes important information on: ‘blogging as a two-way street,’ financial rules, and disclaimers. It also advises employees: not to tell secrets, to write what they know, to think about consequences, and that quality matters more. See Sun's Policy on Public Discourse. Read the rest of this article. CLO ThinkTanks: Insights from Law Department LeadersHow are top Chief Legal Officers dealing with some of the most pressing legal issues? One approach is to explore these topics with their peers at ACC's CLO ThinkTanks, which bring a select group of successful CLOs together for a “deep dive” into current issues. At the session they discuss common challenges, potential solutions, and identify the trends that all in-house counsel should be aware of. Here are just some of the executive reports available for review: • Corporate Business Information Management—Ediscovery and Beyond (NEW) You also have access to the briefing books prepared for participants, which contain numerous articles and other reference materials on the topics. Just visit the CLO homepage for these resources and more. The Dangers of Not Being Licensed in Your Home StateA recent article on law.com,—“Which Leading GCs Are Operating Without a License?”—highlighted the complicated issue of multijurisdictional practice. As a general rule, in-house counsel should be licensed in the state where their company is located.
Failure to be licensed or registered can result in adverse publicity or worse for both you and your employer. In some jurisdictions practicing without a license is a misdemeanor. And some commentators assert that the privilege may not exist for those not admitted in the state where they practice.
ACC Unveils the Executive Leadership InstituteIn response to requests that ACC has received for management education, ACC has created the Executive Leadership Institute to be held on October 1-3, in Washington DC. This program is designed for chief legal officers, practice area managers, and others with managerial responsibility, and will cover topics such as: • Developing and implementing an effective strategic plan
Visit the Executive Leadership Institute website for more information and to register. The course will be taught by Stephen R. Chitwood, Director of George Washington University’s Center for Law Practice Strategy and Management. How Does Your Outside Counsel Measure Up?Here’s your chance to see how your outside counsel experience compares to those of your peers: Take the 2007 ACC/Serengeti Managing Outside Counsel Survey. The survey covers basics like how you select firms and what hourly rates you pay, as well as highlights innovations being made through alternative billing and technology. Every ACC member who completes the survey will get a free copy of the executive summary, which contains all the key findings and can help you benchmark the performance of your outside counsel partners. This year it's easier than ever to participate by completing the questionnaire online. The survey must be returned by June 30, so act now.
New Evidence Rules Will Protect Attorney-Client PrivilegeThe Federal Courts Study Committee voted unanimously to submit revisions to the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE 502) to Congress. These revisions excluded a provision that would have allowed federal agencies and prosecutors greater leeway in gaining access to a company’s privileged information. ACC has strongly supported the exclusion of the provision, and strongly supports the resulting proposals of the Committee to protect corporate attorney-client privilege.
• See ACC's June 2007 comment letter.
Do You Know an Outstanding In-house Attorney?ACC is looking for nominees for the 2007 Excellence in Corporate Practice Award, which recognizes the career achievements of in-house attorneys who epitomize excellence through representation of their clients, contributions to the legal profession, and public service. Nominations must be received by June 22 to be considered. The award will be presented at ACC’s Annual Meeting (October 29-31, Chicago). Visit the ACC website for complete submission guidelines. Take Part in New Compensation SurveysACC has negotiated an agreement with Empsight International, LLC to offer two in-house counsel compensation surveys to members at a discount. Bothsurveys will contain comprehensive compensation data broken out by job titles and factors such as company revenue, geography, size of department, class year, and industry. We need your help in making these resources as robust as possible.
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