Things are Tough All Over…But Needn’t Be

This Thanksgiving weekend I did something I’m a bit embarrassed to admit:  I caught up on all the business magazines and WSJs sitting in my "to read" pile.  It’s Sunday and the workweek begins tomorrow, but I wanted to make this comment based on a consistent underlying theme I found weaving through much of what I read.The theme: until Americans become fiscally responsible, we will continue to sink economically.Yesterday, the WSJ explained that as far as the subprime mess, we ain’t seen nothing yet.  Turns out that all the headline grabbing foreclosures have NOT been the result of the ramping up of adjustable rates but, rather, first year foreclosures by those would couldn’t make the bills with the ORIGINAL, subprime rate which enticed them into the purchase in the …

Why GCs are Embracing Workforce Compliance

InsideCounsel magazine recently reported the results of an innovative study undertaken by another publication, Corporate Board Member magazine and FTI Consulting.  In the survey/study, over 1000 General Counsels and board directors were asked about the steps they are taking to mitigate risk within their organizations.  The eye-opening results suggest that the "ostrich head in the sand" approach to compliance is being rapidly replaced by a growing awareness of the risks of federal and state enforcement and the catastrophic damage enterprises face when they do not take broad scope compliance seriously.The catchword du jour is "Enterprise Risk Management", or ERM, and it’s actually the latest incarnation of something that’s been around for over a decade.  In…

Workforce Compliance: Outside Counsel vs. Outside SOLUTION

Counsel to Counsel magazine ran an interesting article in its October 2007 issue entitled "Choosing the Right Outside Counsel"  The article is a helpful analysis of what GCs should look for when reaching outside of their own corporate resources for the solution of a legal matter.The article begins with an astute analysis of the increasing focus on corporate ethics and the need for transparency.  Among the suggestions the writer mentions to assist in house attorneys in finding outside counsel are networking forums, law firm networks, and, of course…peer review ratings.  (Double disclosure before I continue:  1- Martindale, the benchmark for attorney peer rating co-publishes the magazine along with InsideCounsel; 2- My Martindale A/V rating is a badge I’ve wor…