The legal leader’s dilemma: ethical challenges & key choices in a growing business
Speakers
Charlie Lyons-Rothbart (Senior Technology Lawyer) and Zuzana Blazkova (General Counsel)
The top three questions or themes explored in this session were…
- The competing priorities in-house counsel must consider when dealing with an ethical dilemma. Ethical integrity vs. professional responsibility vs. the company’s success vs. personal obligations that may make being unemployed a significant challenge.
- Who could in-house counsel go to internally (within their organisations) to report/for support when they suspect or are made aware of a serious problem? What are the political risks of reaching out to someone like an NED?
- What should in-house counsel do if going to internal management / the board doesn’t work?
These are the top 3 things that attendees should take away from the session:
- Before going nuclear - try to make sure you have the full context. Is there a practical solve? Do you have all the info? Have you built alliances and relationships to ensure you see issues early enough to intercept and make a difference? (in the case of the scenario, the issue in question that the senior counsel discovered was in theory fixable by the technical team, who had plans to rectify the situation).
- However, don’t leave your badge at the door - if you’re a regulated professional, get familiar with those obligations. Recent scandals like the Post Office have seen in-house lawyers end up in compromised situations. For England & Wales qualified solicitors, the SRA recently published guidance for you and your employer.
- For anyone struggling with this kind of dilemma, please know that support can be found in external legal networks (like Crafty Counsel). Our team are always happy to make posts in the community hub asking for advice from an anonymous source, or to connect you to members of the community that could support you or share what happened to them when they were in a similar situation.