By Blandine CORDIER-PALASSE, Collection Guide Annuaire 2014 Décideurs : Strategy Finance Law
Décideurs. Paradoxically, is the legal director still a lawyer?
Blandine Cordier-Palasse. It is, but confining the legal director to the role of lawyer is a mistake that too many companies surprisingly still allow themselves to make. In fact, he can be much more. They can make a significant contribution to the company's performance and to its ongoing improvement. This is possible as long as they are involved in the company's strategy.
The role of the General Counsel makes him or her a particularly useful radar for limiting legal risks. He or she can anticipate regulatory developments, discern positive risks from opportunities and thus contribute to the company's growth strategy.
Decision-makers. Le director legal is from more at more involved in the management from risks ?
B. C.-P. Absolutely. It's very important for companies to appreciate what a good legal director can do for them. As a result, they need to be aware of the challenges in terms of recruitment. Legal experts are effective factors in reducing strategic and operational risks. They are involved in the company's business, providing support for the various aspects of its operations. business units.
Any uncertainty about external events can threaten the company's ability to achieve its objectives. This can hinder the company's long-term development. The strategic pairing must therefore be kept alive and evaluated on an ongoing basis. "company objectives and activities versus risks inherent in these activities.
"The legal director can increase his positive impact and his role of influence and transform risk into opportunity".
Decision-makers. La compliance is a answer à this analysis from risks ?
B. C.-P. And not just that. The compliance is part of an ethical vision of the company as a whole. With a direct link to risk management, the General Counsel has every right to be the linchpin of an ethical approach to business. compliance effective. The Executive Committee, the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors will be informed of the mapping of potential risks from this perspective. The directors will be able to define the company's strategy in line with the risk map. compliance of the company, which is why it is so important for the Legal Director to be involved in the decision-making bodies.
Decision-makers. Visit compliance could it run counter to the company's operational interests?
B. C.-P. Quite the contrary. Well deployed, the compliance is a matter of corporate strategy. It requires awareness, determination and resources. Properly understood, it should enable risks or threats to be transformed into opportunities. The aim is to coordinate the actions and interactions of functional and operational teams in a cross-functional, multi-disciplinary way.
Far from being an obstacle to business, the compliance enables a relationship to be established and a long-term basis of trust to be established, developing a culture of listening to the law and values. The legal department can then increase its positive impact and its role of influence, transforming the risk of uncertainty into an opportunity to stay one step ahead. This is all the more true when the company is exposed internationally, particularly in terms of the risk of fines, image/reputation and costs. This happens as soon as proceedings are initiated against the company.
Decision-makers. So where should it fit in the organisation chart?
B. C.-P. A good General Counsel is both a business partner and the guardian of the temple of ethics and good business practice. In this respect, the legal director's place in the organisation chart is not a question of ego. At the heart of the machine, while having the perspective that operational departments do not always have, he or she must be able to report directly to the Chairman.
All too often regarded as a cost centre, the legal department is actually involved in creating strategic value, which is not necessarily measurable in the short term, but is perfectly in line with the company's strategy and development. From now on, the legal director can definitely become a strategist who deserves to be known.
