The Corporate Counsel Survival Guide

by William E. Kruse

Overview

Making the decision to pursue an in-house counsel position can be a daunting experience, in part because in-house positions are so different from working in a firm and can vary by company and industry. Written by William E. Kruse, Regulatory Compliance Officer and in-house legal counsel at Gallup, The Corporate Counsel Survivor Guide offers helpful insights into the unique aspects of serving as in-house counsel and provides a foundation for anyone who wants to learn more about in-house counsel life.

But beyond the book's wise counsel, the author’s witty and clever words make his advice fun to read and easy to follow. As he puts it in the Preface, this is a book that passes "on valuable advice for new in-house counsel that won't bore anyone to death in the process." Topics cover the essentials for anyone starting or considering an in-house counsel position, including:

• How to get your bearings during your first hundred days
• Managing an internal crisis, from not overreacting to understanding the critical importance of the signs that are being sent
• Getting work done and how to use time wisely
• Avoiding land mines
• The business of law in a business
• Working with others in your company and how to make arguments to convince people of what's in their best legal interest
• Surviving a crisis, adapting to change, relocation, training, mentoring, and other challenges of corporate life

"Bill Kruse's book is exactly what both in-house and outside counsel need. It not only reveals the unvarnished reality and challenges that in-house face on a daily basis, but it does so entertainingly, with humorous flair. The Corporate Counsel Survival Guide also confirms, to outside counsel, that no in-house counsel actually wants to hire a lawyer. Rather, they want outside counsel who understands the organization’s industry, business, and goals. In other words, inside counsel wants to engage outside counsel as business partners who will help them achieve the organization’s goals."
— Robert T. Rhoad, Sheppard Mullin, Washington, DC

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781634258869
Publisher:	American Bar Association
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Pages:	172
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

William Kruse is the Deputy General Counsel for CFA Institute. He is a global corporate counsel with experience handling complex legal issues in difficult international jurisdictions. He brings to bear both military and corporate leadership experience with an ability to facilitate management objectives while protecting stakeholders from adverse risk outcomes.

William Kruse was formally Gallup’s Regulatory Compliance Officer and in-house legal counsel, who worked primarily with Gallup’s government clients. He was also a board member of Gallup's government contracting subsidiary and the legal advisor to Gallup’s Institutional Review Board.

He is a litigation and regulatory compliance attorney with more than a decade of experience in U.S. acquisition regulations contracting and procurement.

Mr. Kruse is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and has served as Chair of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) Corporate Counsel Committee. He is also a member of the ABA TIPS Corporate Counsel Outreach Task Force, the TIPS Book Editorial Board and of the ABA TIPS General Committee Board.

Mr. Kruse is the author of several articles published in legal and business publications, including the International In-House Counsel Journal and Ethikos. He has presented at legal and business conferences, meetings, teleconferences, and webinars on topics ranging from procurement, white collar and corporate crime, ethics compliance, and business codes of conduct.

Mr. Kruse received his bachelor’s degree in business from the Universityof Missouri-St. Louis and his juris doctorate from Florida International University. He attended law school while serving on active duty in the United States Coast Guard, graduating seventh in his class.

Table of Contents

ForewordPrefaceIntroductionTime to Get Your Bearings: The First Hundred DaysManaging the Internal CrisisHow Do You Get Anything Done? Avoid the Land MinesThe Business of Law in a BusinessLife Isn’t Only at the OfficeTime to Be ConvincingYou’re Never Too Old to Grow Help

Editorial Reviews

"Bill Kruse's book is exactly what both in-house and outside counsel need. It not only reveals the unvarnished reality and challenges that in-house face on a daily basis, but it does so entertainingly, with humorous flair. The Corporate Counsel Survival Guide also confirms, to outside counsel, that no in-house counsel actually wants to hire a lawyer. Rather, they want outside counsel who understands the organization’s industry, business, and goals. In other words, inside counsel wants to engage outside counsel as business partners who will help them achieve the organization’s goals."

Robert T. Rhoad

"This is a must-read book for any CEO or attorney or compliance officer transitioning to an in-house position. It is filled with sage advice and practical vignettes that will keep you from making the common mistakes repeated by many who transition from outside counsel the unchartered waters of the corporate world. It is light and lively, not filled with a lot of technical or legal jargon, but loaded with excellent advice. I highly recommend this author as one who has already learned the lessons of transition to in-house and now shares some of those valuable lessons with you."

Robert F. Meunier