In-House Counsel

Monsanto?s legal department ?involves itself in succession issues for legal teams at their preferred providers,? according to Corp. Counsel, Vol. 16, June 2009 at 65. I have previously written (See my post of Jan. 13, 2008: interventions that go to far.) that it is over-reaching for a general counsel to evaluate the performance and influence the promotion of individual law-firm lawyers (See my post of Nov. 15, 2005: performance evaluations of law firms.). And I have yet to hear of a law department that lets its law firm partners significantly evaluate the performance of inside lawyers.

But I urge you, if you are a major client of a firm, to have at least veto power over the selection of a relationship partner (See my post of July 26, 2008: relationship partners with 8 references.). That evaluation extends more broadly than the partner?s abilities as a lawyer.