S. The Role of the General Counsel in the Modern Economy

This course will begin on March 28, 2022. Instructor is Marie Oh - Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of eBay Inc. where she leads the global legal and government relations functions. Until May 2015, she served as SVP, general counsel and secretary of Agilent Technologies, a life sciences and technology company, where she oversaw legal, enterprise regulatory affairs and quality assurance, communications and philanthropy. She also serves on the boards of Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR), Adevinta ASA (Oslo: ADE.OL) and Silicon Valley Community Foundation..

The course will explore the role of the General Counsel through the lens of real-world issues facing practitioners today, with a focus on the practical skills necessary to advise a business in the modern economy. The course will first address the fundamentals — including who is, and is not, the General Counsel’s client, as well as how expectations of the role of in-house counsel have evolved alongside increased velocity in business decision-making. The course will then turn to issues facing General Counsels today, with a particular focus on questions arising in the technology sector. The course will close with an examination of the challenges and opportunities associated with leading and managing a large, diverse, global workforce. Apart from the course materials, students will time permitting also hear from business, government, and legal professionals who will share insights about the topics covered.