The General Counsel Leading the Charge

One of the fundamental duties of the general counsel is the promotion of ethical conduct within the corporate organization, resulting with the moniker “guardian of the corporate integrity”. Advocating a corporate culture where the subordinates all throughout the organization act based on “doing the right thing” is often placed in the hands of the general counsel. It is his or her job to spearhead the corporate charge towards building an ethical environment where everyone works strategically but with integrity. This chapter looks at the process of establishing and maintaining a legal and...

One of the fundamental duties of the general counsel is the promotion of ethical conduct within the corporate organization, resulting with the moniker “guardian of the corporate integrity”. Advocating a corporate culture where the subordinates all throughout the organization act based on “doing the right thing” is often placed in the hands of the general counsel. It is his or her job to spearhead the corporate charge towards building an ethical environment where everyone works strategically but with integrity. This chapter looks at the process of establishing and maintaining a legal and ethical culture, the different professional conduct rules dealing with the in-house counsel, and the demonstration of openness and community involvement through corporate citizenship, incorporating diversity within the company, and formalizing pro bono programmes.