A true subject matter expert, Ben W. Heineman, Jr. shares his perspective with Ethisphere regarding the evolving role of the General Counsel. In this interview, Mr. Heineman, Jr. shares details about his exciting new book and takes us on a journey of overcoming obstacles and creating a framework for success.
Heineman Jr. was General Electric’s Chief Legal Officer from 1987 to 2005 and is the author of the new book The Inside Counsel Revolution: Resolving the Partner-Guardian Tension (Ankerwycke; May 2016). Prior to GE, Heineman was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal, Supreme Court Law Clerk, Assistant Secretary for policy at the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and practiced public interest and constitutional law. Since his retirement, he has been a Senior Fellow at Harvard’s schools of law and government.
Q: Can you share what projects you are currently involved in?
Heineman: My priority is to reach the broadest possible audience for my new book, The Inside Counsel Revolution: Resolving the Partner-Guardian Tension, which is being published in April by Ankerwycke, the trade imprint of the American Bar Association. I am also thinking about future projects in such areas as improving access to justice or new writing and teaching in areas like the global auto industry which poses every conceivable issue of business, law, ethics and policy.
Q: What insight can you offer regarding your upcoming book, The Inside Counsel Revolution: Resolving Partner-Guardian Tension?
Heineman: In essence, the book seeks to advance a sustained argument about what it means to be a great corporation and what it means to be a great lawyer. I hope it will be of benefit to inside and outside lawyers, not just in private companies but also in public and non-profit organizations; not just in the US but around the world; not just today but also tomorrow. I also hope that it will reach a broader audience of directors, executives, students and experts on corporate governance and the role of business in society.
Download Ethisphere’s full interview with Heineman, which was featured in the Q2 Issue of Ethisphere Magazine.
