InsideCounsel » August 2008
More From the MVPs
To read the full story on MVP general counsel, click here.
Our MVP rookie general counsel had a lot to say. Here is some further insight and inside information that we couldn't fit into the printed story.
Kristen Campbell, GC of Staples, describes her role in the company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives.
“One of the things my predecessor had done was set up a very strong foundation for CSR. That’s one of the areas I’m responsible for, specifically the ethics and compliance piece but also our sustainability and environmental pieces. I have two pieces of the four cornerstones of Staples Soul [the company’s corporate responsibility initiative, which also includes Community and Diversity divisions], but they really can’t be separated. I think it’s really one of the greatest elements of our company in terms of achievements.
“One of the things we’re really starting to see is how CSR efforts really connect to the bottom line. Not only is it the right thing to do in my view, but it’s very good for business. We’re finding that it’s feeding directly into the way we run our corporate governance practices, which is clearly one of my direct responsibilities. We’re seeing our customers and our employees and our shareholders, effectively all of our stakeholders, not only demanding this but being very pleased with the efforts that they’ve seen us make in the corporate social responsibility realm.”
Jennifer Daniels, GC of Barnes & Noble, explains how her department maintains a united front.
“I feel really strongly that a legal department, whether it’s a small one—and mine’s quite small—or a big one—and I managed a very large team at IBM—needs to give one piece of legal advice to the client. Legal advice isn’t always black and white—there are a thousand shades of gray in between. I think it’s really bad for a business to be able to forum shop among lawyers in a law department and get one answer from one lawyer and a slightly different answer from another lawyer.
