Ben W Heineman Jr

June 06, 2013 | Corporate Counsel

Former General Electric Company GC Ben Heineman Jr. says that despite important roles for the board and top company leaders, it is ultimately the CEO who creates a robust culture that fuses high performance with high integrity.

By Ben W. Heineman, Jr.

9 minute read

September 22, 2008 | National Law Journal

If the relationship between a GC and CEO is so important, GC candidates should do careful due diligence on the CEO — and the company culture — before accepting a job, especially at a time when corporations are beset on all sides by critics and when an integrity lapse can have catastrophic effects.

By Ben W. Heineman Jr.

11 minute read

June 01, 2012 | Corporate Counsel

The government should take compliance programs into account when things go awry.

By Ben W. Heineman Jr.

9 minute read

May 01, 2006 | Law.com

GE's legendary general counsel explains how he revolutionized the company's legal department, and, in turn, the role of the in-house lawyer.

By Ben W. Heineman, Jr.

16 minute read

August 24, 2009 | Corporate Counsel

In these troubled economic times, fixed fees for particular legal matters have appeal for law firms and their corporate clients. Ben W. Heineman Jr., former GC for General Electric, and William F. Lee, co-managing partner for WilmerHale, strongly believe that this is an idea whose time has come. Fixed fees provide reduced billing hassles, more predictable cost to the client and more predictable payments to the firm. Heineman and Lee address how to set price with quality and achieve cost and value alignment.

By Ben W. Heineman Jr. and William F. Lee

9 minute read

May 26, 2009 | Corporate Counsel

The failure of nations to meet their anti-bribery commitments under the 1997 OECD Convention creates a substantial disadvantage for corporations subject to U.S. jurisdiction because the United States has the world's strongest enforcement program, says former General Electric GC Ben W. Heineman Jr. This disadvantage is especially troubling during a world recession, but a new administration in Washington creates an opportunity to have U.S. business voices heard and acted upon.

By Ben W. Heineman Jr.

10 minute read

June 01, 2009 | Corporate Counsel

The time is ripe for U.S. companies to press for global antibribery enforcement.

By Ben W. Heineman, Jr.

10 minute read

January 12, 2009 | Texas Lawyer

The rise of large, high-quality, global corporate law departments started more than 20 years ago. It was aimed, in part, at breaking up the "monopolies" that firms had with corporations. Using a range of initiatives from requests for proposals to auctions, in-house counsel sought to end these cozy relationships and introduce a measure of competition into the firm-client dynamic. The mantra of "lawyers, not law firms" was uttered so often that it became a cliché.

By Ben W. Heineman Jr.

10 minute read

October 01, 2009 | The American Lawyer

Two veteran lawyers say that clients and firms should consider fixed fees.

By Ben W. Heineman, Jr., and William F. Lee

8 minute read

January 29, 2010 | Corporate Counsel

It's that BAD little piece of news that every child doesn't want to hear — and heck, it can be really bad for companies too. But to whom should the chief compliance officer report — GC/CFO or to CEO/board?

By Ben W. Heineman, Jr.

9 minute read