Ben W Heineman Jr

April 11, 2006 | Corporate Counsel

Retiring from General Electric after 18 years, the company's former GC, Ben Heineman, takes time to discuss GE's distinctive style of law department management and provides insight into the pitch he used to woo lawyers to GE from law firms. In addition, he notes that GE's law department will continue to address certain recurring issues, such as the dual role of in-house attorneys who face potential conflicts because of business leaders' wishes and their own obligations as legal representatives.

By Ben W. Heineman Jr.

16 minute read

November 24, 2009 | New Jersey Law Journal

Two veteran lawyers say now is the time for fixed fees.

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

9 minute read

September 29, 2008 | Corporate Counsel

Being GC, some would argue, is more fun, more interesting and more rewarding than being a senior partner in a law firm. But outside lawyers still have one advantage over GCs: They can fire the client much more easily. So if that relationship is so important, GC candidates should do careful due diligence on the CEO -- and the company culture -- before accepting the job, says former General Electric GC Ben W. Heineman Jr., especially when an integrity lapse can have catastrophic effects.

By Ben W. Heineman Jr.

11 minute read

April 01, 2007 | Corporate Counsel

Corporate counsel must guard their company�s reputation at the same time they have to work well with the business side. How should they reconcile these dual roles? GE�s former GC explains.

By Ben W. Heineman, Jr.

22 minute read

May 19, 2010 | Daily Business Review

Veteran lawyers Ben W. Heineman Jr. and William F. Lee say law firms should not just be run for the greatest possible economic return. Instead, law firm leaders must emphasize other values as they reorient their firms with respect to their clients, their partners and their associates.

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

10 minute read

July 01, 2011 | The American Lawyer

By By Ben W. Heineman, Jr., and David B. Wilkins

10 minute read

September 26, 2006 | Law.com

Helping to shape public policy of other countries is strictly the realm of government agencies, right? Wrong, according to Ben W. Heineman Jr., former GE senior vice president and GC. According to Heineman, transnational companies should integrate public policy and politics into business strategy when dealing with foreign countries, with overall responsibility for the task perhaps best left to the GC. Heineman also provides a glimpse of GE's policy practices in other countries, including China.

By Ben W. Heineman Jr.

15 minute read

January 01, 2010 | Corporate Counsel

Independence won't guarantee ethical behavior. Good culture will.

By Ben W. Heineman, Jr.

9 minute read

March 01, 2008 | The American Lawyer

Demoralized and dispirited, big-firm associates are defecting in droves. Here's what firms, and their clients, can do about it.

By Ben W. Heineman, Jr., and David B. Wilkins

10 minute read

March 29, 2007 | Corporate Counsel

The greatest challenge for general counsel is being both a partner to the business leaders and a guardian of the corporation's integrity, says Ben W. Heineman Jr., former GC for GE. Rather than becoming a yes-person for the business side or an inveterate naysayer excluded from core corporate activity, Heineman believes it's best to resolve the tension between the partner and guardian roles. He outlines key conditions relating to the GC, line lawyers, the CEO and the board that must exist for this to occur.

By Ben W. Heineman Jr.

18 minute read