US giant Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr has hired General Electric's (GE's) former legal chief, Ben Heineman. Heineman recently stood down after 18 years at GE. He was widely regarded as a pioneer in terms of building up a major in-house legal function and was also one of the US' best-paid general counsel for years. Heineman takes on the part-time role of senior counsel.