The story of Wal-Mart’s bribery scandal in Mexico has a wide cast of characters, but a lot of the key players were in-house lawyers. As in many scandals, it can be hard to predict who will emerge with reputations intact. But according to the reporting in The New York Times, which broke the story in April, it’s at least possible to suggest a betting line.
The most prominent lawyer mentioned in the Times article is Thomas Mars, who was the general counsel of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in 2005, when top executives learned of the alleged bribes. He’s said to be one of a group of executives who refused to allow subordinates to hire a law firm to conduct a thorough investigation. (Mars and the other lawyers in this story did not respond to messages seeking comment.)
