Two years ago NetApp Inc. started restructuring its law department to better support its rapid growth. The data storage and management company, which saw its revenue climb from $4 billion to $5 billion last year, had aligned its GC position directly under the CEO and, in August 2010, had brought in Matthew Fawcett to fill it. Within a year the new legal chief had not only revamped the department but drafted a formal pro bono policy to encourage lawyers to get involved in their community.
We like what we see; the changes have paid off. In-house lawyers at the company have kept in step with NetApp through nine consecutive quarters of 20 percent growth. And when the Sunnyvale, Californiabased company bought LSI Corporation’s storage array business last year for $480 million, NetApp’s lawyers were ready. The deal required carving out properties and assets from multiple jurisdictions across the globe. NetApp’s lawyers put in long hours to secure the transaction, which added in excess of 100 patents to the company’s portfolio.
