In-house lawyers understand that they’re hired to represent the entity that issues their paychecks — not the company’s executives and other staff. But as evidenced by the grand jury testimony of two Penn State University officials, sometimes there can be a disconnect between how a company’s lawyers and constituents understand the relationship.
When former Athletic Director Tim Curley and former Vice President of Business and Finance Gary Schultz testified in the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse investigation on Jan. 12, they thought Penn State GC Cynthia Baldwin was their counsel. The men said as much in their testimony, and Baldwin — seated right beside them — did not correct what she later called a misinterpretation.
