Editor’s note: The development of dot-com companies in Texas provides not only a new market for work for Texas firms, but new career opportunities for lawyers. But in some ways, the general counsel at Internet-related companies are feeling their way through a dynamic new world where the ground rules for doing business are evolving. Texas Lawyer brought together seven in-house lawyers at Texas Internet-related companies for a roundtable discussion on March 10, where they talked about some of the issues facing dot-coms, such as privacy on the Internet, and old problems with a new twist, such as how to deal with aggressive business people. The discussion has been edited for length and style.
Brenda Sapino Jeffreys, senior reporter, Texas Lawyer: These are companies in the new economy. What legal issues are you facing that you think are different from what you would if you were at a more traditional, old-economy company? … Are the business people relying on legal advice in any different way than they would at a traditional company or a company that’s not Internet related? Any thoughts on how different your job is because of where you are?
