Law firm preferred providers. Alternative fees. Diversity. If you want to bone up on most of the innovations in the modern American legal department, just Google the name “Tom Sager” and follow the links. Sager has been the consummate corporate and general counsel.
Sager is an institution, and as close to an in-house icon as can be (his closest reputational equal could be Ben Heineman, formerly of General Electric Co.). After holding various in-house jobs at E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. in Wilmington, Sager became the company’s litigation chief in 1998 and was promoted to general counsel in 2008. But even icons need to take a break. So Sager is retiring in August, ending a decades-long career at DuPont. Editor in chief Anthony Paonita interviewed Sager soon after his retirement was announced. An edited version of their conversation follows.
