Litigators who have moved to positions inside company legal departments have a trove of insights for Litigation Daily readers. They’ve landed the sorts of positions that lots of litigators grinding away on cases dream of—jobs where you’re interacting regularly with key company decision-makers, shaping litigation strategy, and, hopefully, informing company decisions so potential disputes don’t rise to the level of full-blown litigation in the first place. They’re often the folks calling the shots on hiring decisions on individual cases or batches of litigation—precisely the kinds of people you all want to hear from. 

It was with that in mind that I launched the Litigation Daily’s “In-House Litigation Leaders” series back when I took on the role of columnist three-and-a-half years ago. (Hoo, boy, does time fly!) This morning I want to highlight the five Q&As we did as part of the series last year. For one, I think the perspective they offer is worth revisiting. But, perhaps more importantly, this series is one where I lean most heavily on readers’ help for sourcing. Tracking down potential subjects for this project and getting them on the record is among the most labor-intensive tasks I’ve taken on in this role. At this point, I have a couple of these Q&As that have been in the works for years that haven’t come to fruition yet. Most of my successful outreach to folks in the series has come after Lit Daily readers in private practice have made an introduction. So, if you have suggestions for future interview subjects in the series, pass them my way at [email protected]. On to last year’s highlights …

Pauline Levy, Senior Counsel in the Litigation Department of McDonald's Corp. Courtesy photo Pauline Levy, Senior Counsel in the Litigation Department of McDonald’s Corp. Courtesy photo