Since joining BASF Corp. in 2014, Matthew Lepore has, as one colleague put it, “sought to turn the billable hour on its head.” He reworked the company’s outside counsel agreement, helped navigate almost all outside counsel engagements to alternative fee arrangements, and, as a result, saw legal spend decrease by 47.9 percent in 2016, according to BASF. Lepore also has prioritized diversifying the department, and demanded similar efforts from outside counsel. And he’s pushed BASF to become involved in community outreach, especially legal clinics, in tandem with Volunteer Lawyers for Justice and Pro Bono Partnership.
How is the role of general counsel evolving, and how have you adapted?
