Last year, in “Yes, Now IS the Right Time to Add Headcount” (GC Mid-Atlantic, March 2009), we explored the reasons many corporations were bucking current hiring trends and bringing on more legal staff. Not in extravagant numbers, mind you, but strategic hires they considered necessary for their continued success, both in their industry niche and the overall marketplace.
These companies recognized the wisdom, backed by several respected studies, in not “ducking and covering” while the economic tsunami did its damage, but staying on course and not allowing their competitors to gain an advantage. They were thus able to pick up some key talent, support those already on staff, rein in costs where they could, and ensure that their department would be ready when the fiscal clouds lifted.
