Education: 1992: J.D., The George Washington University Law School; 1986: B.A. (International Relations), Stanford University.

Career in Brief: 2007–present: Symantec Corporation, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary; 2002–2007: Phoenix Technologies Ltd., Chief Administrative Officer, Senior Vice President & General Counsel; 2000–2002: Narus, Inc., Vice President & General Counsel; 1998–2000: Symantec Corporation, Director, Legal; 1992–1998: Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro, Corporate Associate.

Location of Company HQ: Mountain View, California.

Primary Industry Sector: Cybersecurity.

Revenues in the Last Financial Year: $6.7 billion.

Number of Employees Worldwide: 11,400, after the divestiture of our Veritas information management business from our security business.

Number of Attorneys Worldwide: 60 (post-divestiture).

Law Department Locations: Our primary locations are Mountain View, California, Reading, UK, and Singapore. We also maintain staff in other Symantec office locations as needed to support the business on a global basis.

How is the legal function structured? Our Legal & Public Affairs Department (LPA) is organized on the basis of a blend of functional and geographical responsibilities. The senior staff members reporting to me each manage one or more of these areas of responsibility and the respective teams, covering approximately 20 functions in total. In addition to traditional legal functions involving corporate, commercial, and compliance activities, LPA also manages corporate responsibility, diversity and inclusion, trade compliance, brand protection, and government affairs.

How do you measure and improve productivity and success within the law department? Each year we establish Priorities to Improve (PTI) aimed at further strengthening LPA’s foundation and our contributions to the success of the company. The PTI for our most recent fiscal year cover a wide range of specific goals including, for example, the development of new training modules, attainment of compliance training targets, increasing the diversity of our workforce, and supporting key initiatives such as the divestiture of Veritas. All of these PTI roll up to higher-level company goals to ensure that our efforts are closely aligned with the business.

How do you align the incentives of external law firms with the objectives of the law department? We manage a set of preferred law firm providers with which we have negotiated rate agreements. These arrangements are volume based and we make sure the law firms understand that the opportunity to increase the work assigned to them depends on their ongoing ability to deliver timely, high-quality, and cost-effective support to us.

While our preferred providers receive most of our attention, we also engage many other law firms to meet specific needs, whether it is for their particular domain expertise or geographic location. To continue their work with Symantec, we encourage the same level of performance from all providers.

What three things does a law firm need to do to impress you? There is a wealth of legal talent in Silicon Valley and we have many options available to meet our needs. We find it helpful that some law firms have the resources to hold breakfast briefings and other no-cost events to share knowledge of current trends and best practices in relevant areas of law.

As for the law firms that we currently engage, it is notable when they gain knowledge of our industry, understand the unique challenges we face, and “walk the talk” by proactively collaborating with us in addressing our needs, whether it be in helping to manage a major project or simply by providing relevant and timely advice.

If not an attorney, what would you wish to be? I have always had a strong interest in international affairs, so I believe I would have enjoyed working in a diplomatic capacity with the opportunity to influence our relations with other nations around the world. Particularly in these turbulent times, there is no shortage of opportunities and need for individuals to serve in these important roles.

What is the best career advice you have ever received? Early in my career, a partner encouraged me to always be mindful of opportunities to learn and seek out new engagements as a means to build my skills and develop the experience needed to be successful in my career. Adhering to this advice has been very beneficial to my development and ability to contribute. This advice has also made the practice of law a truly exciting and fulfilling journey.

What one piece of advice would you give to a prospective General Counsel? We live and work in a very fast-paced and dynamic environment with many competing views and priorities, yet a General Counsel should have a steady hand and serve as a trusted guide. To be consistently successful in this role, you should always stay true to your character, rely on your broad experience to exercise sound judgment, and keep an open mind, which you will need to continually learn and improve your skills, in order to contribute to your team and your company.