A Profile
in professionalism drafting contracts. To some, professionalism may well be summed up in the imprimatur of zealous representation. We, on the other hand, believe that many a meaningless billable hour has been spent in the name of that same zealous representation. As such, to me professionalism reflects neither purity of legal logic nor the elegance of cogently drafted but impenetrable documents, but rather a laser-like focus on value in the delivery of legal services while maintaining an unyielding ethical compass. Perhaps our profession is slowly transforming our society into a victim of the machines we built and are charged with operating. Our endless dissection of concepts, rules and legal morass are Jeffrey W. Carr Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary FMC Technologies Inc.
The Houston Lawyer
“W
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interesting of course to us as members of the bar, but of little, if any, usefulness to our customers. Compliance with all applicable laws is onerous
e are are not lawyers”—to
and well-nigh impossible. Regulatory “protec-
many, this first sentence of
tions” cause us to wonder who precisely is being
our legal team’s vision state-
protected.
ment may be patently absurd,
We must step back and ask ourselves as mem-
frightening or simply anathema. That statement
bers of this honorable and respected profession
goes on to say “We are business people with legal
if that respect is still deserved. After all, there
training forged into a cohesive legal team com-
aren’t all that many cruel-hearted, sarcastic doc-
mitted to success... through focused effective-
tor jokes. For when we stop focusing truly on the
ness, relentless efficiency, constant improvement,
client’s interests and focus instead on protection
creative disruption and unyielding integrity.”
of our own prerogatives, then we have truly lost
The point of these two statements is to force-
our way. At the very least we risk professional ir-
fully assert that we intend to look at each situ-
relevance as customers flee to solutions that we
ation from the client’s point of view, from their
no longer provide at a value proposition that they
perspective, from the eyes of the customer. We
can no longer endure.
are here to assist them in achieving their legiti-
True professionals never forget that it is the cli-
mate objectives—not to answer interesting ques-
ent and not the practitioners that are deserving of
tions of law, to win cases, or to seek perfection in
the protection of professionalism.
March/April 2011
thehoustonlawyer.com