Download Steering Committee Members - Association of Corporate Counsel

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FOR RELEASE – OCTOBER 17, 2011
MEDIA CONTACT:
Marthea Davis; +1 202.349.1519; [email protected]
THE ASSOCIATION OF CORPORATE COUNSEL ANNOUNCES NEW
‘ACC VALUE CHALLENGE’ STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Senior Legal Executives Join Global Effort to Ensure that Lawyers Deliver Value to their Clients
Washington, D.C. (October 17, 2011) –The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), announced today
the appointment of six new members to its ACC Value Challenge Steering Committee. With experience
and diverse backgrounds in the pharmaceutical, banking, social media, travel and retail industries, the new
members will join their eight in-house colleagues on the committee to lend unique insights and practical
guidance for in-house counsel and law firms seeking to improve processes and bridge the gap between
value and the cost of legal services.
The new ACC Value Challenge Steering Committee members include:
 Bob Harchut, Vice President & Associate General Counsel, GlaxoSmithKline
 Emily Jelich, Vice President, Assistant General Counsel, Royal Bank of Canada
 Eileen Kett, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Club Med
 Roberta L. Lang, General Counsel & Global Vice President of Legal Affairs, Whole Foods
Market Inc.
 Ellen Rosenthal, VP & Assistant General Counsel Litigation/Chief Counsel Pfizer Legal
Alliance, Pfizer Inc.
 Erika Rottenberg, Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, LinkedIn
The ACC Value Challenge, launched in 2008, has provided resources and training for in-house counsel
and law firm attorneys to help affect change within the legal industry. By re-aligning relationships and
promoting value-based fee arrangements and other management tactics, such as project management
process improvement, efficient use of technology and knowledge management tools, the market for the
delivery of legal services benefits from the same insights and wisdom upon which every other service
industry relies to provide world-class value to their customers.
“This esteemed group of in-house counsel will help us to further the efforts started in 2008 and to achieve
new milestones, including greater use of project management tools and innovative training programs,”
noted Elisa Garcia, ACC Value Challenge Steering Committee Co-Chair and Executive Vice President &
General Counsel, Office Depot, Inc. “And, the legal market is changing. Surveys show that 80% of U.S.
law firms and 80% of clients are now using value-based fee arrangements at least some of the time, and of
those, on average both firms and in-house counsel say 20% of their work is on this basis. Just three years
ago virtually no one was talking in terms of value.”
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The announcement of the new ACC Value Challenge Steering Committee members corresponds with
ACC’s soon-to-be launched initiative to identify, celebrate and publicize “ACC Value Champions,” a
recognition program to feature successful law department initiatives and firm/client collaborations under
the banner of the ACC Value Challenge. In this new phase of the initiative, the ACC Value Champions
will showcase individuals in departments and law firms who are making a difference for their
organizations through creativity and value-based legal management skills.
About the ACC Value Challenge: The ACC Value Challenge is an initiative launched to reconnect value
and cost for legal services. Under the direction of its 14-member Steering Committee, the ACC Value
Challenge develops methodologies and metrics that corporate counsel can use to assess the strengths and
weaknesses of law firms; creates tools for in-house counsel and firms to share; and enhances awareness
and communicates success stories in achieving value and alignment. For more information, visit
www.acc.com/valuechallenge.
About ACC: The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is the world’s largest organization serving the
professional and business interests of attorneys who practice in the legal departments of corporations,
associations and other private-sector organizations around the globe. ACC promotes the common
interests of its members, provides resources to help save time, money and effort, contributes to their
continuing education and provides a voice on issues of global importance. With more than 29,000
members in more than 75 countries, employed by over 10,000 organizations, ACC connects its members
to the people and resources necessary for both personal and professional growth. By in-house counsel,
for in-house counsel.® For more information, visit www.acc.com.
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Editor’s Note: For interview and/or photograph requests,
please contact Marthea Davis at [email protected] or +1 202.349.1519