In Their Own Words: Corporate Counsel Speak Out

Michelle Behnke, CUNA Mutual

"When I was in private practice, I did not mind the obligation to participate in client-generation activities. But in today's climate, clients bounce around . . . So, I'm glad I don't have to wake up and say, 'Who am I going to network with today or who will I get a referral from?'"

Mike Mulcahy, Gehl Company

"As outside counsel working with a company, you normally get a legal problem after the shoe has dropped. ... An inside lawyer is able to be familiar enough with the business to prevent legal issues from becoming problems."

Ron McCray, Kimberly Clark

"One of the toughest issues I've always struggled with is how to know that my skills are where they need to be for my experience level. When I was in private practice, I had five or six people I could talk to to get a sense of where I stood."

Kathleen Rivera,
Northwestern Mutual Life

"It's not that money is unimportant in the corporate setting. But it's less likely to be the end-all and be-all of the way you're judged or recognized for your contribution to the organization - and of the way you think about yourself."

Marv Strawn,
Firstar Corp.

"We tell people that if you come to work for us, you won't make the really big bucks, but you'll be well compensated. You won't have a steady diet of working late at night and weekends. And your lifestyle will allow you to devote time to interests other than your work."

Dean Zakos,
Modine Manufacturing

"Ethically you have to draw a line between business advice and legal advice. ... If you're not careful, you could lose your right to claim the usual privileges that shield your work."

Sigrid Dynek,
Kohl's Dept. Stores

"This company is much more complex today than it was when I arrived in 1991, and a lot of work of a legal nature has gone into that transformation. So not only do I have to live with my advice, but I can also grow with it."

Wisconsin Lawyer