The author of Behind the Scenes in International Arbitration, Ugo Draetta uses his 30 years of experience as in-house counsel for General Electric and Fiat to bring you On the Side of In-House Counsel, written in the same anecdotal style. Draetta ended his career as Vice President - Senior Counsel - International for G.E., with responsibility for all the company’s legal issues outside of the U.S.

On the Side of In-House Counsel describes the various problems encountered by in-house counsel in defining their role in a situation where there are many manuals describing the role of other corporate functions (finance, treasury, sales, engineering, manufacturing), but none on the legal function.

Many companies, especially in continental Europe, do not have a legal operation and, when they finally hire a lawyer, he/she must perform a pioneering role. Company managers, who must properly utilize the legal function, will benefit from the book.

On the Side of In-House Counsel highlights the complex relations existing between an in-house counsel and his/her client, who is also his/her manager. Hence, the need for a personal chemistry without which an in-house counsel cannot efficiently operate.

The book also describes the managerial skills required of an in-house counsel when he/she is the head of a large legal operation and suggests the appropriate ways to solve issues, such as centralisation versus decentralization of the various company lawyers, and relationships with outside counsel and with the external world (Universities, Institutions).

The book ends with a plea for in-house counsel to become global lawyers in a global world, lead lawyers and, in the end, lawyer-statesmen.