Texas Lawbook: What are the biggest challenges facing GCs in Texas today?
Richey Wyatt: In highly regulated industries like ours, being able to navigate what we call “regulatory fluidity.” In short, regulatory change. All things AI. Legal departments should be on the leading edge within organizations on understanding the extraordinary array of areas impacted by AI/machine learning. For GCs like me, who are very much involved with human resource issues and culture, work from home and hybrid work programs continue to be tricky.
Lawbook: Are GCs still the conscience of a corporation? Should they be?
Wyatt: Ideally, no single person or position is the conscience of an organization. Consistently doing the right thing should be embedded in an organization’s culture, like muscle memory established through continual practice. The GC can be and should be instrumental in this, but it starts with the CEO. I am biased, but I think our organization exemplifies this.
Lawbook: What are the critical factors you or other GCs should consider when deciding about hiring outside counsel and what are the biggest mistakes that outside counsel make in their relationship with in-house counsel?
Wyatt: I think it’s generally a pretty simple formula: good chemistry, creative thinking and deep technical expertise. The biggest mistakes typically stem from poor communication.