Premium Subscriber Exclusive Content: An exclusive Texas Lawbook Q&A with MilliporeSigma senior counsel Christallyn Williams on challenges facing in-house counsel, her pet peeves about outside counsel and what lawyers need to know about her if they want her business.
Texas Lawbook: What do you see as the most important legal and business issues facing corporate legal departments such as yours in the year or two ahead?
Christallyn Williams: One positive result of the pandemic is that many have experienced the benefits of working from home. For many, working at home provides an opportunity to balance your personal and working life in the physical and psychological safe space of your home. I’ve worked remotely since 2013. I think legal departments and businesses are going to have to embrace alternative working arrangements moving forward to recruit and retain the best and the brightest talent.
Lawbook: What do you look for in hiring outside counsel?
Williams: I expect our outside counsel to reflect and value our commitment to diversity. I also look for outside counsel that will proactively identify issues that we have not considered and are able to clearly communicate advice in an accessible manner.
Lawbook: Do you have pet peeves regarding outside counsel?
Williams: I prefer that when outside counsel provide responses that I can take their feedback straight to the business if desired. It is disappointing to receive a long and overly complicated response that I then have to translate for my internal clients.
Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about you?
Williams: I like people who are very smart but do not take themselves seriously!
For Mark Curriden’s full profile of Christallyn Williams Click Here.
Lawbook: How important is diversity in your hiring of outside counsel? Have you ever fired a law firm for its lack of diversity or would you under what conditions?
Williams: The diversity of our outside counsel is paramount because the research is well established that diverse teams produce better outcomes and are better positioned to problem solve. I have not had to part ways with outside counsel for lack of diversity. For an existing relationship, I would only do so if it was clear over a reasonable amount of time that no meaningful progress was attempted or achieved. I view the need for progress as a partnership and shared commitment.
Lawbook: As law firms and corporate legal departments struggle with diversity, what do you think are the two or three most important elements to achieving diversity and inclusion?
Williams: I think we need to make sure we are attracting the best and brightest through inclusive recruitment efforts, then once they hired, foster an inclusive climate that allows them to feel valued as part of the team, and finally be intentional about offering them choice and stretch assignments to better position them for promotion.
Lawbook: What do you like to do for fun?
Williams: I have a real passion for personal finance, so I really enjoy managing my money and empowering others with financial literacy. I have taught classes to high school students on this topic and I am currently a financial coach for students from my alma mater (Stanford) through a program called “Mind Over Money.” I love Warren Buffett. He once shared that his dad was the kind of person who knew why he did what he did and that was enough for him. It’s one of the principles I live by. Also, I have three kids (ages 6, 4 and 4 months) who are so much fun and they are already investors!