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During her three decades practicing law, Victoria Lazar has designed and negotiated multibillion-dollar, high-profile M&A deals for corporate giants like Electronic Data Systems and General Electric. Even as a young lawyer, she worked on the separation of EDS from General Motors in what was at the time the largest IPO in history.
She’s now chief legal officer of international energy and technology services provider TechnipFMC, and on Jan. 13, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook will present Lazar with the 2021 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Mark Curriden had a chance to chat with Lazar about her perceptions of the job of corporate counsel.
Texas Lawbook: What are the biggest challenges moving forward for GCs and in-house legal departments like yours?
Victoria Lazar: How to manage risk in a “remote” world. I worry a lot about keeping company culture, making sure people are reporting things as they should, etc. Also, the remote working environment has changed things a lot – especially for training and development. Besides that, embracing changes in how we work with artificial intelligence, etc. so that we keep up on delivery of services to our clients, while maintaining the very close relationships that can help push the business forward. The latter balanced with fulfilling our basic gatekeeping function.
For Mark Curriden’s full profile of Victoria Lazar Click Here.
Lawbook: What do you look for in hiring outside counsel?
Lazar: Deep understanding of the company, technical expertise, being “fit for purpose” – choosing the right firm for the right task. Good communication skills balanced with objectivity in advice.
Lawbook: Do you have pet peeves regarding outside counsel?
Lazar: Getting a 40-page memo when a brief answer will work just as well.
Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about you?
Lazar: I am demanding but fair. I will ask questions, maybe a lot, and appreciate the dialogue.
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?
Lazar: It is important, but equally important is who gets credit for the origination of the work. I haven’t, but I might consider it in the future if circumstances warrant.