Business of Law Podcast-Jon Palmer talks about teaming outside counsel

Jon Palmer (Associate General Counsel of Litigation at Microsoft Corporation) talks with Jason Barnwell (Assistant General Counsel of Legal Business, Operations, and Strategy at Microsoft Corporation) about his experiences in big law firms (1:30), his path to Microsoft (4:00), how and why he partners multiple outside counsel on complex matters (6:30), how he manages outside counsel lawyer personalities by selecting for certain traits (13:30), the importance of focusing on what is best for our client (25:45), when teaming multiple firms works best (31:45), structural challenges to innovation at law firms (42:00), and his business case for diversity (45:30).

The “MYQ” referenced in this episode is part of Microsoft’s Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (“CELA”) department’s strategy development process. Cross-discipline virtual-teams are dispatched to research future focused questions, write five page memoranda, and deliver their results to the department’s leadership and invited business guests.