America' s Best Corporate Law Firms - Second Quarter 2010

Cover Story

Picking the right outside counsel has never been so important, given the enormous number of new rules and regulations affecting corporate governance. But even though the heat is on to select the best, the 340 directors who voted in this year’s survey showed an impressive consistency with how they cast their ballots in previous years.

Second Quarter 2010

Features

Biggest Firms in 25 Metro Areas
Meet the biggest corporate law firms in the country’s 25 leading markets.

The GCs' Top 20 Firms
How general counsels rank the top firms in the nation.

Six Great General Counsels
Curtis H. "Hank" Barnette, a pioneer in the profession who faced unprecedented challenges, is the 2010 winner of our Lifetime Achievement Award. We honor his work and that of five other exemplary performers.

On Top of Their Game
There’s a lot of great in-house legal talent, notably the 10 men and women identified here. All have made their mark on their profession and across the wide spectrum of companies—including Facebook and Morgan Stanley, Intel and Humana—that they serve as general counsel.

General Counsels Keep Their Cool
The 252 GCs in the 2010 Corporate Board Member/FTI Consulting survey are a laid-back bunch. The majority aren’t that concerned about issues that have many board members and top managers tearing their hair, notably executive compensation. But nearly half fret about governance and compliance and what they pay their outside law firms.

Legal Briefs
The insider guide to corporate law spots trends, pokes a little fun, and offers timely, practical advice directors can use.

Ready for a 30-something Director? How About a 20-something?
Yes, these boardroom newcomers are often brash—but that's no surprise, given that many of them are there to represent the interests of hedge funds and other big investors. Cockiness aside, they can be good for business.

Your Board Seat is at Risk. Here's How to Defend It
Don't count on your reelection to the board to be the shoo-in it once was. Reforms mean that your performance as a director is under closer scrutiny than ever before, and it's become a lot easier for dissidents to mount a challenge. Now's the time to show shareholders you've been earning your keep.

Plus: What's Next for Caesar's Wife?
You're More Litigation-Proof Than You May Think

Could You Survive a Wiretap?
It's not only Uncle Sam who might be listening in on your phone conversations; your company may be eavesdropping as well. So watch what you say—and to whom you say it.

Departments

On Board
Mind Your Blackberry Manners

Let's Play Eternal Debt

Return of the China Syndrome

How to Find a Ghostwriter

Before We Adjourn
The Art of the Apology

Opening Statement
Think Your Board Seat is Secure? Think Again