Globalization and its discontents – the all-lawyer conference to meld an international team

Take note of one more practice of the law department of Cummins, a $9.9 billion manufacturer of engines. According to Counsel to Counsel, Jan. 2007 at 4-6, each year the 21-lawyer department holds a conference for all of its lawyers, many of which are based in four countries other than the US. Although the article characterizes the conference as a session to bring attendees up-to-date on the law, it undoubtedly serves an important additional purpose: bringing members of the law department together and helping them become more collegial (See my posts of Sept. 22, 2005 and March 25, 2005 on law department retreats and offsite conferences.).