Rhythms of Law

Outside my office is a tidal marsh. It’s a calming influence on my day because no matter what frenzies and frictions may occur in the office, the marsh steadily follows its own pace, breathing the tides in and out at an unvarying cadence.

It occurs to me that the various disciplines of law also have their own internal tempo, and the job of the General Counsel is often like that of an orchestra conductor- to harmonize the internal rhythms of the in-house practice.

The commercial practice has a tidal pace, with the flow of deals arriving in (reasonably) predictable waves at the end of a month or quarter, and then ebbing at other times.

Litigation and disputes are like thunderstorms; we can hear their rumbles before they reach us, but they arrive with a sudden lightening fury, and usually pass quickly after soaking us with their downburst of activity.

The corporate governance practice has a metronomic beat; the schedule of this practice is measured by the days of the calendar- two days to file Form 4’s, four days to file 8K’s, dividend notice dates, proxy filing dates- same time each year, annual meeting to follow.

The goal, I imagine, is to keep pace with the beat of the company’s business, manage the occasional syncopated timing, and in so doing, support the harmonious workings of the enterprise.