General Counsel – An Interview with Paul Fredrick

Travelling internationally is an adventure for anyone, but for Paul, experiencing other cultures and societies via their laws, regulations and through business transactions or projects has been among the highlights of his career.  Having lived, worked, and travelled to six of the seven continents, Paul shares with us his journey and offers some thoughts and advice for lawyers aspiring to counsel clients and companies across the globe.

How has your career developed over the years?

During law school at Indiana University, I thought it would be beneficial to develop my skills in a law firm and then move in-house to establish an international practice and develop management skills.   During my early years of working in private practice in California, I resolved commercial disputes and defended clients from litigation in state and federal courts in the US.

From this work, I then started to look for opportunities that would allow me to become involved on domestic and international projects.  Soon, I was handling global corporate transactions, including large real estate developments.   As a result of that work, my Hawaii law firm seconded me in 1995 to the HQ of Itochu Corporation in Tokyo so I could advise on its international projects.  This was an exciting time to live in Japan.  After working in Tokyo for three years, including with a prominent Japanese law firm, Itochu Oil Exploration hired me as its first General Counsel to manage global energy projects.  That one-year contract went on for seven years as we expanded the international portfolio of Itochu.

In 2005, I returned to private practice to advise US and international clients on cross-border projects and M&A transactions in Asia and elsewhere globally.  In 2008, I joined Chevron Corporation and worked for seven years in Houston and Singapore handling commercial negotiations for transactions and projects in the US and internationally.  I enjoyed this work, which was cutting edge in many ways.  Then in 2015, Schneider Electric hired me as General Counsel for East Asia & Japan.

Having worked for American, Japanese, and French MNCs, along with major international law firms, I have been privileged to advise on matters in 40 countries and to work with sophisticated management teams.  This broad experience has equipped me to handle a variety of challenges that come my way.

I try to be a “servant-leader” and help colleagues to be motivated and energised about the work we do together.   I respect, empower, and trust colleagues to be productive and I listen to their ideas about efficiency for handling projects or transactions.

Describe a typical day of work for you.

My day usually starts by checking in with senior leaders, which helps me to set priorities for the day.  Then, I may spend time drafting agreements and handling negotiations, advising Business Units on liability/indemnity or finance issues, consulting with team members or commercial colleagues, and working to resolve compliance cases.

I am a big fan of “plain-English” contracts and enjoy developing templates that enable greater speed and efficiency on transactions.  I also make some time to read and connect with peers about industry and legal developments in the US and globally.  I have a network of connections in business and legal circles that provide insight into current issues and business solutions.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I try to be a “servant-leader” and help colleagues to be motivated and energised about the work we do together.   I respect, empower, and trust colleagues to be productive and I listen to their ideas about efficiency for handling projects or transactions.  We set a strategy and then collaborate with Business Units to fulfil their objectives.   We succeed as a team and their well-being is important to me as a manager.  There are regular updates calls and an annual meeting to learn together and share best practices to ensure we are continually improving.

Cybersecurity, data protection, and supply chain management are among my top concerns this year.

Having a diversity of viewpoints acquired from different life experiences will always strengthen the overall quality of a team and the work produced for our clients.  I have promoted diversity and inclusion in my leadership roles and actively seek opportunities to advance this.

What types of issues keep you up at night?

Cybersecurity, data protection, and supply chain management are among my top concerns this year. With more data being stored in the Cloud, lawyers need to support strong multi-layer security systems for companies and law firms. I led an initiative to encourage proactive, preventative efforts and collaboration with the IT Department to minimise the damage and loss caused by a cyberattack, which seems inevitable these days.  Cyber-attacks have increased in 2020 through phishing and malicious links as more employees work remotely and from home.

Yes, lawyers should be open to using AI and innovative technology more as it develops further.

I train employees about new laws in relevant jurisdictions regarding data protection and reporting obligations should a breach occur.   As these laws are constantly evolving, I work hard to stay current on all the enforcement requirements under the GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act, and the New York Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data (SHIELD) Security Act.  In all agreements that I advise on, there are comprehensive provisions that protect company IP and proprietary information.

What are your thoughts on the AI and other technology for the legal industry? Should it be embraced more?

Legal teams continue to process more work with fewer resources, so I always consider how to work more efficiently.   To the extent that AI or other legal technology enables me to process more work faster, then I am a huge proponent.  Over the years, I have embraced innovative technology for all kinds of projects such as subsidiary entity data management, predictive coding in e-discovery on litigation/disputes, and for M&A due diligence.

In recent years, I have served as an adviser to a non-profit martial arts entity in Singapore, a global health organisation in Indiana, and a non-profit in the US that provides education and health care to communities in Uganda.

Yes, lawyers should be open to using AI and innovative technology more as it develops further.  For various types of agreements, the ability of algorithms to review and analyse key provisions is impressive.  Technology for patent and e-court filings are also helpful for lawyers handling those types of matters.   Lawyers need to think about how professional or ethical requirements may require us to stay abreast of evolving technologies and AI that can be used in representing clients.  At the same time, we need to supervise and understand the limitations of certain tools being used along with confidentiality obligations when using AI.

Can you discuss any involvement in the legal community and on pro bono matters?

I enjoy participating in activities outside of the office.  Recently, I have spoken at seminars on the topics of compliance, law technology, managing a legal team, and dispute resolution.  I have also written about cybersecurity, data protection and international sanctions law.  Attorneys should want to share best practices with our peers and build a more connected and collaborative professional community.

Pro bono work is also personally important.  In recent years, I have served as an adviser to a non-profit martial arts entity in Singapore, a global health organisation in Indiana, and a non-profit in the US that provides education and health care to communities in Uganda.

I encourage younger lawyers, particularly those in-house, to learn the business of the client.  I cannot emphasize this enough.

Any advice that you would share with younger lawyers that has been beneficial for you?

Lawyers, at every level, should have good mentors and I encourage such mentors to be from both the legal and commercial side.  Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have quality mentors who provided helpful feedback along with great opportunities for professional development.  Such feedback and opportunities enabled me to develop as a leader and become a trusted, reliable partner when advising clients.  Building quality relationships and being open-minded to the views of others is important to work collaboratively and proactively as a team.

I encourage younger lawyers, particularly those in-house, to learn the business of the client.  I cannot emphasize this enough.  Quality advice is about more than a well-drafted contract or analysis of some law.  Effective communication skills, cultural awareness, and the ability to understand the commercial aspects of a business are vital.  Whether I am working on a project or transaction in the US or internationally, I actively listen to the goals and objectives to be accomplished and then stretch to “see around the corner” so I can grasp unspoken parts of a negotiation that may be important for a mutually beneficial conclusion.

Paul Fredrick

I am a US-educated lawyer and licensed to practice in Indiana, California, and Hawaii along with the federal court in Texas.  As General Counsel – East Asia & Japan for Schneider Electric, I lead a team of ten lawyers based in seven countries and manage legal, compliance, regulatory and litigation/dispute matters on almost $2 billion annually of operations in 15 countries. In all my roles in-house and in private practice, I have enjoyed supporting clients on transactions and projects as we worked together to achieve their business goals.