Education: 1987: J.D., Duke University Law School; 1984: B.A., Duke University.

Career in Brief: 1997–present: The Home Depot (2012–present: Vice President & Deputy General Counsel; 2009–2011: Vice President & Associate General Counsel; 2002–2009: Vice President Legal; 1999–2002: Senior Corporate Counsel; 1997–1999: Corporate Counsel); 1993–1997: Dun & Bradstreet, Inc., Assistant General Counsel; 1989–1993: Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, Associate; 1987–1989: Mack & Bernstein, P.C., Associate.

Location of Company HQ: Atlanta, Georgia.

Primary Industry Sector: Home Improvement.

Revenues in the Last Financial Year: $88.5 billion.

Number of Employees Worldwide: Approximately 385,000.

Law Department Locations: In addition to Atlanta, our legal department has locations in California, Mexico, and Canada.

What is the total number of attorneys in the company worldwide, and how many focus on litigation? Home Depot has 55 attorneys, 30 of whom spend at least some time on litigation.

Where does litigation fall within the organizational structure? Litigation is handled by several different groups in the legal department.

How typical or unique is the scope of responsibilities for the company’s litigation attorneys? The scope of responsibilities for Home Depot’s litigation attorneys is fairly typical for an in-house legal department and largely involves managing litigation. It is important to underscore that managing litigation requires all the skill sets needed to litigate a case, in addition to a few others. Consequently, the attorneys who manage litigation for Home Depot have large and complex responsibilities.

What is keeping your department’s attorneys the busiest at the moment? Our litigators are always busy. We have a steady caseload encompassing the types and categories of litigation any large company would have, including every type of commercial litigation as well as general liability and employment litigation matters. Additionally, we are busy with litigation relating to the company’s data breach in 2014.

Have any recent legal developments changed the way your department operates? Like all litigators, we stay abreast of new developments and adapt our practice as necessary. Additionally, we keep the business informed of noteworthy trends.

What types of issues will cause you to turn to outside counsel? We generally turn to outside counsel for all litigation other than small claims matters.

What types of issues will cause you to push for alternative fee arrangements with outside counsel? We were an early adopter of alternative fee arrangements and won the ACC Value Challenge in 2011. We are entering our ninth year of having significant portions of litigation under alternative fee arrangements, and we are now using alternative fee arrangements for more than 70% of our legal work.

What three things does a law firm need to do to impress you? Be willing to listen and understand our business, have the ability and creativity to use substantive knowledge to develop real-world solutions, and exhibit self-confidence or, for lack of a better term, “grit.”

What is one mistake you made early on in your legal career and what did you learn from that experience? Years ago, during my first trial, I made the mistake of trying to completely emulate one of the partners I worked for. He very quickly pointed out my error and told me it would always work best to just be myself. That was one of the best pieces of career advice I have received.

What do you like most about litigation? In addition to the art and science of litigation, I like the inherent challenge of it. At the heart of every complaint and answer is a dispute. It is exhilarating to learn and apply the ever-developing law to varying fact patterns, and construct successful narratives and litigation strategies in that context. Defining your goal in litigation, and developing and executing the strategy to reach your preferred outcome, are almost as much fun as achieving a favorable result. I also enjoy the sheer variety of litigation. There is quite simply never a dull moment.

If not an attorney, what would you wish to be? I really enjoy being an attorney so it is difficult to think of other vocations that I might enjoy. If I had to choose, I would pick something different and more creative, such as a writer, poet, or playwright.

What one piece of advice would you give to prospective in-house litigation counsel? Be prepared to get to know the business, build relationships, and understand the importance of effective risk management.