LEGAL
Eve A. Konstan, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Home Box Office, Inc.
Education: 1992: J.D., Columbia Law School; 1989: B.A., Eckerd College.
Career in brief: 1999–present: Home Box Office, Inc. (2014–present: Executive Vice President & General Counsel; 2008–2014: Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel; 2004–2008: Senior Vice President & Chief Counsel, Litigation; 2002–2004: Vice President & Senior Counsel, Litigation; 2001–2002: Senior Counsel, Litigation; 1999–2001: Associate Counsel, Litigation); 1992–1999: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Associate.
Location of company HQ: New York, New York
Primary industry sector: Media and entertainment
Revenues in the last financial year: $5.89 billion
Number of employees worldwide: Approximately 3,600
Number of attorneys worldwide: Approximately 60 attorneys, including those at our international subsidiaries and joint ventures
Law department locations: Our domestic attorneys are based in New York and Los Angeles. The attorneys who support our international subsidiaries are located around the world within those businesses.
How is the legal function structured? In the U.S., our attorneys are grouped by practice area. Most of the attorneys are part of the legal department, but certain practice areas report to their business affairs counterparts. Internationally, the attorneys report up through their business heads, and may be organized by practice area or geographical location.
How do you measure and improve productivity and success within the law department? We measure our success, in the first instance, through feedback from other departments. If we are not exceeding their expectations in how we are providing legal support, we are not successful, despite what any formal metrics might indicate. I regularly check in with the stakeholders to ensure that we are doing everything we can to deliver world-class legal service. Our business people will certainly let me know if we are not meeting their expectations. Thankfully, that does not happen very often. We also consider other, more objective measures, such as the number of deals concluded, litigations and claims resolved, and of course performance against our budget.
How does the law department avoid being perceived as the “office of no” while still ensuring it helps the client avoid liability? Our attorneys work very closely with the business teams they support, and are typically engaged at the start of a matter or transaction. This ensures that they understand the business goals and objectives, and can determine early in the process if there is legal, compliance, or reputational risk. We make a conscious effort to ensure our business people know that we are committed to working with them, and that we rarely will simply say “no.” Rather, in the vast majority of cases, we partner with them to assess risk and find a solution that works for everyone.
How do you align the incentives of external law firms with the objectives of the law department? A key step is to develop deep, long-lasting relationships with external firms so that both the firms and the legal department understand that there is more at stake than simply the outcome of a single assignment.
What three things does a law firm need to do to impress you? First, know our business. Understand at least the basics of what we do so the advice is specific to our company. Second, be responsive. If we are calling or emailing outside counsel, it means we want an answer. If it is not time sensitive, we will let you know. Third, offer practical advice. We are hiring outside counsel because the issue is complicated. We do not need to be told that, and we want to work towards a solution.
If not an attorney, what would you wish to be? I wanted to be an attorney from a very young age, and there is still nothing I would rather do. Being an attorney allows for a lot of variation. I never imagined when I started out that I would end up working in this industry. That is true for many of the attorneys I know.
What is the best career advice you have ever received? Focus on the role that you have, and exceed expectations in every aspect of it. Too often, people are thinking about a role they would like to have, rather than focusing on what they should be doing today. Being forward thinking is an important part of career planning, but it should not interfere with ensuring excellent execution in your current role. Success breeds success, while lack of focus, even on small tasks, can derail it. The most successful people I know have excelled at every position throughout their careers.
What one piece of advice would you give to a prospective general counsel? Make sure you have the right people in the right roles within the legal department. This will allow you to take on additional responsibilities, broadening your areas of expertise, which is critical to becoming a general counsel.
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