But even in cases where we use external consultants, we try to work very directly with the team and see ourselves as part of the team. We are actively integrated into lawyers. We do not just receive reports from outside companies about what is going on in the case. We feel like the architects of the strategy, we are the drivers of the result, and with our external companies, I think we get the best result because we bring a slightly different perspective, because we have a deep knowledge, not only of the law, but also of the problem and the business impact of the subject. “A lot of general counsel said they wanted more diversity, so we started looking at why that didn`t happen,” said Jennifer Lagunas of AbbVie. Schumacher, his predecessor in AbbVie`s highest legal role, has long been one of the highest-paid legal chiefs among publicly traded U.S. companies. She received more than $12.4 million in total compensation in fiscal 2021, according to a proxy circular filed by AbbVie earlier this year. Laura Schumacher is Vice President, External Affairs and Chief Legal Officer, member of the executive team and responsible for global legal affairs, health economics outcomes research, corporate brand and communications, and government affairs. Schumacher was appointed general counsel of Abbott Laboratories in 2005. She joined Chicago-based AbbVie following the 2013 Abbott spin-off and is now the company`s vice president of external affairs and general counsel.
LS: I expect all of my lawyers to be so active that they not only work with a law firm, but they also have their own perspectives and hopefully work with the outside law firm. But I would never consider any of my members of my legal team as a way to share information. If your only job is to tell me what an outside lawyer thinks, I can replace you with a phone. At the end of the day, I can pick up the phone and call outside lawyers and constantly understand what they`re thinking, but what I really want to know is what you`re thinking. Biopharmaceutical company AbbVie`s approach to legal diversity is simple. About AbbVieAbbVie`s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve today`s serious health problems and tomorrow`s medical challenges. We strive to make a remarkable impact on people`s lives in several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, ophthalmology, virology and gastroenterology, as well as the products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. “It`s hard to overstate the extraordinary impact Laura has had on AbbVie over the past 10 years,” Richard Gonzalez, the company`s president and CEO, said in a statement.
“While she is clearly one of the best lawyers in the industry and has led a number of complex legal and regulatory matters for us, her contributions to AbbVie go far beyond the legal department. Kirkland & Ellis was the lead M&A partner, McCann Fitzgerald was our Irish lawyer and Allergan was represented by Wachtell Lipton and Arthur Cox. To be able to remotely manage a $63 billion cross-border acquisition and negotiate with regulators and everything else is pretty amazing. She spoke to Bloomberg Law about her expectations for managing external consultants and AbbVie`s program, which mandates diversity in the partnerships of the firm`s leading companies. “If your only job is to tell me what an outside lawyer thinks, I can replace you with a phone,” Schumacher said. “I expect all of my lawyers to be so active that they not only work with a law firm, but they also have their own perspectives and hopefully work with the outside law firm. AbbVie said Siatis, who joined his predecessor Abbott in 2005 from DLA Piper, has developed and implemented “litigation, intellectual property and legal strategy” for several key enterprise products over the years, while advising on “significant transactions.” His compensation was not immediately available. Gonzalez called Siatis “an optimal choice to build on Laura`s successes.” Siatis has held several key positions within AbbVie`s legal group, including leading ethics and compliance programs, as well as strategic initiatives such as mergers and acquisitions, litigation, licensing and intellectual property, Gonzalez said. Laura Schumacher, Chief Legal Officer of AbbVie Inc., ensures that the in-house counsel who work under her direction act as architects of external consulting strategies and drivers of results, not just as a link between the legal department and the law firm. “It`s hard to overstate the extraordinary impact Laura has had on AbbVie over the past 10 years,” said Richard A. Gonzalez, president and chief executive officer of AbbVie. “Laura was instrumental in founding AbbVie in 2013 and helped shape the strategy, structure and culture that have made us successful as a company today.
While she is clearly one of the best lawyers in the industry and has led a number of complex legal and regulatory matters for us, her contributions to AbbVie go far beyond the legal department. I considered her a trusted strategic advisor and an invaluable colleague. The entire board joins me in wishing him the best of luck in retiring from the company. “We are fortunate to have a wealth of talent at AbbVie, and I am pleased to have Perry serve as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary,” Gonzalez continued. “Perry is the perfect choice to build on Laura`s success. Since joining AbbVie in 2005, he has been instrumental in our growth, leading our ethics and compliance programs, as well as strategic initiatives in areas such as mergers and acquisitions, litigation, licensing and intellectual property. I look forward to working even more closely with Perry. During AbbVie`s separation from Abbott, Ms. Schumacher built and led the company`s award-winning global legal function as well as all external functions, including communications, corporate marketing, government affairs, global philanthropy, ethics and compliance, as well as health economics and outcomes research. During his tenure at AbbVie, Schumacher was at the forefront of reinventing the relationship between companies and their outside lawyers, including diversity goals for law firms. The American Bar Association recognized his efforts to increase diversity at AbbVie and in the legal profession in August.
Perry Siatis, deputy general counsel at AbbVie, will succeed Schumacher as general counsel and corporate secretary after a transition period at the biopharmaceutical company. AbbVie was founded a decade ago by Chicago-based medical technology and healthcare giant Abbott. AbbVie promoted her to Vice President of External Affairs and Chief Legal Officer in 2018. Schumacher retained both positions two years later after the company completed its $63 billion merger with Allergan PLC, a maker of drugs such as Botox. In July, AbbVie`s Allergan reached a $2 billion settlement on the marketing of opioids. Perry C. Siatis joined Abbott Laboratories` legal department in 2005 and held a series of progressively responsible leadership positions at Abbott and then at AbbVie. During his more than 17 years with the firm, Mr. Siatis has led legal teams focused on finding innovative solutions to complex legal problems to better serve patients.