Proactive Law for Managers

'Market volatility, regulatory uncertainty, the complexity of international relationships...these are critical issues for today's business managers and they demand innovative, flexible approaches to traditional legal solutions. This book offers unique ideas and insights that will significantly enhance the ability to compete and win.' -Tim Cummins, President, International Association for Contract & Commercial Management 'Using the frameworks provided in Proactive Law for Managers, our company has been able to seek new business advantages as we deal with a diverse range of legal - and non-legal - issues. Now, instead of waiting to confront legal issues only when we are faced with a legal problem, we take a more holistic, comprehensive approach to the law by using the Manager's Legal Plan, and the other practical tools outlined in this book, to develop and merge legal strategies into good business practices and focus on using them to gain a competitive advantage. It empowers our executives to address these concerns and pursue contracts and negotiations using a fresh and dynamic and absolutely essential business mindset and approach. This book challenges each of us to envision a considerably more productive state for our firm, one that requires our managers to proactively step in and take charge of business matters that have legal components or potential legal problems rather than simply delegating these issues to our legal department. Proactive Law for Managers is a fundamental book that addresses a critical component of any business and offers a comprehensive, step-by-step guide and other invaluable tools on a plethora of legal issues to gain a competitive advantage in your firm. It is a must-read for any manager and ultimately, it is essential for business success and should be incorporated into every company's legal and business strategy.' - Alyssa R. Martina, President and Publisher, Metro Parent Publishing Group 'For far too long, managers have tended to look at the law as a constraint on their activities. The odd thing is that money, plant and equipment can all be constraints, but managers tend to look at them as resources too. George Siedel and Helena Haapio do a great service to managers by brilliantly demonstrating how law, too, can be a tool for competitive advantage.' -Timothy L. Fort, Executive Director, Institute for Corporate Responsibility, Lindner-Gambal Professor of Business Ethics, George Washington University, USA 'In today's hyper-competitive business world, securing the upper hand is imperative for survival. Although many business students and professionals do not always consider creating a legal plan as a means of gaining an advantage, the Siedel/Haapio book vividly opens the readers' minds as to how this can be achieved.' - Robert J. Aalberts, J.D., M.A., Ernst Lied Professor of Legal Studies, University of Nevada, USA 'George Siedel and Helena Haapio have written a wonderful tutorial on how to conduct a well structured review of a company's (global) legal risks and opportunities, and then develop a proactive business law strategy to maximize management's return on legal investment dollars.' -Tom Highley, CEO of Tenon Limited, Auckland, New Zealand 'Proactive Law for Managers ... provides an excellent framework to help managers and business students think more clearly about potential legal issues as well as issues that have already entered the legal arena. The four-step process, called the "manager's legal plan," expands the executive's perspective beyond just dealing with an immediate legal problem to a more comprehensive understanding of the broad implications of legal trends and company responsibilities. The book incorporates many practical applications to common problems facing managers, such as product liability, contract negotiations, and protection of intellectual property. The authors argue that, when acting upon such a broad understanding, the firm will more effectively create and sustain its competitive advantage. I wholeheartedly agree and recommend this book to managers and students who want to deal more proactively with legal challenges.' - Dr Jeanne M. Logsdon, Regents Professor & Rust Professor of Business Ethics, Anderson School of Management, University of New Mexico, USA 'The book provides an excellent framework to help managers and business students think more clearly about potential legal issues as well as issues that have already entered the legal arena. It incorporates many practical applications to common problems facing managers, such as, product liability, contract negotiations, and protection of intellectual property.The book is a must-read for any manager and should be incorporated into every company's legal and business strategy to ensure a successful business.' Madhu Sahni: Editor, Journal of Intellectual Property Rights