Qwest and and Exemplary Legal Department (Part 2)

We have had an opportunity to comment on this Blog about the legal department at Qwest, the telecommunications company that has a large presence in this community.  Not long ago it was listed as the best in house legal department for 2008 by Corporate Counsel.   The general counsel, Rich Baer, survived the Joe Nacchio years and oversaw the transformation of the legal department. 

The consequences of presiding over a well run legal department are not always apparent but in the case of Qwest we've learned at least one of them.  The Qwest board recently announced a change in Baer's responsibilities.  As the announcement noted:  

• Rich Baer, 51, currently executive vice president and general counsel, will also now serve as chief administrative officer.   In addition to leading Qwest’s law department and the company’s risk management and compliance efforts, Baer will oversee public policy, federal relations, human resources, labor relations, corporate communications, the Qwest Foundation, corporate social responsibility, and sponsorships and events.

In addition to legal, therefore, Baer now supervises eight or so other offices.  In other words, one consequence of doing an exemplary job is that you are assigned more work to do.   Should the general counsel run these other offices as effectively as legal -- the likely result -- there may be additional "consequences."   Stay tuned.