This week my conversation is with Carlo Cotrone, who is a Chief IP Counsel and frequent contributor to IPWatchdog, both our online publication and at our in-person programs. Carlo writes and speaks frequently about setting up, growing and managing in-house IP departments, and that is the focus of our conversation. You can listen to our full discussion wherever you get your podcasts (links here) or visit IPWatchdog Unleashed on Buzzsprout. You can also watch the video on YouTube.
During our conversation we discuss taking a holistic view to building an in-house ip team, which focuses on the IP strategy, the people, and operational aspects of building and managing an in-house ip team, including employees,, outside law firms and service providers, all working together in coordination to deliver high impact for the company. According to Carlo, if the legal department does not focus on a holistic approach too often what happens is not optimal. “It’s not going to really make sure that people are thoroughly flourishing to really have their power unleashed,” Carlo explains. “When you’ve got great people with good intentions working together you can surmount [difficulties], but it takes time and it takes a lot of sensitivity.”
During our conversation we discuss the need to guard against your in-house team falling into doing commoditized work, which gets in the way of your in-house team really partnering with the business and maximizing value for the company.
“Is your in-house team doing something that devolves into basically commoditized work, commodity work,” Carlo asked rhetorically. “That to me is the really the litmus test. Because in my view, you want your in-house people to be really partnering with the business, understanding the business, and if they’re spending a huge part of their time on work that really is work that could be efficiently or effectively handled in some other way, then you’re not tapping into their, their, their full talents. And over time, if you are staying clear of really ‘commodity work’, or at least minimizing that, then naturally in a dynamic business there will be opportunities and part of growth can come from doing new projects, partnering in new ways with an evolving business.”
We also discuss what Carlo refers to as “servant leadership”, and when he discusses the concept of servant leadership you can’t help but be reminded of the old saying about nothing being impossible to accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit. Carlo explains that this service-oriented mindset has allowed him to confidently and carefully navigate whatever issues arise in a thoughtful and intentional way. And it is “intentionality” that Carlo focuses on repeatedly in his writings, presentations and during this conversation, because as he explains constantly fighting fires is not the right way to do business. Sure, things need to be done and issues will arise, but to successfully lead you need to focus on the fundamentals, strategy, people, operations, and periodically reevaluate all of the above to ensure the ideas and plans you are trying to execute continue to make sense and everyone is rowing in the same direction and toward the same goals, ensuring that that status quo is not being accepted and the team is delivering what the company and internal clients deserve and require.
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