FORTUNE
HOLDING STEADY Despite widespread economic insecurity the number of minority general counsel at Fortune 500 companies held steady this year at 43. T e overall trend for minority general counsel in the Fortune 500 is positive, though, with their numbers increasing by six since 2008. Just as encouraging, female minorities continue to make impressive gains at the nation’s biggest companies, with their numbers almost doubling from eight in 2009 to 15 in the 2011 Fortune 500 list. While men of color will no doubt increase in the future, female minorities, who have been woefully under- represented as general counsel to Fortune 500 companies, may drive growth in the years to come. More than a third of all minority general counsel on this list are women, a sharp increase from the 21 percent of just two years ago.
43 COMPANIES ON THE 2011 FORTUNE 500 LIST EMPLOYED MINORITIES AS GENERAL COUNSEL
A tough economy and high unemployment have hit minori- ties especially hard, but when solid growth and robust hiring returns, we will hopefully see minorities continue their advance in the legal departments of the biggest and best companies in the United States. D&B
PROF IL E PAUL E T T E DODSON 38
SARA LEE CORPORATION GENERAL COUNSEL AND CORPORATE SECRETARY
“When you’re a lawyer in a corporation you can’t just give legal advice and walk away,” Dodson says. “It’s important to solve the problem, do what you can to stop it from happening again, and fi gure out what about the culture allowed for the problem to arise in the fi rst place. In-house lawyers are uniquely poised to make these observations.” While Dodson frequently gives counsel, she takes
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some too. Several years ago, she came across one par- ticular piece of sage advice inside a fortune cookie: “The wise person focuses on not just knowing everything but everybody.” Dodson took this message to heart when she started at Sara Lee as chief counsel of North American Operations for the multi-billion dollar global manufacturer and marketer of brand-name products. “When I came to Sara Lee’s Illinois headquarters in 2007, there was no one I didn’t bore with my questions. Whether it was the head of sales for a big customer like Walmart or someone lower on the totem pole, I tried to learn everything I could from them. To be effective you must acknowledge what you need to know and go after it.” Prior to Sara Lee, Dodson spent 14 years with the Tribune Company, where she was assistant general
s Paulette Dodson, the newly named General Counsel of Sara Lee Corporation, sees her job, it’s not just to offer recommendations, but resolutions.
counsel responsible for managing the legal affairs for the operating units of the publishing business throughout the United States. And though she enjoyed her tenure with the company, Dodson felt it was time to parlay the skills she learned there into another area. “Working in media, I learned to be comfortable in crisis, juggle varying issues, and to stand my ground when arguing with hard-hitting reporters—all of which help me today in the pressured world of management.” At 14, Dodson left her grandmother’s home in her
native Jamaica to join her mother in New York City. She completed high school—something her mother and grand- mother had not done—and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from City College of New York followed by a law degree from Cornell Law School. “This may sound a little canned but it’s actually true: I was initially drawn to the law when I fi rst noticed how much good lawyers can do for society. In the midst of unique challenges, most communi- ties call on lawyers to head task forces and truth commis- sions. After all, lawyers are agents of change and given the opportunity we can affect society in positive ways. And yes, I am idealistic.” Dodson’s enduring optimism and dedication are
refl ected in her attitude when she says “we can all make a difference through our work,” and in her actions. She sponsors Sara Lee’s Minority Forum, an employee affi n- ity group focused on the success of Sara Lee’s diverse employees, because, Dodson says, “lawyers are sup- posed to be public servants. We have a responsibility to give back. As a woman of color, I feel particularly obligated to pay back the people who opened doors for me and the way I do that is by offering opportunities to the next generation.”
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
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