ACC supports ethical oath for in-house lawyers

The Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) is endorsing the General Counsel Oath. Drafted and spearheaded by Simon Zinger, group general counsel at Dentsu and an ACC member, the oath is an opportunity for general counsel and other in-house leaders to recommit to ethical conduct in their practice and pursue other actions to benefit their teams and organizations.

Following the unanimous vote by the Board of Directors, ACC chapters and networks will now begin sharing and highlighting the oath to their individual members as well. Modelled on the Hippocratic Oath, the General Counsel Oath initiative urges general counsel to “go beyond stated rules, codes and guidance to act with integrity, honesty, and… the highest ethical and professional values.” Additional signers to the oath include leaders from throughout the in-house community and support has been provided by a number of law firms and legal recruiters.

“The General Counsel Oath is a timely, critical reminder of our responsibilities as corporate counsel to our clients, our colleagues, and our communities,” said Veta T. Richardson, president and CEO of ACC.  “As lawyers and compliance professionals, we appreciate that our work is underpinned by ideals of fairness, justice and professional responsibility. But with so much volatility in business and around the world currently, I felt we needed something to refocus our attention and expand our efforts,” added Simon Zinger.