About

‘I can’t place a dollar amount on the value the legal team brings. The value I calculate is the number of people that come up to us and ask legal questions who have not done so in the past. Our approaches have empowered people to come to lawyers in confidence, without the mystique that the legal department usually comes with’, says Mark Johnson, general counsel at Infusion, a computer software company that specialises in software engineering, design and consulting. Johnson has been in the legal field since 1998 and started his in-house career at Deutsche Bank Canada. Infusion’s leadership relies on Johnson and his team for legal advice on matters related to contracts, employment, policy writing, and in areas such as risk mitigation and deal facilitation. Legal functions aside, Johnson has been proactive in developing his other talents. He prides himself in having been part of the implementation of a variety of technologies to improve efficiency in the legal department. This has included changes to processes and procedures through contract work-flow systems employing a new document sharing site. He instituted e-signatures with DocuSign and a play book with standard positions and standard contract templates. Discussing the changes he has introduced to the legal department, Johnson says his approach has made people have more faith in the workings of the unit. ‘I believe that just enhancing the service quality of the legal department has had an impact on the company. People throughout the company are thinking of legal issues in their daily work. They understand the significance of legal issues. We’re no longer an afterthought or barrier; in fact we are a facilitator. I think that’s been the most significant change’. Johnson tells us that one of his aims is to try to overcome people’s fear of the legal department. He says: ‘My approach is to meet people in their offices get out there, convey the impression that the legal department is very approachable and here to help them run their jobs. That has always been a big challenge’. In 2012 Johnson presented a seminar on ethical challenges for in-house teams at the 2nd Annual In-House Counsel Summit held by the Law Society of Upper Canada.