About

The impact of the recession has seen homebuilder Pulte’s workforce reduce from over 16,000 to just over 3500. But not only has its legal team successfully worked to avoid litigation, it has maintained a high degree of efficiency thanks to Ellen Padesky Maturen’s willingness to embrace new technology. During her time at Pulte so far, she has implemented an array of initiatives, such as the use of a web-based alternative fee system that cut the company’s expenditure by around 30%. She also advocated the introduction of an interactive code of ethical business conduct, as well as a case management system, and a hotline and investigation tracking system. She says: ‘I enjoy solving potential business and legal issues before they even arise – I can “see around the corner” when risk to the company is lurking. I also enjoy counseling employees on potential ethical pitfalls, as I have seen the benefits to our company and shareholders of working with a CEO (Richard Dugas) that conducts Pulte business according to the highest ethical standards’. She is also understandably proud of the Pulte annual outside counsel summit she implemented in 2006. ‘Our outside lawyers nationwide gather annually to learn about our business and the “hot” issues keeping the legal team awake at night. I am most excited about our summit this year. We’ve added a community service project to the agenda, so we will truly partner with our outside lawyers to give back to the community’. She is widely acclaimed by third parties but is reluctant take all the credit: ‘Ultimately, I could not be as successful in my role without the leadership and support of Pulte’s General Counsel Steve Cook, who is truly a thought leader when it comes to law department management, reducing legal fees, and enterprise risk management’.