Felix Ehrat
Group general counsel
Novartis
In July last year Novartis unveiled an overhaul of its ‘Legal Preferred Program’, which involved reassessing its panel of law firms. Led by group general counsel Felix Ehrat – a former senior partner at one of Switzerland’s most prestigious firms – the panel comprises 25 firms divided into four groups – global firms, US country firms, US country specialist firms and US country specialist intellectual property firms.
Ehrat says that most of Novartis’ legal budget, which fluctuates depending on volumes of litigation, is spent on panel firms. This is despite having an extensive in-house team of more than 700 attorneys (including ‘general legal’ attorneys, patent attorneys, patent agents and compliance officers).
‘We believe that an in-house legal department has to be able to handle highly complex matters from a position of leadership, that it has to be renowned for its quality work and to be attractive for the best legal talent available,’ he says. ‘However, we are also convinced that the interests of the company in the legal and compliance fields can best be safeguarded with strong and smart partnerships with the best available outside law firms.’
Law firms used: preferred law firm panel contains multitude of international and US firms but the preferred global firms are:Allen & Overy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Linklaters, Morrison & Foerster, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
2011-present: Group general counsel, Novartis 2003-11:Senior partner and executive chairman, Bär & Karrer
1992-2003: Partner, Bär & Karrer
1987-92: Solicitor, Bär & Karrer