Ben Heineman, Jr.

Senior Fellow, Harvard Law School

From 1987-2003, Mr. Heineman was the Senior Vice President-General Counsel for General Electric. He then served as Senior Vice President for Law and Public Affairs until his retirement at the end of 2005. Mr. Heineman was responsible for managing a team of 1,100 in-house lawyers in over 100 countries around the world. Under his guidance, GE's legal department became world-renowned for its excellence, not only in legal service, but also for the major role that its attorneys play in business and management.

Prior to joining General Electric, Mr. Heineman was a managing partner at Sidley & Austin, focusing on Supreme Court and test case litigation. Previously, he served as Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation with the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Carter. Mr. Heineman began his career as a staff attorney for the Center for Law & Social Policy in Washington, D.C., and moved on to become a litigator at Williams & Connolly.

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The “Fixed Fee” Future of Law

As costs run away in the legal and medical industries, pay practices are going to change, explains Ben Heineman, a senior fellow at Harvard Law School.

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2 min

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Ben Heineman, Jr.

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The Worst Day at General Electric

When the Israeli press uncovered a scandal at America’s largest company, former general counsel Ben Heineman was on the case. The first lesson he learned: take your head out of […]

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3 min

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Ben Heineman, Jr.

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The Ethics of Global Sourcing

Legally, General Electric had no obligation to the overseas facilities they employed. That didn’t rid the company of a moral obligation, describes Ben Heineman, GE’s former general counsel.

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3 min

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Ben Heineman, Jr.