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CCCA_V4No1_Secondments-FIN.qxd:CCCA_V1No1_DriversSeat-FIN.qxd 2/3/10 11:59 AM Page 18 Cover Bradley Wells Associate, Ogilvy Renault [right] Elisabeth A. Campin Legal Counsel, General Motors of Canada Ltd. [left] n-house counsel often gripe that their outside counsel don’t fully under- stand their business. Establishing in-house secondment placements for out- side counsel can help bridge the knowledge gap and give external counsel Ithe experience they need to provide more pragmatic, tailored advice. Secondments can also help an in-house legal team with special projects and cover for parental leaves. What’s more, secondments are an excellent way to forge stronger relationships with external law firms. Secondments are not a new idea.British barristers first used secondments some- time in the late 19th century.Yet the concept of secondments has been slow to take hold in Canada.We canvassed several in-house counsel and lawyers who went on MARK STEGEL secondments to uncover how to run a successful in-house secondment program. 18 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association SPRING 2010