Episode 3.21: From General Counsel to President: A Conversation with Joseph Blanco of Crawford & Co.
GC Series, Season 3 | Social Share
In this episode, Joseph Blanco discusses his previous role as General Counsel of Crawford & Company, where he now serves as President of the company. Crawford and Company, headquartered in Atlanta, is the world’s largest independent claims management company, with more than 700 offices in 70 countries.
Prior to his roles as President and General Counsel, Blanco was a former naval officer, and served as the managing partner for Dentons’ office in Atlanta. He started his legal career in 2000 at the Atlanta-based firm of McKenna Long & Aldridge, which later merged with Dentons.
Interviewed by neutral Nigel Wright, Blanco shares his secrets of success being a GC of a large corporation with a global footprint. He credits his time in the Navy for his habit of early rising, a practice that allows him to communicate in real-time with global partners in Europe and Australia. Paying homage to attorneys he refers to as “renaissance lawyers,” Blanco also describes how he gained invaluable knowledge from their “full panoply” of issues.
In addition to providing a glimpse into the corporate legal structure at a multinational firm, Blanco discusses the value of mediation in complex cases at length, providing his insight on successfully navigating the dynamics of multiparty conflict resolution.
In this episode, Blanco discusses:
- His journey from the Navy to GC at a large corporation;
- Corporate Governance with the Board of Directors in distress;
- The importance of having a broad array of knowledge and experience as a GC;
- How specialization in the legal field affects the practice of business law;
- The cost of obtaining outside counsel versus the benefits;
- Budgets for external lawyers and a break down between the U.S. and overseas counsel;
- The governance of data, GDPR, CCPA and upcoming legislation on data;
- Damage assessments and adjustments, the future of claims and technology;
- The significance of claims on the individual;
- His experience in dispute resolution;
- How Crawford & Company approaches litigation;
- The circumstances under which he believes mediation is successful and the scenarios where it fails;
- Traits of exceptional mediators; and
- The value of mediation in multiparty complex matters.
“From General Counsel to President: A Conversation with Joseph Blanco of Crawford & Co.” is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher,Google Podcasts, and Soundcloud. This podcast is the latest in a series of episodes that features thought leaders in Georgia’s legal community and beyond. Click here for additional episodes of The Future of Resolution Podcast.
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