About

The culture with Google’s in-house team, as one might expect, is very much in line with the rest of its business. Kent Walker acknowledges it may be viewed as ‘quirky’, and stresses that outside counsel must be prepared to ‘speak for us on issues the way we would ourselves’. The legal issues facing the company are as colorful as its branding, as Walker explains: ‘It feels as though we are constantly breaking new snow, trying to figure out not just what the law is, but what it should be in areas where it’s not yet clear. There isn’t a well-developed body of precedent for areas like driverless cars, wearable computers, or artificial intelligence. And many countries around the world are still working out what kind of information laws they want to have in areas like free expression and the ability to use information to customize user experiences. All that can be challenging, and sometimes makes it hard to predict outcomes, but it also makes for an exciting place to practice law’. Naturally, innovation is key within all lines of Google’s business model, and legal is no exception. Walker has been the driving force behind gHarmony, a project that matches team members with projects that interest them. And his team is currently exploring alternative ways of helping users resolve disputes online. Having watched the team grow from 40 to 140 in his seven years with the company, it’s clear to see Walker is on an upward trajectory but such growth is not without risks, of which he is all too aware: ‘We needed to grow to support Google’s many new and evolving projects, but we wanted to keep a sense of personality and passion. We have worked hard to recruit people who are not only talented and fun, but also excited about Google’s mission of organizing the world’s information and making it universally accessible and useful’. And now, he says, ‘I have the chance to work with great people on fascinating and important issues. We have a ring-side seat at the Information Revolution. I can’t imagine a role I’d enjoy more’.