About

Paul Dacier’s track record is nothing short of outstanding; he became EMC’s first ever corporate counsel in 1990, and in the years that followed has guided the company through a remarkable transformation. In 1990, it had one patent; today its worldwide patent portfolio includes over 4,000 (plus 2,700 applications) and is in the top ten on the Patent Board. Dacier has led on a large number of acquisitions that helped transform the company’s fortunes, and acted in numerous high-profile and business critical pieces of litigation – the most significant being the hard-won case against Oasis Research. Dacier was once a stand-alone lawyer, but he now employs more than 100, as well as overseeing several other departments within the business. Dacier says he realised very early in his career the need to become more than just a run-of-the-mill lawyer. ‘It was critical in my mind that management and the employees saw the legal function as a business tool that would ensure achievement of the company’s goals and objectives. My philosophy was the same as EMC’s – no goal was too big or unachievable and “no” for an answer was not an option. As my department has grown in scope and breadth around the world, each lawyer understands my philosophy’. When he started out in what he describes as an ‘unknown, well-run family founded company’, Dacier could surely not have predicted just how much his role would evolve. His team has been described as ‘world class’ by outside counsel, and his influence in the wider legal community is undeniable. He was the principal advocate for establishing the Business Litigation Session (BLS) at the Massachusetts Superior Court in 2000, which has since adjudicated hundreds of complex business cases. He was one of 21 members appointed by Mitt Romney to the Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Commission (the JNC) in 2003 to interview candidates for judicial appointments. And now, Dacier is set to become president of the Boston Bar Association, the first ever in-house counsel to hold the position.