About

‘Our GC is really creating a better department focused on career development,’ says James Gallagher. ‘He really views HP Legal as a talent factory – practicing law at a high level in the context of building a career’. A former Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Government contracts attorney, Gallagher joined HP in 2005 and took over management of some of its largest and most visible public sector projects. Gallagher played the lead legal role in negotiating a multibillion-dollar sole source extension of the world’s largest IT services contract with the US Navy. As a part of this, he devised and executed the method of monetizing the intellectual property HP created under that program, resulting in a $3.7bn award. Gallagher currently oversees a team of lawyers and experienced contract professionals which supports approximately $4bn business annually. During his time in this role, he has created a deal governance procedure to address the unique aspects of government contracting. Law firms sometimes need to take a step back and consider the business context, he suggests. ‘Too often, outside counsel provides legal analysis in a vacuum. We value outside counsel that provides advice that resonates behind the business curtain’.