About

Having worked with plaintiffs and as an administrative law judge, Norma Barnes-Euresti’s decision to join Kellogg’s as head of its labor and employment function was not the most obvious career move. ‘The common denominator for when I was on the plaintiff and the judge’s side is that the bad thing had actually happened,’ Barnes-Euresti says. ‘But assuming that somebody has actually been wronged, all you can offer is money – you can’t restore somebody’s dignity. What I find on the defense side of things is the story hasn’t happened yet, so you’re in a unique position to decide that whatever happens, it is going to be fair’. In that vein, Barnes-Euresti says her biggest achievements at Kellogg’s are the things that didn’t happen. She and her team take an active role in policy decisions, keeping a close eye on company-wide trends, to ensure issues are less likely to arise in the first place. Directly managing 15 people across Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific, Barnes-Euresti is quick to emphasize the strong team approach to decision-making and daily operations. ‘I have an employment specialist in each region and we drive the policy work as a group to make sure people get consistent treatment throughout the world’. Barnes-Euresti is particularly praised for her championing of corporate diversity. She was the first executive sponsor for the company’s LGTB group ‘K-Pride & Allies’, and worked alongside co-chairs in its establishment. Barnes-Euresti has been ‘at the forefront of the corporate defense strategy to donning and doffing claims’ through her role in Franklin vs Kellogg. Her other major recent work highlights include Kellogg’s legal defense to union workers’ lockout in its Memphis TN plant. In her view, outside counsel do not always appreciate the tight budgetary frameworks in-house legal teams are working to and should be prepared to agree to more flexible arrangements, such as exclusive retainers or fixed fees. ‘Hourly-fee arrangements really don’t work anymore’.