THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LawCrossing General Counsel Consulting Career Feature
Philip J. Ragona, Senior Vice President and General Counsel iPayment Inc On 29th March, 2010, iPayment Inc announced that Philip Joseph Ragona would be joining iPayment from April 16, 2012. Philip is joining at the same post and position that he enjoyed in his last job at Atrium Inc, namely, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the company. In his last job Phil was very successful in the Chapter 11 filing of Atrium Companies Inc which is the largest manufacturer and supplier of residential vinyl and aluminum windows and patio doors in North America and had about 4100 employees.
Phil Ragona, who has been in professional practice
The best advice, admittedly, he had ever received,
since 1993, was a finalist of the Best Corporate
according to Phil Ragona was from his alma mater’s
Counsel, 2010, award by the Dallas Business Journal.
greatest legend John Wooden, who said “Never mistake
In an interview with DBJ when asked to share a truth to
activity for achievement.” An advice which Phil followed
someone considering a career as a corporate attorney,
to good effect and found that his success in law firms
Phil said:
did not depend upon how many hours he spent at work, but how much work he got done.
“The biggest single difference between private firm practice and being an in-house corporate counsel
Phil Ragona recalls Floyd Abrams, a partner at Cahill
is that, in the latter role, you are not just a lawyer.
Gordon & Reindel as his greatest mentor. He holds with
You may be a corporate officer, and will most
Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who commented that “Floyd
definitely be a business manager. To everyone but
Abrams is the most significant First Amendment lawyer
you, your company doesn’t have legal problems
of our age,” and thinks that Abrams is the kind of
— it has business problems that may or may not
lawyer who makes you proud of your profession.
be legal in nature. Your job, first and foremost, is to find solutions to those business problems. As
Phil also holds that “the biggest misconception about
many times as not, the skills you will be required
corporate lawyers is that they don’t “get” the business
to call on to solve those problems will have little
needs of the company and are seen as so risk-
to do with law or your legal training. Instead, you
averse that they are an impediment to the company
will be required to use your management skills and
meeting its business objectives.” According to Phil,
business knowledge, innovative thinking, and most
it is extremely important for a corporate lawyer to
of all, your common sense.”
understand the strategic coals of the company so that legal skills are not only used to protect the company,
And when asked about the worst advice he had ever
but also to contribute in meeting business and strategic
received in a company, he quoted a former board
objectives.
member who had said “We hired you to give us legal advice. Leave the financial matters to the accountants.”
Phil Ragona brings to iPayment a distinguished 20-
This, Ragona held, was very bad advice which he
year legal career stretching from 1992. Mr. Ragona
immediately rejected.
received his JD from Columbia University School of Law and his BA degree from the University of California,
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