<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">As a California attorney who has set up a number of California nonprofit corporations over the last decades and who understands the fiduciary relationship owed by an attorney to the corporation she represents and by a board member to the corporation it oversees, I can say we must have external legal advice to avoid both actual conflict of interest, but also to preclude the dismissal of the advice because of claims of conflict of interest. This matter is so legally complex that we need very specialized legal expertise - not something a general council's office is best suited for as they work on a broad range of issues for one specific client. That is why ICANN legal dept often utilizes the services of outside council to provide specific highly specialized legal expertise to the legal dept. on particular issues. So I agree with Becky, Eberhard, Phil, Paul, David, and Avri for all of these reasons.<div><br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div>Robin<br><div><br><div><div>On Jan 22, 2015, at 9:46 AM, Avri Doria wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">
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Hi,<br>
<br>
Additionally, borrowing from a another professional field: whenever
contemplating surgery, get a second opinion.<br>
<br>
avri<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 22-Jan-15 12:00, Greg Shatan wrote:<br>
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<div dir="ltr">I agree with Becky, Eberhard, Phil, Paul and David,
for all their reasons and more. If ICANN legal had all the
expertise necessary, it would be a bad idea, due to lack of
independence, ethical obligations to their client, etc. And
even if they are reasonably well-informed on California
non-profit law, that is necessary but not sufficient for the
task at hand. Someone with considerable expertise and
experience in corporate governance (especially non-profit) and
corporate structuring in a variety of contexts (a "big brain,"
so to speak) is also necessary.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>(Notably, when ICANN has needed significant advice in this
area in the past, it is my impression that they have turned to
the international mega firm of Jones Day (the biggest thing to
come out of Cleveland, Ohio since <br>
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<div>Greg Shatan</div>
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Jan 22, 2015 at 9:59 AM,
Dr Eberhard Lisse <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:el@lisse.na" target="_blank">el@lisse.na</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote">Eric,<br>
<br>
I was not looking at it from that perspective, but
Becky make sense,<br>
ie if we get an opinion that is contrary to what ICANN
has<br>
previously asserted in court it would put ICANN in a
difficult<br>
position.<br>
<br>
Almost as much as their Counsel estopping ICANN on
anything not yet<br>
litigated.<br>
<br>
<br>
So, we need "unconflicted" Counsel.<br>
<span class="HOEnZb"><br>
el<br>
</span><span class=""><br>
On 2015-01-22 16:49, Burr, Becky wrote:<br>
> Eric, I have great respect for the ICANN legal
staff, but Iım not<br>
> aware that anyone on staff possesses legal
expertise on<br>
> international law and/or California
not-for-profit law. More that<br>
> that, we know that ICANN has asserted various
limitations on some<br>
> of the accountability mechanisms based on the
³fiduciary duty²<br>
> of Board members to the corporation. Whether
the ideas in<br>
> question are good or bad, there is some
skepticism - and a<br>
> conclusion by the Berkman Center during the
first ATRT review that<br>
> additional legal research was needed, about the
legal positions<br>
> asserted by ICANNıs legal staff and its outside
counsel. Given<br>
> the above, and ethical obligation of counsel to
defend the views<br>
> of its client vigorously, I disagree with your
view that ICANNıs<br>
> counsel is well situated to provide the legal
analysis we need.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> J. Beckwith Burr<br>
<br>
</span>[...]<br>
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