Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BOOK REVIEW
LEGAL KNOWLEDGE IN ORGANIZATIONS
A Source of Strategic and Competitive Advantage
By Robert C. Bird
University of Connecticut
ISBN: 978 1 00959 669 5
Cambridge University Press
cambridge.org
NEW- - FROM THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THE VITAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS AND THE LAW
An appreciation by Elizabeth Robson Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers and Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers
and Reviews Editor, “The Barrister”
Does a sophisticated grasp of legal knowledge and astuteness really count in the corporate sphere? Does it raise productivity? Does it boost profit?
The answers to these questions will vary somewhat, depending on the nature of the business and/or a variety of other relevant factors, ranging from the nature of the company’s products and services, its business base, its large markets, its marketing decisions, the quality of its human resources and of course much more, including the state of the economy in which it operates.
But then, another factor inevitably comes into play - quite often ignored by a substantial number of corporate entities. Namely, it is the presence, or absence of legal knowledge — hence the title of this carefully researched and authoritative text by professor of business law, Robert C. Bird, published recently by the Cambridge University Press.
An acknowledged expert in this field, Professor Bird asserts that legal awareness adds value to an organisation in all relevant directions — a view supported by the quality and quantity of his research which supplies convincing evidence of the relevance and accuracy of his conclusions. Legal awareness, he argues, does offer a particular advantage in fiercely competitive business environments.
Nonetheless, in predictable and practical terms, he cites numerous examples of certain businesses and corporate entities (not named) where top management might not entirely agree that legal knowledge or awareness is important. It is not uncommon that some, or all levels of management in certain companies, will likely see no specific disadvantage in evading the law, ignoring the law, or breaking the law outright.
In such cases, however, there is always the possibility and the hope, that change may be encouraged on the advice of all those experienced and qualified legal experts out there, who can advise and hopefully convince — that executives in such organisations should and possibly will, support change whenever necessary, even in cases where there is a persistent tendency to avoid it. And focusing on the phenomenon of ‘avoidance,’ there are varied and detailed suggestions that are offered in this text as to how this can be done.
And further emphasising the topic of avoidance, (i.e. avoiding difficult issues in the hope that they’ll go away) the book identifies certain ‘pathways’ of legal strategy from which to choose, ranging of course, from ‘avoidance’ (of serious issues) to ‘transformation,’ with the insistence that change for the better leads to better business.
For large and small businesses, from start-ups to huge corporations - - this book offers an unusual and indeed an almost unique perspective of the often symbiotic and certainly vital relationship between business and the law. For all levels of management, especially top management, this book, with its unique insights, will certainly be regarded as an essential purchase.
The date of this publication from CUP is cited as 2025.
BOOK REVIEW
LEGAL KNOWLEDGE IN ORGANIZATIONS
A Source of Strategic and Competitive Advantage
By Robert C. Bird
University of Connecticut
ISBN: 978 1 00959 669 5
Cambridge University Press
cambridge.org
NEW- - FROM THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THE VITAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS AND THE LAW
An appreciation by Elizabeth Robson Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers and Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers
and Reviews Editor, “The Barrister”
Does a sophisticated grasp of legal knowledge and astuteness really count in the corporate sphere? Does it raise productivity? Does it boost profit?
The answers to these questions will vary somewhat, depending on the nature of the business and/or a variety of other relevant factors, ranging from the nature of the company’s products and services, its business base, its large markets, its marketing decisions, the quality of its human resources and of course much more, including the state of the economy in which it operates.
But then, another factor inevitably comes into play - quite often ignored by a substantial number of corporate entities. Namely, it is the presence, or absence of legal knowledge — hence the title of this carefully researched and authoritative text by professor of business law, Robert C. Bird, published recently by the Cambridge University Press.
An acknowledged expert in this field, Professor Bird asserts that legal awareness adds value to an organisation in all relevant directions — a view supported by the quality and quantity of his research which supplies convincing evidence of the relevance and accuracy of his conclusions. Legal awareness, he argues, does offer a particular advantage in fiercely competitive business environments.
Nonetheless, in predictable and practical terms, he cites numerous examples of certain businesses and corporate entities (not named) where top management might not entirely agree that legal knowledge or awareness is important. It is not uncommon that some, or all levels of management in certain companies, will likely see no specific disadvantage in evading the law, ignoring the law, or breaking the law outright.
In such cases, however, there is always the possibility and the hope, that change may be encouraged on the advice of all those experienced and qualified legal experts out there, who can advise and hopefully convince — that executives in such organisations should and possibly will, support change whenever necessary, even in cases where there is a persistent tendency to avoid it. And focusing on the phenomenon of ‘avoidance,’ there are varied and detailed suggestions that are offered in this text as to how this can be done.
And further emphasising the topic of avoidance, (i.e. avoiding difficult issues in the hope that they’ll go away) the book identifies certain ‘pathways’ of legal strategy from which to choose, ranging of course, from ‘avoidance’ (of serious issues) to ‘transformation,’ with the insistence that change for the better leads to better business.
For large and small businesses, from start-ups to huge corporations - - this book offers an unusual and indeed an almost unique perspective of the often symbiotic and certainly vital relationship between business and the law. For all levels of management, especially top management, this book, with its unique insights, will certainly be regarded as an essential purchase.
The date of this publication from CUP is cited as 2025.
