Best use of technology by a corporate secretary or general counsel – Go Daddy
Some executives tend to shy away from using social networking sites because of the risks associated with making a simple comment, but for Christine Jones, general counsel at internet domain giant Go Daddy, social media is a full-time job.
‘We have used social media sites and technological advances to address issues on the internet in a hybrid way,’ says Jones. ‘You won’t see generic tweets from us – instead, we try to tackle issues that surround lawyers who are interested in learning from our experiences.’
Jones was Go Daddy’s first lawyer. She established the company’s legal department, which has grown to nearly 100 people. While working to expand the legal team, Jones spearheaded many initiatives to help protect the online community. Jones and her legal team’s expertise in technology led to Go Daddy being honored for best use of technology by a corporate secretary or general counsel at Corporate Secretary's Corporate Governance Awards 2011.
Last February Jones testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on ‘Targeting websites dedicated to stealing American intellectual property’, where she brought to light the problems of online intellectual property theft. Prior to this she had testified before Congress with regard to numerous issues, including China’s regulation of the internet as a human rights concern.
Jones has also sought to place the interests of children in the online space as a top priority in the boardroom.
In 2010, she ensured that Go Daddy was a primary sponsor of the Crimes Against Children Conference in Dallas, publicizing the company’s network abuse department’s efforts to investigate and immediately shut down websites engaged in illegal activities. At the conference, the experienced lawyer provided guidance to over 3,600 law enforcement members on how to conduct efficient child exploitation investigations by working closely with registrars and hosting providers.
‘Go Daddy has a lot of internally developed tools that can address a host of issues: everything from spam and phishing to illegal content and intellectual property issues,’ Jones says. ‘We have automated all of those issues, so it takes us less time to address a complaint.’
Jones’ deputy general counsel, Nima Kelly, also works to support the board and overall communication functions at the company. 
Kelly believes employee engagement helps the organization, and she shares information with colleagues by posting frequent messages on the company’s internal blogs. ‘It’s through this medium that I can also answer questions and get to know the employees,’ she says.
While other companies are neglecting the new technological space, Kelly and Jones have managed to use their existing legal knowledge to make a change in the virtual world.
