is responsible for the appropriate training protocol.
Sarbanes-Oxley-related duties have been absorbed
into the company’s governance processes and
procedures, reducing the amount of time they
consume.
performing a meticulous legal review before any
innovation gets too far down the line. Immigration-related problems come up only rarely and are
outsourced.
Polaris plans to grow through acquisitions, and
Bogart will team with a business development vice
president to lead that effort. Meanwhile, the com-
pany is expanding internationally. It has launched
operations in Switzerland and recently set up distri-
risk-taking. Accordingly, she is a staunch advocate
for products safety and regulation. To counsel on the
risks inherent in her industry, she said, one must
“know the business inside and out and be a good
business partner.”
ADDITIONAL DUTIES
Polaris is an industry innovator, and the legal
department protects its intellectual property from
It’s advantageous for outside counsel to “have some skin
in the game as well as us.”
infringement. It also fends off rivals’ patent claims.
Working closely with the marketing group, Bogart
carefully reviews all advertising from a legal standpoint. She evaluates the company’s insurance
portfolio along with the treasury group, which has
the lion’s share of the insurance responsibilities.
She is involved in lobbying on both the federal and
state levels, as well as through trade associations.
Prime lobbying categories include product safety, the
environment and land access for vehicles. A recent
project involved setting limits for snowmobile access
in Yellowstone National Park. Polaris’ lobbyists also
focus on dealer and distribution laws.
Bogart participates in the early stages of research
and development to evaluate products for safety
and regulatory compliance. She is adamant about
bution arrangements in China. It introduced product
assembly and distribution into Brazil. Finding inter-
national counsel is important to Bogart, who has
traveled extensively due to the company’s growth.
ROUTE TO PRESENT POSITION
Following law school, Bogart practiced for five
years at what is now Minneapolis’ Gray Plant Mooty.
In 1994 she was hired by Honeywell International
Inc., a client of the firm. Her next career stop was
at The Toro Co., a manufacturer of mowers and yard
tools. Bogart next became the general counsel for
Liberty Diversified Industries Inc. She joined Polaris
as general counsel in 2009.
Experience has taught Bogart that the industry
is performance-oriented and involves a measure of
PERSONAL
Bogart was born in Newton, Iowa. She graduated
from the University of Iowa in 1986 and the University of Iowa College of Law three years later. She
enjoys an active life featuring snowmobiling, running,
golf and skiing, both on water and snow. Bogart
and her husband, Matt, the chief legal counsel for a
private equity fund, have three children: Ben, Katie
and Jack.
Everyone in the company is passionate about
the power sports industry, she said, including herself. She has undertaken several long excursions
along the Canadian border. When asked if being
a female general counsel in the macho world of
snowmobiles, on-road vehicles and motorcycles has
posed problems, Bogart replied, “I’ve actually been
more nervous for rides I’ve gone on than in board
meetings.”
A BOOK AND MOVIE
World Without End, by Ken Follett, and Crazy
Heart.
—ROGER ADLER
An earlier version of this profile appeared in The
National Law Journal on June 21, 2010.
