The recipe for making a general counsel

Earning the title of general counsel or chief legal officer is often seen as the crowning achievement in the career of an in-house lawyer. However, it takes more than hard work and results to achieve the general counsel title. Participants in BarkerGilmore’s webinar, The Recipe for Making a General Counsel, heard that in-house counsel seeking a rise to general counsel or chief legal officer must follow a strategic plan.

“CEOs and boards want people who have been there and done that as the GC, so landing a first-time role is tough,” said John Gilmore, managing partner at BarkerGilmore – an executive search firm. “Moving up in the company and earning that trust and taking on more and constantly stretching yourself is a smart move.”

For in-house counsel who have never before held a general counsel role, Gilmore noted that there are various “ingredients” that will help you to secure an interview for the GC position. Legal expertise, sound judgement and business skills are top of the list, together with leadership skills, communication skills, creative problem solving, and integrity.

Having someone outside of your circle, who really can be candid with you about your ability to communicate or your leadership skills can be very helpful, Gilmore added.

Taking on stretch assignments outside of your area of expertise without waiting to be asked will serve you well, according to Laura Stevens, EVP and general counsel at Cengage Group.

“One thing to remember with taking on stretch assignments, is don’t sit back and wait for them to be handed to you. Be opportunistic,” advised Stevens. “I founded our privacy office.  I had no business doing that, but I did it. And I founded our compliance function, which is now up and running. Now we're now looking at an enterprise risk management function. Look for the gaps. Those are your opportunities.”

Gilmore advises building your brand by being humble and authentic. Stand on your own merits, rather than talking loudly about your achievements, he suggested.

However, Marla Persky, BarkerGilmore senior advisor and former SVP, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Boehringer Ingelheim USA, added that it is important to be your own PR agent – not by bragging – but by talking factually about your accomplishments.

“If you are really taking on additional tasks, and putting yourself in harm's way by taking on stretch assignments, you need to publicize it,” said Persky. “Make sure through clear, concise communication that people know the role that you've played in the things that you've done.”

Gaining the trust of the CEO is critical, to demonstrate the value you add to the business as a whole – not just as the lead lawyer. Stevens noted that when she first became general counsel, she would meet with the CEO and walk him through a list of items that he really did not need to hear.

“It took me a couple of years to say ‘what is useful for you?’ and that was really a gamechanger,” said Stevens.  “Flipping the script has been incredibly helpful and built a very open and comfortable relationship.”

Persky notes that in-house counsel should be adding value to the business by looking beyond the legal side and speaking up on other important issues. Stepping outside of your comfort zone will serve you well, she said.

Taking risks is important for general counsel, Gilmore added. If a perfect general counsel opportunity comes along, there may be risk involved such as a re-location or a lower salary with further value down the road, but don’t be afraid to take these risks, he advised.

If you don’t have the opportunity to be promoted to GC within your company, you may have to look elsewhere, which will involve some risk.

“If you're a person that can't deal with risk, you shouldn't be a GC, end of story,” said Gilmore.