白皮书：新任总法律顾问的最佳做法

Getting aligned with businesspriorities for a successful start In today’s fast-paced and increasingly complex businessworld, companies are under constant pressure to adapt toshifting priorities, growing regulatory demands, and risingexpectations from stakeholders. General counsel plays For many lawyers, moving into a general counsel role is challenging as the position requiresa blend of legal expertise, cross-functional collaboration, and strong business acumen thattraditional legal training doesn’t provide. To be effective and successful, general counselmust hone the skills and experience needed to navigate complex corporate dynamics, This white paper offers practical guidance to help lawyers successfully transition to ageneral counsel role. Whether you’re preparing for your first general counsel role or want Prepare for the general counsel role Achieving a smooth and successful transition into a general counsel role requires thoroughpreparation and strategic planning. The better prepared you are going into the role, thefaster you’ll be able to shift your focus to being a strategic leader within the company.As new general counsel, you can lay the foundation for success by understanding the Action steps: •Gather detailed information about the company, the broader industry, and the •Meet with key stakeholders such as the CEO, other executive team members,the board of directors, direct reports, and strategic peers within the company. •Prepare a message to introduce yourself to the company as new •Plan how you want to approach your first 90 days and what you want toaccomplish within this timeframe. Draft a 90-day action plan The first 90 days on the job are critical in shaping the rest of your tenure at a company.During this period, focus on building relationships, assessing the legal landscape, andestablishing yourself as a trusted advisor. By acting strategically, demonstrating leadership, Action steps Focus on learning the information you need to succeed in your new role including: •The company’s business and how it operates.•The company’s strategies, missions, goals, challenges, risks, and key initiatives,and how the legal department’s efforts support these. Understand the company and its business Legal advice is only valuable if it’s aligned with the company’s strategic goals. Gaining astrong understanding of the business and its operations is crucial to being able to provide Action steps As general counsel, your first step toward building credibility and effectivenesswill hinge on being able to quickly and thoroughly understand the company and •The business structure and type of entity.•The size and locations of the company’s operations.•The ins and outs of the broader industry.•The corporate culture, risk profile, and risk tolerance. Build relationships As general counsel, gaining the trust and confidence of the CEO, board members, and keystakeholders will be critical to your success. Working to build strong relationships early onwill help you establish credibility, be more effective and influential in key decisions, and Action steps •Be sure to understand leaderships’ goals, objectives, values, concerns,frustrations, and interests.•Be agile and willing to modify and customize your communication approach tofit different groups and individuals.•Develop a proven track record of calmness, clear thinking, and leadershipduring times of crisis. Lead the legal department As the head of the legal department, your leadership sets the tone for how well the legalteam functions and operates. Effective regular communication ensures your legal team’sunderstanding of key objectives and your expectations as a leader. This can help foster an Action steps •Learn more about the legal department’s operations by conducting meetingswith each legal team member to learn more about their role, challenges, •Get to know each team member and give them the opportunity to better •Analyze the skills, strengths, and weaknesses of each legal team member to •Look for opportunities to develop talent and train team members in •Hold regular team meetings to review the status and staffing needs of •Demonstrate that you value team members’ opinions by encouraging and Evaluate legal operations As general counsel, having a deep understanding of the legal department’s operationswhile looking for opportunities to save money and increase efficiency are crucial for yourteam’s long-term success. Review how the legal department functions quarterly to identifyareas of improvement, ensure alignment with business goals, streamline workflows, Action steps •Assess how the department delivers its work product.•Investigate new technologies and processes that may save time, resources,and money.•Understand and assess the legal department’s costs and allocation of Manage relationships with outside counsel Turning to outside counsel may be necessary when specialized legal expertise is required,or a legal matter is simply