The Transformation of General Counsel: Setting the Strategic Legal Agenda

Abstract:     

In this paper, we explore the evolving role of the general counsel in the United States and elsewhere. We then suggest ways that chief legal officers can not only keep their corporate client out of trouble, but also be strategic partners, actively helping the company to create and capture value and marshal resources while managing both legal and business risk. Indeed, we submit that general counsel can be more effective drivers of compliant corporate behaviour if they are strategic partners with the non-lawyer managers and encourage managers to take an active role in legal matters - that is, to be legally astute.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 19

Keywords: legal astuteness, strategy, competitive advantage, general counsel

JEL Classification: G18, K20, K42, L84