Uber's search for a new chief legal officer came to an end recently when the tech company hired former PepsiCo CLO Tony West. With the ride-sharing startup facing several federal investigations and a major lawsuit from a rival, West has his work cut out for him.

So what should recently hired CLOs think about when taking on new roles? There's the obvious, like asking “How can I make the department more efficient and productive?” and actionable–like implementing time tracking and BI tools that centralize accounting, e-billing and matter management.