The Dream GC Job
In my view, joining Facebook now as its general counsel is the ultimate dream job for any experienced in-house attorney.
December 04, 2018 at 12:15 PM
3 minute read
Corporate Counsel reporter Caroline Spiezio wrote a story last month about the search for Facebook's next General Counsel. She asked several law-department focused legal recruiters, including yours truly, to opine on the background that might fit best for this high-profile opportunity.
One of the opinions, not mine, suggested that cream-of-the-crop level candidates may hesitate when recruited to throw his or her hat into the particularly fiery ring that is Facebook. Government scrutiny, data privacy concerns, and a high-profile founder/CEO under the media microscope all contribute to an environment that may cause some candidates to ask, “Why would I want that job?”
In my view, joining Facebook now as its general counsel is the ultimate dream job for any experienced in-house attorney. The winner will be at the epicenter of a fascinating and unprecedented situation. We have a company that was founded in a dorm room with initial aspirations that had more to do with getting a date than changing the world, which became the most open and widely used platform for free speech in the history of humankind.
And now this unique enterprise that many fear is causing more harm than good faces its crossing road: Does it remain a platform for 2+ billion people to post their unfiltered thoughts? Or does it become a media giant that edits content?
I watched every minute of Mark Zuckerberg's testimony on Capitol Hill, along with recent media interviews that he is beginning to grant. To me, his angst over this question is obvious. The founder/CEO of Facebook wants to remain a platform and maintain the corporate culture he has built, but he is under immense pressure to become an editor-in-chief. Facebook is his baby, and now that the growing kid is making somewhat of a mess, the principal (government) has called the parent into the office and issued a stern warning.
The wrong candidate for this dream job is someone who wants to change Facebook's culture. This is not the Uber general counsel position, as discussed in Spiezio's article, where culture change was needed and supported by a new CEO. The right candidate for this dream job is someone who aligns with Mark Zuckerberg's original and continuing vision for Facebook, and who can help maintain its unique culture and platform in the face of public scrutiny.
It's high stakes. It's challenging. It's meaningful. How do you champion the First Amendment while protecting society from harmful hate speech? How do you prevent bad actors from abusing your platform while maintaining a culture of open access? And just to make things more interesting: How do you manage government and public relations in a way that shouts cooperation without handing operational control over to regulators?
This dream job is so desirable, it almost makes me wish I had stayed in practice and worked much harder, so that I might become a candidate for it and not just a commentator about it. Almost!
Mike Evers recruits attorneys for corporate legal departments throughout the United States. Visit www.everslegal.com. His firm also offers experienced in-house counsel to companies on an adjunct basis.
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