Todd Goffman, general counsel for Globalization Partners.

Taking control of the legal department of a company focused on globalization amid a novel viral pandemic and a rising trend of nationalism might induce a bit of heartburn for some general counsel.

But Todd Goffman, the new top lawyer for Globalization Partners, a Boston-based firm that aims to make it easier for companies to expand into foreign countries, doesn't seem particularly stressed. 

"What I see within that nationalism is a change in the supply chain," said Goffman, an experienced in-house leader, executive and corporate lawyer. "There's still a need to have global commerce—and I think that's what we'll be able to facilitate." 

Globalization Partners' clients, which include Yelp and DataRobot Inc., use the company as an employer of record. The clients can set up shop in foreign jurisdictions—Globalization Partners operates in 170 countries—without the expense and hassle of building a new branch office and managing benefits, payroll and taxes in a different country.  

"They're [the client] directing the day-to-day business and we're handling all the back-office work," Goffman said. 

The COVID-19 outbreak has led some companies to pull back on their plans to expand globally, but firms that have already made the leap are sticking around and keeping their international operations in place, according to Goffman. 

And some are actually adding employees, especially because travel restrictions have made it difficult for executives who were responsible for several countries to regularly visit offices within their territories. 

"So we're seeing an uptick around that localized employment," Goffman said. 

He joined Globalization Partners as general counsel in January and the firm announced his hiring Tuesday. Goffman succeeds Nancy Cremins, who had served as general counsel and chief administrative officer since 2016. She remains with the company as a board adviser. 

Goffman manages a small legal department, but his in-house lawyers are spread throughout the world, from Latin America to Asia, and tend to be experts in employment and labor law for their respective regions. 

"I need lawyers on my team who understand those local laws and can be there as advisers who can help our HR professionals manage the day-to-day requirements of the job," Goffman said.

He uses Slack, Zoom and email to communicate with his far-flung lawyers on a daily basis. They also hold weekly legal meetings. 

"The actual work has not changed at all," he said of running a legal department during a pandemic. "In fact, I think the team has been even more productive because we're not spending two hours commuting back and forth to the city."

Having robust legal operations, systems and processes, including a central contract management system, makes operating during a crisis less painful, he added.  

Goffman's new boss, Globalization Partners CEO and founder Nicole Sahin, described her new top lawyer as a "highly talented, seasoned general counsel whose global business expertise and legal insight are matched only by his leadership.

"Todd's experience managing innovative private and public companies across legal, finance and human resources divisions, as well as his experience in global M&A, make him exceptionally well-suited for this role," she added in a statement. 

Aside from handling legal and compliance issues, Goffman also is responsible for corporate development: "I'm looking at partnership opportunities. I'm looking at acquisition opportunities," he said.

Goffman most recently served as general counsel and secretary for cannabis company Curaleaf Holdings Inc. But he spent the bulk of his in-house career in the legal department at Netcracker Technology Corp., a subsidiary of Japanese tech company NEC Corp. headquartered near Boston.

Earlier in his career, Goffman, a graduate of the Hofstra University School of Law, worked as a business attorney at the Boston firm of Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, which dissolved in 2005.