GCs to C-Suite: 'We're Not Roadblocks. We're Helping You Drive'
General counsel discuss their wish lists for C-Suite leadership. At best, the executives value their general counsel for far more than legal or even business advice. General counsel are part strategists, counselors and occasionally therapists.
March 19, 2021 at 03:25 PM
5 minute read
The evolving role of the general counsel is dramatically visible, but suppose the spotlight moved to new expectations of those in the C-Suite? What should the newly evolved general counsel—sorry, business strategist with a law degree—expect of the company management team today?
First, top-level managers must create a culture where the general counsel and the legal department are respected. "Lawyers cannot be the only people in the company to care about the law," said Kristin M. Coleman, general counsel and chief compliance officer at US Foods Holding Corp. Speaking on an ALM Intelligence panel focused on general counsel expectations of a company's leadership, she emphasized the tone towards the legal department set by C-Suite management. "I'm not the company police," she said. The GC or legal department cannot be the only people in a company to make sure everything is done properly. She added, "We rely on our colleagues to also care about compliance and regulations."
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