Legal
A General Counsel is the senior legal officer who advises the CEO and board and directs all of a company’s legal affairs. The role guards the business against legal and regulatory risk while helping leadership pursue growth, transactions and strategic decisions.
Ways to hire
4options
contract, contract-to-hire, full-time and executive search
The role
Companies hire a General Counsel when legal issues start to shape strategy, such as financings, acquisitions, regulation or litigation, and outside counsel alone is no longer enough.
Typical responsibilities
Core skills
Tools and systems
Related titles
Typical background
J.D., active bar license, and typically fifteen or more years of legal practice with senior in-house or firm leadership.
At a glance
The essentials for planning the hire: level, background, how you can hire and what the role typically pays.
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FAQ
Straight answers to the questions employers and candidates ask about this role.
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A General Counsel is the senior legal officer who advises the CEO and board and directs all of a company’s legal affairs. The role guards the business against legal and regulatory risk while helping leadership pursue growth, transactions and strategic decisions. Typical responsibilities include: advise the CEO and board on legal and regulatory matters; direct litigation strategy, settlements and outside counsel relationships; oversee corporate governance, compliance and risk management.
Look for corporate governance, strategic counsel, litigation management, regulatory strategy, executive communication and team leadership. Experience with Brightflag, Onit, Diligent Boards, Ironclad and Westlaw is common in this role.
Yes, for interim leadership. Many employers bring in an interim General Counsel to steady a team during a search, a transition or a major project, then hire permanently through an executive search. A specialist recruiter can scope either route with you.
Often yes. A fractional General Counsel provides senior judgment on contracts, financing and governance at part-time cost, which suits companies that lack full-time legal work. Move to a full-time hire when matters become constant and need daily executive access.
In-house experience matters because the job is business-facing and practical, not just legal analysis. Law firm backgrounds bring depth in complex matters. Weigh your industry, company stage and whether the person will manage a team before deciding.
Related roles
Every role in the practice is recruited by the same specialist team.
