Corporate Counsel Columns 2025

• • Jan. 2, 2025
    

    Becoming Part of the Business

    My clients tell me their most rewarding moments when practicing law in-house occur when they feel embedded in their company’s business. But how do you get out of the law department silo and make that happen? My answer is a collection of seven best practices from multiple sources, including conversations with your colleagues.

Corporate Counsel Columns 2024

• • Dec. 3, 2024
    

    Trump 2.0 and Your Career

    So here we are, about to live through Trump 2.0, and I realize that the career advice I have to offer is only useful for readers who voted the other way and still feel agitation or even anger over the result. The advice is this: Don’t get political at work.

  • Nov. 9, 2024
    

    Using LinkedIn’s Newsfeed to Feed Your Career

    While not all C-suite executives read their LinkedIn newsfeed, the number who do continues to grow and reading the newsfeed is nicely habit forming.It’s catnip for recruiters, of course, as we use it as a means to stay in touch with our contacts via likes, comments and reshares.

  • Sept. 29, 2024
    

    Want to Get Ahead in Your Career? Find a Truth Teller

    Who do you have in your professional life who will “get real” with you? Find truth tellers and invite them to offer valuable criticism. Don’t wait for it to happen incidentally. Seek it out.

  • Sept. 4, 2024
    

    Going Beyond the Gut Check When Hiring

    “Trusting your gut” is a litmus test that matters. You should feel good about a new hire. But don’t be seduced into simply picking the most charismatic interviewee. Great interviewee does not always translate into great employee.

  • Aug. 2, 2024
    

    Hiring that 5th Year Associate for Your Law Department

    Again historically, law firm Associates at the highest paying firms routinely left for in-house positions. There has always been a pay disparity. As I’ve written in this space many times, money is not the #1 motivator when it comes to career moves. Law firm Associates typically leave a law firm because they are incredibly unhappy.

  • July 1, 2024
    

    Hiring From a Law Firm for and In-House Position? Use Caution

    As a recruiter, I don’t question the pedigree credentials or skill sets of accomplished law firm attorneys. Nor do I doubt the willingness of many to switch over to law department compensation structures. But is the match a good idea? Skill set and experience are two different things.

  • June 3, 2024
    

    How to Recognize Relocation Cold Feet: 5 Tips for Employers When Hiring a Nonlocal Candidate

    Relocation has become more challenging for companies post-pandemic. Great candidates who became accustomed to hybrid or remote work arrangements are less enthusiastic about uprooting. The degree of difficulty in successfully recruiting non-locals has risen considerably.

  • May 1, 2024
    

    Finding Contributor-Level Work as a Truly Senior Counsel

    Former GCs and other senior level lawyers are now highly desirable for almost any kind of contract work – both at the high end as Interim General Counsels, but also more commonly in quality worker bee roles.

  • April 1, 2024
    

    Tips for Engaging an Executive Coach

    In last month’s column, I played with ChatGPT to offer a glimpse of how AI will disrupt most aspects of Law World. This month I’m doing the opposite. I asked myself: What is the most human professional niche in Law World? What expertise cannot be replicated by technology and what is the unique value proposition of that expertise?

  • March 1, 2024
    

    Play Offense with Your Career

    The toughest part of playing offense is looking in the mirror and being truthful with yourself. Are you “politically in favor” and ascending? Or are you running in place?

  • Feb. 1, 2024
    

    AI’S Blueprint for Hiring Your Next General Counsel

    I’ve been playing with ChatGPT. I asked the AI tool to list its best practices for companies to follow when hiring a General Counsel. It’s actually a pretty good starting point. The only thing missing from the list is “Hire a Search Firm.”

  • Jan. 2, 2024
    

    Looking for Your Dream Job? Don’t Follow Your Heart

    Following your heart, in the context of one’s career, usually translates into: “I should be happy at work, and I should move if I’m not.” Getting to a dream attorney job includes, unfortunately, a lot of dues paying and long hours. Following your heart tends to turn into an excuse for job hopping.

Corporate Counsel Columns 2023

• • Dec. 4, 2023
    

    2024 to Upend the Salary Applecart

    The recent drama involving OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Microsoft caught my attention not only for the entertaining corporate governance drama…it also got me thinking about compensation.

  • Nov. 1, 2023
    

    Top 5 Traits of Great General Counsel from a Legal Recruiter (PDF)

    What follows is observational, based on 20+ years recruiting for corporate law departments. In my opinion, here are the top 5 traits needed to become a great General Counsel. (Read it on law.com here)

  • Oct. 4, 2023
    

    Year-end Hiring in 2023

    Year-end hiring, or “Q4 placement” as search firms refer to it, is always tricky. But 2023 presents an additional challenge.

  • Sept. 5, 2023
    

    Celebrating General Counsel Compensation

    I love this annual list of Fortune 1000 general counsel compensation that Corporate Counsel puts together. Mainly because it validates the value of the role. But also, I enjoy celebrating the success of many people on this list who I have the good fortune to know.

  • Aug. 1, 2023
    

    Hiring a “Job Hopper”

    In this article, I share my guidance for legal departments considering candidates with a lot of movement.

  • July 5, 2023
    

    The Gift of Free Time

    This will go down as one of those touchy-feely columns. No advice here that will help you land a promotion. But this will prove to be a worthwhile read if I can convince you to turn off the all-consuming phone for real chunks of time this summer.

  • June 1, 2023
    

    Let’s Talk About Titles: Tips From a Legal Recruiter

    Smart in-house counsel knows that whatever lawyer title he or she gets, what really matters in corporate America is the grade level title. This is especially true at publicly traded companies.

  • May 1, 2023
    

    Top 5 Updated LinkedIn Tips From a Legal Recruiter

    As to why LinkedIn matters, use of LinkedIn by recruiters for primary sourcing is a given. And if you are actively interviewing for a position, expect that every interviewer will check out your LinkedIn profile. But don’t just think of LinkedIn as job change related. It’s a vehicle for creating your personal brand and maintaining an online professional presence.

  • April 3, 2023
    

    AI vs LawWorld, Cage Match Pending

    Goldman Sachs predicts that artificial intelligence will disrupt 44% of legal jobs. While no one is suggesting that four out of ten lawyers will be replaced by technology advances, make no mistake: companies prefer fewer lawyers to more lawyers, and corporate counsel should prepare for the future accordingly.

  • March 1, 2023
    

    Are You Underpaid?

    You are inheriting 10 attorneys, including three direct reports. Two of your direct reports were qualified for your job, but the CEO wanted to go outside for new leadership. Welcome to Day One. Here are ten tips for general counsels in this situation.

  • Feb. 1, 2023
    

    Top 10 Tips for a New General Counsel

    Did your 2023 salary increase outpace inflation? Or do you feel as though you are running in place on the compensation treadmill? Many inside counsel feel underpaid. But are you?

  • Jan. 6, 2023
    

    The General Counsel Vibe

    Positivity is absolutely a leadership quality. It’s needed to earn the respect and trust of CEOs, direct reports, internal clients, and even outside service providers. Naysayers, negative Nancys, and cynics get weeded out and don’t sit in the GC chair.

Corporate Counsel Columns 2022

• Dec. 5, 2022
  

  A Time for Opportunistic Hiring

  Consider calling your favorite recruiter and asking for an assessment of available talent. See if there is an opportunity for your law department to make a great hire.

• Nov. 3, 2022
  

  Get Your Extra-Curriculars: The Importance of Building Your Personal Brand

  The pandemic pushed networking online, which is a poor venue for relationship building. Let’s welcome back the many benefits of in-person professional events!

• Oct. 4, 2022
  

  The Hurricane Career Path

  The way to keep your career from blowing off course is to stay true to your gut and by taking the jobs you know you will enjoy. Don’t let what you can’t control dictate your next move.

• Sept. 8, 2022
  

  To Commute or Not To Commute, That Is the Question

  Where once offices used to be a take-it-or-leave it given, now it is front and center as more of a give and take.

• Aug. 1, 2022
  

  Breaking Beyond Your Specialty Niche

  Many of our search assignments are subject matter specific. Please get us a great securities, or IP, or employment attorney, etc. Subject-matter experts do hit ceilings, however. In many of the larger legal departments, the top of the ladder for specialists is a senior role reporting to the general counsel.

• June 28, 2022
  

  Hiring in a Whiplash Economy—What Does This Mean for Your Law Department?

  Staff level postings (counsel and senior counsel) remain at record levels. I know most of you are not finding the candidate quality you seek at the salary point your HR department has authorized. Because wage inflation within the legal profession has outpaced internal equity considerations.

• May 4, 2022
  

  From Courtship to Offer: How to Manage Expectations in the Recruitment Process

  If you don’t have a good recruiter to help walk the right couple to the altar, here are a few pro tips for managing expectations.

• April 5, 2022
  

  The Bias in Comfort Hiring

  Let’s all challenge ourselves to place a higher value on life experiences that differ from our own. Differences can drive cultural change and growth.

• March 4, 2022
  

  The Importance of Compensation Transparency

  While the current state of affairs is making life frustrating for general counsels who need to add staff, it really is a wonderful development for in-house compensation.

• Jan. 31, 2022
  

  In-House To and From a Law Firm Has Become a Revolving Door

  The unwritten rule was that later-in-career attorneys could not return to a law firm. Now, returning to law firm land is common.

• Jan. 4, 2022
  

  2022 Tips for Hiring a Senior Counsel

  The most common in-house opening by title is Senior Counsel, and, since most companies prefer to hire attorneys with in-house experience, you are all competing for the same talent. Here are my four best practices for meeting this hiring challenge.

Corporate Counsel Columns 2021

• Dec. 1, 2021
  

  A House for Every Dog

  Hiring an attorney with relevant experience who really wants the job over an attorney with shinier credentials is not settling. It’s embracing the right match.

  Nov. 9, 2021

  Turnover at the Top

  Even if your current General Counsel has only been with the company for a few years and is not close to retirement age, don’t assume he or she is never leaving.

• Oct. 4, 2021
  

  Looking For a New Job? Here Are Some Resume Best Practices

  “What does my potential employer want?” If you keep this question in mind, your résumé will take on a tone of client service and flexibility.

• Sept. 7, 2021
  

  ‘Happy’ Law Firm Associates Disrupt In-House Hiring

  Law departments are experiencing the tightest labor market in memory, and I have an observational theory on why.

• Aug 3, 2021
  

  Cyber Literacy is the New MBA

  The most important element of any general counsel’s job description remains as simple as this: Protect The Company.

• July 7, 2021
  

  Five Tips for Maximizing LinkedIn

  Putting your best foot forward on LinkedIn is not time consuming, but you should do it thoughtfully and purposefully.

• June 1, 2021
  

  Benchmark Your Way to a Raise

  Do better benchmarking homework than your employer. It costs nothing, and it may convince your boss or HR to consider current apples-to-apples information.

• May 5, 2021
  

  It’s Getting Harder to Talk About Past Compensation

  Bottom-line: I think we are about to see a trend away from disclosure, at least at the early stage of an application.

• March 25, 2021
  

  Good Cop (CEO), Bad Cop (CFO) Interviews

  General Counsel candidates interview with only one ultimate decision-maker: the CEO. If the CEO has her mind set on a particular choice, then that person will be the winner.

• March 3, 2021
  

  “I’m not going back”

  While the downside of mostly-Zoom days is well chronicled, the forced change into working from home has led a large number of you to focus on how you really feel about your job.

• Feb. 5, 2021
  

  Pandemic Bias in Hiring

  While working from home at this stage in the pandemic is still widely accepted, companies have a bias in favor of candidates who are willing to interview in-person when making an important senior level hire.

• Jan. 6, 2021
  

  Winning at the Interview

  Interviewing is a competitive sport. Play to win.

• Corporate Counsel Columns 2020

  Dec. 1, 2020

  Career Advice Going into 2021? Never Let Them See Your Sweat

  Maintaining a calm, confident, even-keeled professional demeanor comes naturally, or at least appears to come naturally, to the most successful inside counsel. I marvel when I see this trait displayed so consistently over a long period of time.

• Nov. 12, 2020
  

  Want to Up Your Job Search Game? Hyperlink It!

  Attorneys are not digital animators or marketing gurus who are expected to get creative with resume styles and content. But you can, and in my opinion should, up your game with one simple tip: use hyperlinks.

• Oct. 5, 2020
  

  Diversity is Not Socially Distanced

  Diversity in hiring is suffering from social distancing, Mike Evers writes. He encourages general counsel and human resources leaders to double down on their commitment to sourcing candidates thoroughly and creatively.

• Sept. 3, 2020
  

  The All Zoom Hire

  It took six months into the pandemic for our firm to close on an “all Zoom hire.” Meaning: At no point did the new placement, now an assistant general counsel for a financial services company, walk into our client’s HQ facility or meet with her new boss.

• June 17, 2020
  

  Rainmaking for In-House Lawyers: Tips on How to be Valuable to Your Company

  It is tempting to sit tight and wait out the proverbial storm. Resist that temptation. Show your fire in the belly. Be heard and be valuable!

• May 7, 2020
  

  Hire a Terrific In-House Lawyer Now

  This month’s column is intended to serve as a reminder that hiring indeed continues, and some of the needs are pressing.

• April 20, 2020
  

  Video Interview Tips Specifically for In-House Counsel

  To be clear, we all absolutely HATE video interviewing. Outside recruiters like me, internal HR folks, and especially the actual hiring manager CEOs and GCs … none of us want this. And so a strong preference to wait for the traditional process has become an added reason, beyond macro conditions, to kick the hiring can down the road.

• March 5, 2020
  

  Your Value in Times of Uncertainty

  Your company likely already has a crisis plan ready if needed. But be the leader who goes the extra mile to do something lawyers do really well: issue spot.

• February 06, 2020
  

  Drawing Attention to Black GC List 2025

  The list of GC-ready candidates is impressive, and hopefully the folks behind the scenes at this initiative are pushing the list directly to CEOs, EVPs of HR, and even board members.

• January 08, 2020
  

  2030 Vision: In-House Counsel’s Role Will Grow

  I am stealing Heather’s title from Corporate Counsel’s January cover (“2020 Vision”), but with a twist of chutzpah. I am going to share my predictions of what in-house careers will look like in 2030.

Corporate Counsel Columns 2019

• December 03, 2019
  

  Know When to Shut Up and Listen

  I realize that career advice columns often boil down to a variation on the phrase, “use common sense.” Yet, I was reminded recently that some lawyers can make $800,000 and fail to practice that concept.

• November 04, 2019
  

  Think Career Security, Not Job Security

  Career security is about access to decision-makers, and your inside counsel counterparts control millions of dollars in outside counsel spend.

• October 02, 2019
  

  3 Easy Steps to a LinkedIn Black Belt

  Failing to maximize your LinkedIn presence constitutes personal professional negligence.

• September 09, 2019
  

  Zombie Apocalypse Preparation

  I have no idea what is coming around the bend. No one ever really does; they just have opinions. Can an in-house lawyer prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse just in case? Answer: Yes, especially if you don’t focus on and stress out about job security.

• August 08, 2019
  

  Go Around Human Resources

  Let’s say you want to join the fictitious in-house legal department at Acme Corp. Either Acme has an active opening in its legal department, or it does not. What follows is a “how to” approach for each scenario.

• July 15, 2019
  

  Tips When Hiring Nonlocal Lawyers

  We’ve gotten pretty good at figuring out who is willing to pull the trigger on such a major life change. That assessment is just as important as matching credentials and culture fit. I painfully recall losing a client 15 years ago (FifthThird Bank) when one of our recruits got cold feet about moving to Cincinnati, after he had accepted the position.

• June 04, 2019
  

  What’s the Best Fit for Startups? The Entrepreneurial GC

  I love working on in-house positions with startups, especially first general counsel hires. And recent work has emphasized a request we often hear from clients in fast growth mode: “Get us candidates who are entrepreneurial.”

• May 08, 2019
  

  Play Offense With Your Career

  Always know where you stand, and be honest with yourself about where you stand.

• April 04, 2019
  

  The Weed GC: Culture Fit Matters

  I just took my search firm’s first order within the cannabis industry, a general counsel role for a leading grower of legal marijuana. Interest in the role is high (OK, the puns are easy!), but I’ve already rejected one of my favorite candidates.

• March 07, 2019
  

  It’s Hiring Season! Now Is the Best Time to Find Talent

  March through June is the most active window for recruiting at the professional level generally across disciplines.

• February 06, 2019
  

  Street Lawyering at Your Company—It’s Really Not a Bad Idea

  Wills, divorces, consumer credit problems, landlord disputes and traffic violations all have two things in common. One, handling such matters is firmly outside your job description. Two, if you are in-house with a large company, your rank and file co-workers in the field are dealing with personal legal issues such as these all the time.

• January 08, 2019
  

  In-House Counsel: Become a ‘Yes, And’ Businessperson in the New Year

  Whatever word we use to describe what you do for a living, however, here is what nonlawyer clients tend to hear: NO. At many companies, the prevailing view of the law department is still a hybrid of traffic cop and bureaucrat.