GC Issue: Winter 2016

The Legal 500’s 2016 Client Intelligence Report is a comprehensive investigation into the global legal market, looking at both the in-house and private practice market. The 2016 report contains feedback from 9,096 unique respondents, making the report the largest legal survey in the world.

In partnership with Carlyle Kingswood Global, GC Magazine brought together leading in-house counsel from across London to discuss the evolving role of the general counsel and the skillset required to lead the legal function of a modern business.

In his first column for GC Magazine, former FMC Technologies general counsel Jeff Carr reflects on a life spent in legal, as well as what he sees are the structural challenges for the industry apparent on the horizon.

Intellectual property law has for centuries formed the basis of a system designed to protect invention and promote innovation. But a rise in abusive, oftentimes frivolous, litigation is prompting a rethink of patent law – with the United States front and centre as potential reform looms.

In a guest editorial for GC Magazine, Michael Fahey makes the case for why the modern general counsel should not shy away from risk – but rather embrace it to produce optimal outcomes for their business.

In the Autumn issue of GC Magazine, our feature Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader considered the work of INSEAD professor Herminia Ibarra – reflecting on leadership in relation to the experiences of general counsel. In this follow up, we speak to Professor Ibarra for her views on how leadership and the GC role intersect.

Mastercard’s general counsel Tim Murphy is in the unusual position of having not just overall responsibility for the legal function, but for diversity and inclusion across the company. Murphy sat down with GC to discuss a global diversity agenda and the unique role of lawyers in pushing progress.

Leading the legal function for French headquartered Airbus, group general counsel John Harrison sits down with GC to discuss the intricacies involved with cross-border defence work and the unique challenges inherent for a company with an order book topping €900 billion.