Focus on: the current role of the general counsel requires developing new skills

At present, the technical-legal knowledge of general counsel is not the main criterion by which organisations evaluate them. General counsel today are assessed on their leadership ability, creativity, and influence in decision-making. They require a somewhat different specialisation than what is commonly done by law firm lawyers.

The in-house legal function impacts all areas of the company, being a business facilitator whose virtue is to be an integral and daily part of it, providing strategic advice for the dynamism of the business and the fulfilment of the proposed strategic objectives. The general counsel is a strategic ally of the company, having to know it in detail at a transversal level.

The above is not easy at all. It requires developing specific aptitudes and skills — generating credibility and influence in decision-making, extending visibility at a transversal level within the organisation and, especially, generating relationships of trust with the different interest groups. This is particularly challenging and complex in the case of multinational companies, where the challenges faced are linked to specific local contexts. To be successful in this role, it is mandatory to develop specific essential skills.

The work of general counsel vanishes if it is not aligned with the organisation’s strategic objectives. They must be present in the establishment and architecture of such goals. A general counsel permanently negotiates with multiple stakeholders: counterparts in dispute contexts, workers, suppliers, and clients; developing this skill is highly relevant.

Furthermore, you must know how to communicate well. The great challenge in this area is to simplify the information to be shared with the board of directors so that language becomes a particularly sensitive and vital aspect regarding risks and achievements. Knowledge of numbers and related tools is essential. It is usual for senior executives to require information for operational, financial and tax purposes, as well as regarding the probability of success in relation to a particular contingency. It is crucial to translate what general counsel do into numbers. We must not forget that legal management is an area that can produce significant savings for an organisation.

In conclusion, today’s general counsel must be strategic allies of the business, being able to speak the language of business as the only mechanism to achieve a 360° vision of the organisation. Then, those decisions regarding training and improvement must be aligned with this purpose.