How to Hire a General Counsel

Why hire a General Counsel?

Hiring a General Counsel for your company helps your company to limit exposure to risk and comply with federal and state laws and legal guidelines.

Contributions of a great General Counsel hire include:

• Offer expert legal counsel and strategic guidance to the top management
• Establish internal governance policies to manage the impact of environmental factors
• Evaluate the future implications on the company of any current course of action

Skills to look for in a great General Counsel

It is essential to review the skills and qualifications of all possible candidates to identify the most suitable candidate for General Counsel.

• Possess a Master’s Degree in Law with J.D. an asset
• Proven experience of more than 10+ years’ legal practice
• Exceptional understanding of national and international labor rules with copyright and trademark laws
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Ability to travel as and when needed
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills

Writing a General Counsel job description

A thoughtful description can help find qualified General Counsel candidates. A General Counsel job description includes a compelling summary of the role, detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

Consider including keywords that job seekers are using to search for General Counsel jobs, such as:

• Assistant General Counsel
• Corporate General Counsel
• General Counsel – Health Experience

Interviewing General Counsel candidates

In the interview process for suitable candidates for General Counsel, comparing the skills and qualifications of all potential candidates is essential.

• Proficiency in the field of giving legal counsel to companies
• Knowledge and experience of copyright, trademark, international and national labor laws and regulations
• How they’ve excelled at improving a company’s legal compliance by advising the top management on a proactive basis and help in the achievement of the company’s current and future goals.

See our list of interview questions for more examples.