Our Featured Sponsor:
Our Featured Sponsor

Subscribe

It’s Free. It’s Quick.

Career and life game changing information delivered personally to you.

Great advice from The Lawyer Whisperer

March 1, 2018
Question

What is the right length of time for a GC to stay in his/her role at the same company? In today’s market, what are the main reasons GCs leave their jobs?

answer
Julie Q. Brush

Many professionals view the role of General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer as the top legal spot in the in house world. It is a “goal achieved” – through years of hard work and career navigation. And it’s a legal position unique to any other…and is viewed as such by employers. So the market “rules” for GCs can be different compared to lawyers possessing other titles.

This includes judgments and consequences related to tenure in a role or an organization. When it comes to these issues, a GC with short stints at one or multiple employers will be subject to the same scrutiny as other in house lawyers in the market. Raising questions on the departure circumstances and potentially calling into question the quality of the candidacy. However, GCs receive far greater latitude than those of lower rank for a long tenure. Why? Because employers view the GC as a top company executive with no higher legal position to reach. They also see it as a role that entails a flow of evolving responsibilities and challenges. So the position won’t become stagnant, experience won’t get stale, skills will continue grow, contribution will be high…and the GC will remain challenged. In most instances this is true, which is why GC mobility in today’s market is quite low. So staying in the role for 10…even 15 years won’t raise many, if any eyebrows.

With the longevity consequences minimized, the “right length of time” to stay in the GC role at a company takes on a different analysis. Shifting the weight from market driven factors…to personal factors driven by the GCs own career desires. So what are the personal factors that help GCs determine the right time to move on? Below are the most common:

  • Desire to move to a bigger public company with higher revenue.
  • Desire to move from a private company to a public company.
  • Desire to move from a public company to a promising start-up company.
  • Desire to manage a larger legal department.
  • Desire to change industries.
  • Desire to join a company whose executives value the legal function more than their current employer.
  • Desire to report to a CEO.
  • Desire to join a company that is more successful.
  • Desire to join a company that is more ethical.
  • Desire to flee a toxic culture.
  • Desire to make more money.
  • No longer a desire to be a GC.
  • Desire to relocate.
  • Desire to retire.

In today’s legal market, GCs are not a highly mobile constituency. So their tenure in organizations tends to be much longer than other in house lawyers. But given the nature of the position and its perception among employers, GCs are less saddled with the negative assumptions that can accompany many years of service. Consequently, they are less beholden to market perception and are freer to determine the right length of time to stay…or leave.

Like this
Comments

No Comments have been posted.

No Comments

Please login or join now to ask your question

<

 

New Jobs Feature!

Check it Out

Are you an Employer?

Post a job for free! Take advantage of this promotion and advertise your job for 30 days. Use promo code LWJOBS

Kudos From Our Fans

Julie has been a great partner and trusted advisor to me over many years. The Lawyer Whisperer is a terrific resource, whether you are new to the profession or a seasoned counsel.

Matt Fawcett Chief Strategy Officer and Former CLO, NetApp,
The Lawyer Whisperer is required reading for any lawyer who wants to be thoughtful about their career.

Sharon Zezima Former CLO, GoPro,
Great insights on career planning that help me talk with our associates and IH counsel who are thinking about a transition.

Ken King Partner, Skadden Arps,
The Lawyer Whisperer posts are always wise, thoughtful, well written and leave you with new ideas - I try not to miss a post.

Shanti Ariker General Counsel, Zendesk,
No one understands the changing profession better than Julie. She is a proven ally to those of us trying to forge new paths and push the boundaries of what is possible in a legal career.

Eric Lentell Deputy General Counsel, Archer,
Julie is the Dear Abby for lawyers. Her column is one of a kind.

Karineh Khachatourian Founding Partner, KXT Law,

Subscribe

Receive our newsletter for latest trends, compensation info and secrets to a winning career strategy.

This Week's Questions:

No new questions this week

Our Sponsors

logo



The Lawyer Whisperer Sponsors :

Solutus Legal Logo