This new breed of general counsel tends to be more accustomed to working in the modern law department—where budgets are often constrained and departments must do more with less, according to Rynowecer. This means being “better organized to better support the business units” and taking plenty of initiative to raise issues with management in order to add more value.
One of the significant consequences of the law department shake-up is that some firms may have to start watching their back. A new GC, noted Rynowecer, will often bring in a favorite firm that will want a piece of his or her new business. “It heightens the competition for the law firms that are already serving the company,” he said, and other firms will find that the new general counsel brings about new business opportunities.
