Career Management, GC, Inhouse

How Do You Get the Top Legal Job?

  • On July 26, 2015
I listened to four GCs recently share their best tips on how they got to the top:  Evaluate where you want to go, and work backwards. Brian Cabrera of NVIDIA says to ask yourself what skills are you missing for that top job, and then go get them. Always take on new opportunities, even if […]
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Inhouse, Networking

The Most Important Soft Skills for Career Building

  • On July 19, 2015
GCs do more than opine on legal issues. They are being evaluated on strategy, influence, and executive presence. To climb the in-house ladder, lawyers need to understand what are the corporate dynamics in play and how to get things done. The key soft skills top lawyers must have, according to the GCs of Varian, NVIDIA, AOptix and […]
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Client, GC, Presentation

How to Advise GCs

  • On July 12, 2015
At a recent forum, four general counsels (from Varian, AOptix, NVIDIA, and AdRoll) talked how about how they want to be counseled by firm lawyers. The advice below clearly applies to in-house lawyers as well when communicating with their own top lawyer or business team: Make your advice practical. Brian Cabrera of NVIDIA noted he can Google black letter […]
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Career Management, GC, Inhouse

4 Things GCs Say You Need to Do to Build Your Career

  • On July 5, 2015
I recently heard four GCs describe their path to the top: John Kuo of Varian Medical Systems, Jan Kang of AOptix, Brian Cabrera of NVIDIA, and Stephanie King of AdRoll. Despite having diverse backgrounds and working at companies in different industries stages, they gave consistent advice to lawyers aspiring to be GCs: Get your foundation. […]
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Career Management

Key to Getting Ahead: Understanding Executives

  • On June 28, 2015
Attorneys expect steady advancement in their careers, but legal jobs are structured like a pyramid. Many junior attorneys line the bottom of the org chart, and very few senior jobs are perched at the top. One way for attorneys to leapfrog ahead is to gain the trust of a senior executive. How do you know […]
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Startup

How to Evaluate a Startup

  • On June 21, 2015
As we enter the slow summer recruiting season, now is a good time to think about your next move. If you are considering a startup, this article lays out 6 points to help you evaluate the business: Is the product/service unique and relevant? Consider competitors and your startup’s value-add. Is the timing right? There is ideally a trend, feature, release, […]
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GC, Inhouse, Startup

What Startups Are Looking for in a GC

  • On June 7, 2015
Entrepreneurial lawyers often ask me how to become the GC of a startup. I like TechCrunch’s article on what private companies are looking for in lawyers:   Legal knowledge to both enable growth of the business and manage risk. Excellent value. The benefit of hiring a GC must exceed the cost, and the GC is expected to know what legal services […]
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Compensation

How to Ask for a Raise

  • On May 31, 2015
You want to be paid your worth, but it’s tough to have to ask for it. Some things to try: Timing. Consider when budgets are set for the following year. Set aside time to talk to your manager 3-4 months before the annual review so you get your request in before numbers are frozen. Make your case from […]
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Compensation, Interview, Process

How to Answer the Desired Salary Question

  • On May 24, 2015
When interviewing, you are asked, “What is your desired compensation?” You don’t want to take yourself out of the running with a number that’s too high or too low, and you don’t want to shortchange yourself. Some things to think about below. I’m gratified to see the New York Times business column The Workologist responded similarly! At an […]
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Career Management, Inhouse

Career Development Talk at Facebook

  • On May 17, 2015
I just moderated ACC’s sold-out career development panel Building Your In-House Career: What People Didn’t Tell You. For those who couldn’t make it, panelists who are senior attorneys at Facebook, Ariosa, Broadcom, and Cisco, shared some great insights:  Know what you want, and set goals for yourself – in writing! Research these goals by talking to […]
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