Inhouse

How to Go In-House without Being In-House Already (the Chicken and Egg Problem

  • On July 25, 2016
When companies want to hire in-house counsel, they usually want attorneys with prior in-house experience. So how do you go in-house without first being in-house? Here are 4 ways. Do a secondment through your firm. Employers presume that by sitting with a client, you have learned how to advise business people effectively. That way when you go in-house, […]
Read More
Career Management, GC, Inhouse

Path to GC

  • On February 28, 2016
If your goal is to be a general counsel, make sure you:  Get experience with SEC and M&A work. Not all but most GCs come from a corporate/securities background. If you don’t have one, make sure you get relevant corporate work. Public companies contend with filings, and private ones need to think about exit strategies. Get […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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. […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
Inhouse, Interview, Process

Phone Interview Tips

  • On February 22, 2015
For in-house jobs, the interview process often starts with a phone screen for the employer’s top 5-8 candidates. From that group, the top 2-3 are brought in live before any decisions are made. So if you are at the phone screen stage, you have a decent shot at the job! Take this call very seriously. A […]
Read More
Inhouse

Transitioning from External Counsel to In-House

  • On November 16, 2014
A new GC and former Latham lawyer gives good pointers on how to go from big firm to in-house: Before you get started, learn what is management’s goal and what is your role (e.g., what are you expected to do yourself, where are you supposed to weigh in, and what are you leveraging outside counsel […]
Read More