What Startups Are Looking for in a GC

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:  

1. Legal knowledge to both enable growth of the business and manage risk.
2. Excellent value. The benefit of hiring a GC must exceed the cost, and the GC is expected to know what legal services are needed, how much they cost, and how to get them.
3. Quick response time.
4. Useful counseling of senior management (i.e., lawyers cannot be the department of no).

I’ve seen attorneys get the GC job through direct relationships with the entrepreneur, networking with venture capitalists, and being referred by a law firm or recruiter.