As the corporate legal landscape becomes increasingly complex, the role of in-house legal counsel is more important than ever. But finding the best legal talent can prove a daunting challenge. Most organizations do not have the time, the resources, or the expertise to conduct a thorough search themselves. Too often, they end up selecting from a pool of unqualified candidates for this vital position.

We at BarkerGilmore sincerely hope you, your family, and your team are well despite the health crisis upon us. After speaking with many General Counsel across the country this past week, we have gained a clear understanding and appreciation for the tireless efforts and pragmatic decisions being made to keep employees safe and businesses moving forward. Below is a summary of these conversations, offering up best practices, lessons learned, and direct insights on how these unprecedented times have impacted the legal and business communities.

Performance reviews are a fundamental tool used by organizations of all sizes to assess employees and influence pay raises. This checklist was designed to help you generate meaningful and useable feedback, gain greater recognition and reward, and develop an ongoing process that will result in an enhanced and dynamic approach to the annual review.

Lawyers are people too, you know.

It’s a simple premise that yields big results.

In a recent conversation with a few of our Senior Advisors, I was struck by the humanity of Helen Pudlin’s approach to managing and developing legal talent.  Having worked with her as a client before she joined the BarkerGilmore team, I knew Helen was recognized in the workplace for the way she treated others as individuals and ensured they were operating at their best and highest use.

General Counsel pay continues to rise at an accelerated rate, keeping pace with the increased expectations that the CEO and Board place upon them. It wasn’t long ago that a $1M compensation package seemed like a lot of money for a General Counsel, yet today’s total compensation can be more than ten times that.

Like other executives, General Counsel are tasked with identifying and developing their successor. While hiring a new General Counsel from the outside can be costly, considering expenses like executive search fees, buying out unvested equity and unpaid bonuses, and relocation, the benefits of promoting an internal candidate to General Counsel are significant. Moreover, there is always a chance that an outside hire will not align with the leadership team or integrate well into the corporate culture. But, if properly mentored, the internal successor should already have a deep understanding of the business, sound relationships intact with the leadership team and Board, and alignment with company culture.