In the past two decades, the General Counsel in many companies has risen in importance, and the GC is now often involved in business strategy from the inception. Consequently, the position has become more desirable, lucrative, and competitive. Those who achieve it are required to be better versed in the same fundamental principles of business practice and leadership as other senior executives.
In The Generalist Counsel: How Leading General Counsel are Shaping Tomorrow's Companies, Prashant Dubey and Eva Kripalani offer guidance for lawyers making the transition to company leadership. They describe the steps a lawyer should take to blend legal training with other business disciplines to perform a much broader and more strategic role for the organization. Further, the authors provide a view into the GC role that will enable non-lawyers to better understand how their in-house legal departments execute their role.
Through research and in-depth interviews with sitting and former General Counsel and executives in the sphere of influence, the authors identify a deliberate evolution in the fabric and tenor of the role of the GC. The personal stories are not only thought-provoking, but also entertaining. The authors also discuss how this shift is leading to other innovations within the legal profession, such as the evolving relationship with outside counsel, General Counsel demands for new products and services, and models for service delivery that are similar to Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing delivery models.
Industry Reviews
"As a CEO, I rely on my Office of General Counsel not just for legal advice but also to play a critical role in developing and executing our business strategy. Authors Dubey and Kripalani have artfully described how a CEO can properly understand, appreciate and leverage the full talent and perspective of their GC."
--Alex Sun, President & CEO, Mitchell International
"The Generalist Counsel provides insightful perspective on the evolution, challenges, and opportunities of inside counsel's role, as well as invaluable advice for lawyers and law students who would construct careers in the corporation. The authors' analyses of elements for success in the role should guide developing lawyers and law school curricula. This book offers a rare chance for informed individual and collective reflection on the personality, knowledge,
talents, and skills that lead to a lawyer's synergistic fit inside the corporation."
--Marjorie Corman Aaron, Professor of Practice and Director, Center for Practice at the University of Cincinnati College of Law
"During Eva Kripalani's 1997-2007 tenure as general counsel at Knowledge Learning Corporation (now Knowledge Universe - U.S.), she noticed momentous changes in the in-house landscape. "The role has changed significantly," she told CorpCounsel.com. That's why, when Prashant Dubey, a legal services consultant approached her about collaborating on a book to chronicle how the role of in-house counsel has changed, she agreed to the project. The result of their
work-The Generalist Counsel: How Leading General Counsel are Shaping Tomorrow's Companies"
--CorporateCounsel.com
