What is the difference between chief compliance officer and Chief Legal Officer?

Asked by: Fermin Lindgren  |  Last update: November 2, 2023
Score: 4.1/5 (52 votes)

Kusserow states there are philosophical differences between the compliance officer and legal counsel. The latter focuses on providing legal advice and does not act as the decision authority, whereas the compliance officer is a program official that must make decisions and not just offer advice.

Is CLO Chief Legal Officer?

A chief legal officer also known as a general counsel is the highest legal position in a public traded company. Chief Legal Officer (CLO) is mandated to ensure that legal risks of the company are minimized. He or she does this by giving legal advice to board members and company officers, especially on litigation risks.

What is the difference between compliance officer and legal counsel?

Legal counsel is an advocate for the organization. When compliance issues come up, legal counsel advocates the position of the client. The compliance officer on the other hand, is responsible for proactively looking for compliance problems and designing appropriate ways to correct discovered problems.

What does CLO mean Chief Legal Officer?

The chief legal officer (CLO) is an expert and leader who helps the company minimize its legal risks by advising the company's other officers and board members on any major legal and regulatory issues the company confronts, such as litigation risks.

What does a Chief Legal Officer do?

The Chief Legal Officer is the head of the corporate legal department and is responsible for the legal affairs of the entire corporation. This role includes providing legal counsel to the board of directors, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and other senior management.

Chief Compliance Officers: What Makes Them Successful?

29 related questions found

What is a chief legal and compliance officer?

A CLO is a legal executive who helps a company follow legal and regulatory issues. A CLO is an adviser to other company officers and board members to minimize legal risks. A CLO is usually the most powerful legal executive in a publicly traded company.

Is CLO higher than general counsel?

While the Chief Legal Officer oversees legal strategies on a higher level, General Counsel offers more hands-on management, making decisions in the moment for legal matters like compliance regulations, contract review and negotiation, asset protection, and litigation.

What is the other name for chief legal officer?

A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department.

What are the four faces of the chief legal officer?

The role of today's chief legal officer (CLO) is complex, demanding much more than legal operations expertise. To be successful, a CLO must master and strike the right balance between “four faces”: Strategist, catalyst, guardian, and operator.

What is the chief legal officer called?

The Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and General Counsel (GC) are both lawyers and leaders in an organization — depending on your company's size, you may have individuals hired into these roles already, or you may be seeking to create these positions within your business.

Should compliance and legal be separate?

DOJ and OIG: Compliance should be separate and independent of legal counsel.

What skills do you need to be a legal compliance officer?

Compliance Officers require three primary skills – understanding of the law, entrepreneurial skills and confidence in handling data. Additional requirements include: Analytical thinking and ability. Strong communication skills.

Is a compliance officer the same as an auditor?

Internal audit considers past events for its reviews, while compliance must be involved before a new product-service or agreement occurs. Internal audit is responsible for global risk management of the company, while compliance is in charge of three main risks: reputational, regulatory, and legal.

Who is the highest legal officer?

Attorney General is the highest law officer in India. Article 76 of the Indian Constitution under its Part-V deals with the position of Attorney General of India. He is the chief legal advisor to the government of India and advises the union government on all legal matters.

Who is the highest ranking legal officer?

The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States.

Can a company have two general counsels?

At many other companies, go one level down, and you may see additional “GCs.” This is because if a company has operating subsidiaries, it may designate the top legal officer for each of those operating subsidiaries as a General Counsel. It may also grant the GC title to legal heads of lines of businesses.

Who should the CLO report to?

Most CLOs Report To The CEO

The above dynamic is only one of several risks CLOs and GCs face when directed to report to the CFO instead of the CEO or a larger executive team. Other potential issues include: A conflict of interest if the CFO makes decisions that are sound financially but not ethically.

How do you become a legal chief of a company?

Qualifications and Skills
  1. A law degree from an accredited institution.
  2. Admission to a state bar.
  3. 10 years of experience as a practicing attorney.
  4. In-depth knowledge of corporate law.
  5. Excellent research, writing, and communication skills.
  6. The ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines.

What is a chief of staff in legal?

The Chief of Staff and Head of Legal Operations will report to the Company's General Counsel and will handle all administrative matters relating to the Legal Group and the delivery of legal services to internal clients, including administrative matters pertaining to finances and budgeting, outside counsel and other ...

What does CLO mean in executive?

A chief learning officer (CLO) is the highest-ranking corporate officer in charge of learning management. CLOs may be experts in corporate or personal training, with degrees in education, instructional design, business or similar fields.

What is a CLO in business?

Key Takeaways. A collateralized loan obligation (CLO) is a single security backed by a pool of debt. CLOs are often corporate loans with low credit ratings or loans taken out by private equity firms to conduct leveraged buyouts.

What is the difference between of counsel and general counsel?

General counsel, for example, is typically the title given to the highest-ranking in-house lawyer within a legal department, and that person is usually a c-suite executive like the COO or CFO of an organization. Corporate counsel, on the other hand, is usually just a job title within a legal department.

What is the job growth for chief compliance officer?

The BLS projects an 8% increase in demand for executives between 2016 and 2026, and chief compliance officer (CCO) positions should follow this trend. This rate is on par with the national average for all careers.

Can the CEO be the chief compliance officer?

CEOs may have the requisite authority needed to be a compliance officer. However, that authority may actually thwart the goal of a smooth operation. In particular, employees may be hesitant to report compliance-related concerns directly to the CEO, even if they are doing so anonymously.

What are the designations for chief compliance officer?

Chief compliance officers are most likely to hold a combination of the following certifications: Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM), Certified in Health Care Compliance (CHC), and Healthcare Research Compliance Certification (CHRC).