Which is higher Chief Legal Officer or general counsel?

Asked by: Olin Pfannerstill III  |  Last update: January 16, 2026
Score: 4.8/5 (7 votes)

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.

Is CLO higher than general counsel?

The General Counsel focuses more on the legal work and may also report to the CLO or CEO of the organization. Although the general counsel is a crucial part of any organization, their role in the executive team or decision-making is quite limited.

Is Chief Legal Officer the same as general counsel?

In simple terms, GC is responsible for the legal matters of the organization whereas a CLO has a much wider remit, integrating the legal team and issues with the wider organization, the aim being to improve company performance, of which legal is just a part.

What is higher than general counsel?

CLOs are often present in larger organizations, where they operate at the highest level, above the GC and the rest of the legal team. They are often more involved in high-level strategic planning, risk management, and advising the executive team on legal matters that could impact the company's long-term goals.

What is the difference between general counsel and CCO?

While the GC oversees the legal affairs of the company and is seen at times as the company's legal advocate, the CCO has specific responsibility for the company's compliance program, responsible not only for helping to prevent misconduct but also for identifying misconduct that may have occurred.

What Is a Career in General Counsel Like? In Discussion with a General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer

36 related questions found

Who does the CCO report to?

The CCO must report directly to the Chief Executive Officer. He must also inform the Board about important issues and material violations.

Who reports to the chief legal officer?

A general counsel may need to represent the company in court and during private legal matters. This role typically reports to the chief legal officer and people in this role may be promoted to chief legal officer.

What is the highest title for a lawyer?

Law Firm Partners

The pinnacle of the law firm hierarchy is the partners of the firm. Law firm partners play a significant role in law firm management and business. Attorneys who are seasoned not only possess extensive legal knowledge. But also play a major role in a firm's business or capital.

Who do general counsels report to?

A general counsel, sometimes called GC, chief legal officer, or corporate counsel, is a company's main attorney and primary source of legal advice.. The GC typically reports directly to the CEO, because his or her opinions are integral to business decisions.

What is the highest legal position in a company?

General Counsel (GC) is almost always the most senior person on the legal team.

What is another title for general counsel?

Some companies use the title chief legal officer (CLO) instead of general counsel (learn more about the differences between the CLO and GC here and a deep dive into their roles) to denote the top legal executive.

What level is a general counsel?

A General Counsel (GC) is the most senior person in a company's legal team. They're responsible for providing legal advice, diminishing risk and ensuring that there is a high standard of legal compliance across the business. The role often involves a high level of business acumen and sits at an executive level.

What is CLO in court?

The Conservation & Liquidation Office (CLO) has become one of the premier receivership operations in the country and will continue to manage the affairs of conservatorship and receivership in California for the benefit and protection of policyholders and other creditors interested in the assets of the estates.

Is general counsel prestigious?

General counsel: Best job in the corporate world

Our own work in the legal field and advising many of the world's top legal leaders has shown how general counsel may be one of the best jobs in the corporate world.

What does C suite level mean?

C-suite gets its name from the titles of top senior executives which tend to start with the letter C, for “chief.” They include the chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO), and chief information officer (CIO).

What are the ranks of counsel?

The lead attorney could be the Chief Counsel, General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer. They might be the only attorney in the company. If they have subordinates, those attorneys might be called Assistant Counsel, Associate Attorney, Staff Attorney etc.

Is there a difference between chief legal officer and general counsel?

General Counsel usually focus on legal and compliance affairs, ensuring adherence to applicable laws and regulations, while Chief Legal Officers typically shoulder a more extensive range of responsibilities, including legal, strategic, and executive functions.

Is general counsel head of legal?

The title “General Counsel” tends to mean the individual who is running the legal department and interfacing with the board, not someone with a reporting relationship to the person who is actually running things.

Do general counsels go to court?

Depending on the stakes (or the number of lawyers in the department) who goes can vary; when the risks are high, that's when the general counsel herself needs to find a seat in the courtroom every day.

What is the most powerful lawyer position?

Some of the most powerful lawyer positions include:
  • Attorney General. The Attorney General is the highest-ranking legal officer in the United States Department of Justice. ...
  • Solicitor General. ...
  • Corporate Counsel. ...
  • Big Law Partner. ...
  • Judges. ...
  • Public Interest Lawyers. ...
  • Criminal Defense Attorneys. ...
  • Law Firm Managing Partner.

What is the chain of command in a law firm?

The traditional hierarchical model is the most commonly used structure in law firms. In this model, authority flows from the top down, with a clear chain of command. The typical roles include managing partners, senior partners, junior partners, of counsel, senior associates, associates, and support staff.

What is the highest paid lawyer?

Highest-Paid Types of Lawyers
  • Patent attorney: $180,000.
  • Intellectual property (IP) attorney: $162,000.
  • Trial lawyer: $134,000.
  • Tax attorney: $122,000.
  • Corporate lawyer: $115,000.
  • Medical lawyer: $113,000.
  • Real estate lawyer: $98,000.
  • Family lawyer: $93,000.

What is another name for general counsel?

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.

Who does a general counsel report to?

While it seems best practice today that the GC has a direct reporting line to the CEO he must have the right to bring controversial issues to the Chairman or individual board members without the prior consent of the CEO.