Who does Head of legal report to?

Asked by: Lane Nitzsche II  |  Last update: July 8, 2022
Score: 4.5/5 (59 votes)

In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their duties involve overseeing and identifying the legal issues in all departments and their interrelation, including engineering, design, marketing, sales, distribution, credit, finance, human resources and production, as well as ...

Who does the general counsel usually 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.

Does general counsel always report to CEO?

For example in 91 percent of those companies, general counsel report to the CEO. In 83 percent, general counsel serve as the corporate secretary, indicating direct access to the board, and in 83 percent of those companies, general counsel are also responsible for compliance.

Should GC report to CFO?

The CEO has an extremely difficult personality so the GC needs a buffer, which is best served by the CFO. The CEO already has too many direct reports and doesn't want another at this point in time. The CFO is a more active manager and would be more effective in maintaining a stronger relationship with the GC.

What is the difference between legal counsel and general counsel?

In-house counsel is a generic term for lawyers who practice, well, in-house. General Counsel 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.

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Is general counsel above Head of legal?

Head of Legal – If a company doesn't use the GC term, the Head of Legal usually performs the same duties and has the same level of seniority. Where both roles exist in the same organisation, the Head of Legal typically operates in the Deputy GC role (see above and reports directly to the GC.

What does a head of legal do?

The Head of Legal is tasked with analyzing and identifying the legal risks and implications of all of the business's transactions, keeping the senior management in all departments of the business informed of developments in laws and regulations that potentially affect the business.

Can a general counsel report to coo?

In many large organizations, including organizationally complex health systems, the general counsel directly reports to the COO.

Should HR report to general counsel?

Where HR reports is an indicator of how the organization sees the HR function. For example, reporting to the general counsel likely indicates that HR is valued highly for its role in legal and regulatory compliance.

Can general counsel become CEO?

Another general counsel is rising up from the legal department to take over as CEO of a major company. This time it's BWH Hotel Group legal chief, senior vice president and corporate secretary Larry Cuculic, who on Dec. 1 will ascend to his new role as president and CEO of the Phoenix-based global hospitality company.

Should general counsel also be company secretary?

The GC should have plenty of engagement with the directors on legal issues even without having the corporate secretary role. The GC should be in the boardroom in that capacity, except during executive sessions. Same with the corporate secretary. It should not be a choose-one-or-the-other decision.

Should general counsel attend board meetings?

It is important for anybody in a board meeting to remember his or her own role. General counsel can attend board meetings, but they should play a relatively passive role. General counsel on the board is there to observe and to flag issues if they arise.

What does a general counsel and corporate secretary do?

The General Counsel and Corporate Secretary will serve as the Company's chief legal officer, providing sound counsel to the Board of Directors, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and other members of the Company's leadership teams.

Who is the head of legal department?

A general counsel, chief counsel, or chief legal officer (CLO) is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a company or a governmental department.

What is the difference between counsel and council?

Council is the word for an advisory group or meeting; counsel is the word for advice, an individual giving advice or guidance, or the verb indicating such action. There is not a tried-and-true mnemonic to differentiate these words.

Is general counsel an executive?

A general counsel is a more traditional executive in a company. The GC focuses on managing a company's legal compliance and corporate governance. The general counsel role is also more closely aligned with a high-level lawyer which ensures the company's legal obligations are all met.

Should HR report to CFO or COO?

The head of HR at many organizations reports directly to the chief executive officer, president or owner, according to a new examination of the HR reporting structure. A smaller number report to the chief financial officer and chief operating officer (13 percent and 10 percent, respectively).

Should compliance report to the CEO?

At minimum, a CCO should have a direct line of communication to the board of directors or CEO. Ideally, the CCO would report directly the board or CEO, and not through layers of management, or through the organization's general counsel or finance department, again, to avoid real or perceived interest in outcomes.

How do HR and legal work together?

Legal and HR can work together to create educational training for managers about hiring laws, discuss forbidden interview questions, spot biases in the company's hiring process, and manage compensation targets.

Should compliance officer report to general counsel?

The 2021 HCCA Compliance Institute included a session titled “The Roles of the Compliance Officer and the General Counsel,” during which a speaker from the OIG stated that it is not advisable for compliance functions to be subordinate to the general counsel.

Can a lawyer be coo?

Today, while by no means ubiquitous – even among the largest global firms – there is no doubt that law firm COO is a recognized and no longer surprising role to come across. Typically, when we refer to a legal COO we are talking about a very senior C-suite management role at the top of a large firm.

Can a company have two general counsels?

Sometimes, it takes two. The legal department at Hearst Communications recently took the unusual step of appointing dual general counsel. Here are four others that have adopted this unusual model.

How much does Head of legal earn?

The average salary for Head of Legal is £107,229 per year in the London Area. The average additional cash compensation for a Head of Legal in the London Area is £22,662, with a range from £9,668 - £53,121.

How do you lead a legal department?

Top-ten guide: top ten ways to run your legal department like a business unit
  1. 1) MANAGE YOUR DEPARTMENT'S WORKLOAD. ...
  2. 2) KNOW YOUR SPENDING AND USE BUDGETS. ...
  3. 3) UNDERSTAND WHAT SUCCESS MEANS FOR YOUR STAKEHOLDERS. ...
  4. 4) DEMONSTRATE YOUR DEPARTMENT'S SUCCESS WITH METRICS. ...
  5. 5) EVALUATE VENDOR PERFORMANCE. ...
  6. 6) INNOVATE.

What is the role of legal department in an Organisation?

'The broad general function of the law department is to delineate legal boundaries within which the management of the corporation is free to exercise its ingenuity in successfully managing the corporate enterprise. Its function is not to cover up or conceal illegal activities.