New CMS report looks into how General Counsel view the evolution and the position of their roles

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the way lawyers have to and can perform. Though the evolution from a mere contract specialist to a generalist, knowledgeable in areas ranging from intellectual property to ethics and compliance, has been ongoing even prior to the onset of the pandemic, the current developments have certainly accelerated them.

In these times, as face-to-face socialising with your peers from other industries and countries has become scarce, finding best practice online has become the go-to method for broadening your own scope about the evolution of legal teams and their leaders. Though now, six months into the new working order, there is plentitude of advice on digitisation and remote working, the shifts in the role of corporate lawyers, specifically general counsel, are scarcely mentioned.

In the light of this, CMS in partnership with ECLA, has produced an extensive 101-question-interview-series with 18 high-level general counsel based in various sectors in Europe, titled ‘Creating Connections, Bridging Gaps’. The report specifically focuses on how general counsel of today conduct themselves, with the discussions ranging from business relations to team-building to value- and brand-building within the business and beyond.

The report is an excellent read for in-house lawyers regardless of position, as it illustrates well the evolving role and the challenges that today’s general counsel are faced with. Getting such insight from a number of high-level decision makers certainly can demonstrate the future evolution of the role as well, giving a better understanding of where the profession is heading.