Corporate Counsel

Companies are relying more on psychological testing to evaluate general counsel candidates, using everything from quick online assessments to multihour sessions with industrial psychologists. https://lnkd.in/ei6W4bJs

Most Big Law firms, in keeping silent about the Trump administration’s actions against law firms, are concerned they could harm their clients or business if they were to speak publicly against the government. But some general counsel lawyers say they want their outside counsel to speak up. Some Big Law clients are going so far as to indicate that they’re willing to vote with their dollars and shift business around to those who speak out against the Trump administration, according to interviews with corporate counsel and several LinkedIn posts by general counsel. “I’m carefully watching the reactions of various firms, or the lack thereof, and I feel it’s my duty to vote with my pocketbook in terms of where I want to send my business in the future,” a clothing company GC said in an interview. A medical company chief legal officer said in an interview, “If there ends up being a split where some firms are vocal and others aren’t, I will absolutely use that in my purchasing or vendor decisions. I will want a firm that is aligned with my values.” The CLO expressed disappointment that firms thus far have remained silent. One advertising company’s general counsel, speaking anonymously to ALM, said he would be shifting work away from the firms targeted by Trump’s actions. The GC said he felt sympathetic to the firms, and he would personally move work to firms speaking out, but a duty to his company means that a firm’s public action or statement wouldn't be a factor in his outside counsel section. Another GC, who serves a media-focused company, indicated that general counsel were in a “uniquely difficult” position given their fiduciary duties to the companies they serve while also remaining officers of the court and members of the legal profession. “We aren’t merely corporate officers charged with producing shareholder value…that’s part of being a general counsel, but we’re also members of the bar, officers of the court, and part of a legal profession that’s the bedrock of the rule of law,” the GC said. “We stand apart from the narrow shareholder value paradigm and have a responsibility to the legal system, to the profession, and we’re really caught between those two prerogatives.” Full story from Amanda O'Brien: https://lnkd.in/efiU4DrP

Despite headwinds battering the automotive industry, BorgWarner Inc. last year nearly doubled the compensation for its legal chief to $10.2 million. That compares with the $5.6 million Tonit Calaway earned in 2023 as executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel. Much of Calaway's 83% pay bump was courtesy of a one-time grant of restricted stock valued at $4.5 million, in part "to ensure stability in the leadership team," according to BorgWarner's 2024 proxy statement filed Wednesday. In her current role as chief administrative officer, Calaway "was a key part" of the team that led the spinoff of BorgWarner's fuel systems and aftermarket segments into the publicly traded company PHINIA Inc. in 2023, according to the proxy. The company proxy also cited Calaway's work in the acquisition of Delphi Electronics PLC in 2020. "She was instrumental in, among other things, executing the company's strategy given her deep expertise in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures," the proxy stated. Full story from Chris O'Malley: https://lnkd.in/esQHrjGs

Lisa Mather believes no one will see your career better than you do, and that mindset has fueled her journey across four continents, multiple industries, and some of the most high-profile legal roles in global business. Mather, now general counsel of Mars Wrigley, joined Irene Liu, executive-in-residence at the school and AI adviser to the California State Senate, on a Berkeley Law executive education webinar to discuss her career trajectory, the evolution of in-house legal teams, and why general counsel in every industry must be tech-forward. Mather never set out with a rigid plan to become a general counsel—her career was guided by her love of learning, her passion for different cultures, and her desire to enable business growth. That mindset has led her to make bold moves, including relocating to the Czech Republic for a role, even though she didn’t speak the language and had two young children in tow. “I really wanted to do that role,” she said. “I thought, ‘What happens if I don’t like it? What’s the worst that could happen?’” That way of thinking, she believes, is just as important for business as it is for individual careers. Growing up in Australia, she finished high school ahead of schedule and took a gap year in Denmark, immersing herself in the language and culture. The experience left her wanting more of that exposure, and when opportunities came up later in her career to work abroad, she never hesitated. Early on, she moved to Hong Kong to work in private practice, focusing on corporate law, M&A, and capital markets transactions. She loved the high-stakes nature of the work and the strategic importance of the deals but found herself wanting to go deeper—beyond the transaction itself, into how the business operated. “I loved that strategy and intensity and obviously delivering the results, but I never got to see what was next,” she said. “I always wanted to continue that relationship and to be more embedded.” Full story from Trudy Knockless: https://lnkd.in/e6gUf8N3