The L Suite (TechGC)

The most valuable insights often come from those walking the same path. Last week, at The L Suite 2024 Growth Summit, experienced GCs examined the realities of maximizing your pre-IPO potential. On the mainstage, leaders shared candid perspectives on navigating extended paths to exit. "IPO is ONE option for an exit but not THE option for an exit," emphasized Jayshree Mahtani, GC & SVP Operations at Skillshare. Scott Bulua, GC at Ramp, echoed this sentiment: "We've developed new ways to avoid going public, for better or worse." The conversations revealed evolving dynamics between departments. "As the company grows and ages, that relationship between legal and finance gets tighter and tighter," noted Bulua. Inna Barmash, CLO & Corporate Secretary at Amplify, highlighted the power of peer connections: "Lawyers are uniquely positioned in having a network where you can call and get all kinds of helpful advice. Having a really strong network enables us to add more value to the management team." Law schools provide the foundation. Law firms sharpen technical skills. But leading legal strategy at a rapidly scaling company requires a different kind of knowledge. One that emerges from peers who understand the delicate balance of protecting the business while enabling its growth. This is why we built The L Suite. A community where legal leaders find not just technical answers, but strategic insight from others navigating similar paths. Special thanks to our co-chairs Erin Abrams (CLO, Via) and Mario Springer (SVP & GC, Justworks) for guiding these critical conversations. We're grateful to all our speakers for sharing their experiences, including Aaron Singer, Alison Fraser, Anna Szpunar, Leadership Coach, David Dempsey, Eric Ratinetz LCSW-R, MBA, Inna Barmash, Jayshree Mahtani, Jennifer Hartzler, Liz Simon, Melissa Weiland, Pam Swidler, Sarah Weatherhead, and Scott Bulua. This event wouldn't have been possible without the incredible support from our sponsors: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Dentons, Foley Hoag LLP, Ivo, Latham & Watkins, Lawtrades, LinkSquares, Luminance, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, SpotDraft, Taylor Wessing, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. If you're interested in joining a community of over 4,100 legal leaders with access to 300+ world-class events annually and always-on connection to peers via the Braintrust platform, learn more at The L Suite (TechGC).

Knowing AI acronyms is different than knowing what goes on behind the curtain. Join The L Suite on December 4th for an intensive virtual forum on AI's real-world impact on legal departments. Co-chaired by Shana Simmons (CLO, Zendesk) and Todd Carpenter (CLO, Canva), this 4.5-hour session goes beyond surface-level discussions. Featured speakers include: ? Halimah DeLaine Prado (GC, Google) ? Elspeth Simpson White (Co-Head of Legal, Google DeepMind) ? David Bushby (Head of Legal Ops, Canva) ? Pam Couch (Senior Managing Counsel, Zendesk) ? Fiona Maclean (Partner, Latham & Watkins) ? Raad Ahmed (Founder & CEO, Lawtrades) ? Justin Schweisberger (CRO, Pramata) ? Akshay Verma (COO, SpotDraft) ? Chris Jeffery, (Partner, Taylor Wessing UK) ? Sophie McNaught (Director of AI & Enterprise Practice Lead, Vouch Insurance) Key sessions: ? Navigating the current patchwork of AI laws ? Understanding AI technology fundamentals ? Managing privacy and customer data impacts ? Global AI regulations and practical implementation ? Small group discussions on workforce implications The forum includes interactive breakout sessions for candid peer discussions on implementing AI while managing compliance and team dynamics. December 4th, 12:00-4:30pm EST Virtual Forum CLE Credit: Up to 4 hours available Open to L Suite members only. Chatham House Rule applies. Register now.

You've prepared the company for exit. But have you prepared yourself? Join The L Suite for a critical discussion on personal preparations ahead of liquidity events - from private sales and M&A transactions to IPOs. While corporate readiness often takes center stage, personal considerations like estate, income tax, and charitable gift planning can significantly impact the outcome. Beth Stevens (CLO, Sword Health) leads a powerhouse panel from Withersworldwide, including Doug Mandell (Global Head of Founder Practice), David Stein (Partner), and Charles Kolstad (Partner). Key focus areas: ? Essential personal planning milestones ? Strategic timing for maximum impact ? Financial, legal & lifestyle considerations ? Common pitfalls to avoid This candid discussion will equip you with actionable strategies for aligning personal and professional objectives during high-stakes transitions. November 21st, 1:00-2:00pm EST Virtual Session CLE Credit Available Open to L Suite members only. Chatham House Rule applies. Register now.

Every startup GC faces this moment: Your workload is crushing. The business is scaling rapidly. And you need to make a case for growing your legal team. But adding headcount isn't always the answer. Drawing from conversations with legal leaders at high-growth companies, when building a strategic legal function, it’s useful to use a framework like SCALE: ??CALE - ?????????????????? Levers First: Before considering additional headcount, examine process improvements, workload distribution, technology solutions, and strategic outsourcing opportunities. S??ALE - ???????????????????? Case with Data: "A lot of business-side people are aspirers and dreamers; if I can supply them with added perspective about the company's next goal, and what kind of support I need to get there, that approach works most of the time," shares Peter Wei, Head of Legal at Octaura. SC??LE - ?????????? Skills to Strategy: Map your team's responsibilities clearly while aligning tasks with individual interests and career goals. As Wei notes, "If I don't know what makes someone tick, I'm going to have trouble incentivizing them to bring their best foot forward." SCA??E - ???????????????? External Partners: Be strategic about outside support. As Dina Segal, CLO at Gusto, observes, "The closer the work is to building and knowing our products, the harder it is to outsource." SCAL?? - ???????????????? and Evolve: Stay ahead of emerging needs and cultivate what Segal calls "a superpower of looking around corners" to anticipate future requirements. The path from solo GC to legal leader demands a systematic approach to building a function that scales with your company's ambitions. For more insights on building and scaling your legal team, read the full article featuring Nabilah Irshad, Dina Segal (Gusto), Eric Treichel (Riskified), and Peter Wei (Octaura) latest blog post.

Had a great time at The L Suite (TechGC)’s Growth Summit in NYC yesterday. Lots of old friends, but also a ton of new faces as this community continues to grow! Just want to say how impressed I am at how Kiran Lingam, Greg Raiten, and Anthony Thomas continue to build this community around meaningful interactions and learning, in a sustainable and intentional way. That’s a wrap on in-person SpotDraft events for the year ?? See you in 2025 ??

Yesterday's L Suite 2024 Growth Summit showcased how today's GCs are expanding beyond traditional legal roles to shape business strategy. "Being confident in what you do know can help you be comfortable in what you don't," shared Aaron Singer, Chief Strategy Officer & CLO at Essor, during our mainstage discussion on the evolution from GC to business leader. "I never colored between the lines. When I saw a problem, I got involved," advised David Dempsey, President & COO at Heartbeat Health. "Find those opportunities, as the company grows, that you can put your stamp on." These sentiments echoed across four rounds of small group discussions, where attendees navigated 20 pressing topics reflecting the expanding scope of modern legal leadership. The range of topics reflected this expanding mandate: ? Solo GCs sharing strategies for succeeding as an army of one ? Teams examining IPO preparation 18 months in advance ? Leaders exploring the path from GC to COO/President? ? International expansion teams discussing cross-border compliance ? Legal departments developing AI policies and frameworks As Liz Simon, COO at Industrious recommended at the start of the day, success in broader business roles comes down to "getting great at managing and leading teams." The day’s focused roundtable conversations took these leaders’ counsel further, allowing participants to exchange insights with peers who understand these evolving demands. Deep appreciation to our co-chairs Erin Abrams (CLO, Via) and Mario Springer (SVP & GC, Justworks) for structuring an agenda that prioritized these essential peer connections. We're also grateful to our sponsors—Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Dentons, Foley Hoag LLP, Ivo, Latham & Watkins, Lawtrades, LinkSquares, Luminance, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, SpotDraft, Taylor Wessing, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati—whose support strengthened the impact of this summit.

Enjoying the day sharing knowledge with fellow TechGCs at the The L Suite (TechGC) 2024 Growth Summit!

Two pivotal discussions are happening today at The L Suite Growth Summit that could reshape how you think about your role as a legal leader. At 9:30 AM, we're exploring a question many GCs contemplate privately. “What does it really take to move beyond legal into broader business leadership?” Our speakers include Liz Simon, who transitioned from General Counsel at General Assembly to COO before joining Industrious in the same role. David Dempsey transitioned to President & COO at Heartbeat Health. Aaron Singer became Chief Strategy Officer while maintaining his CLO role at Essor. They’ll share firsthand experiences of these shifts, discussing key decision points, challenges, and lessons learned. Then at 4:10 PM, we tackle the complexities of extended pre-IPO phases. Four leaders with firsthand experience - Alison Fraser (Confluence), Inna Barmash (Amplify), Scott Bulua (Ramp), and Jayshree Mahtani (Skillshare) - break down how they're: ? Managing heightened regulatory scrutiny without stalling growth ? Making strategic decisions during market uncertainty ? Balancing cost pressures with compliance demands ? Evaluating traditional IPOs against emerging alternatives Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible: Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Dentons, Foley Hoag LLP, Ivo, Latham & Watkins, Lawtrades, LinkSquares, Luminance, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, SpotDraft, Taylor Wessing, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Stay tuned for insights from today’s sessions!

I'm looking forward to sharing my experience at the upcoming?The L Suite (TechGC) Growth?Summit as I lead this roundtable discussion on Cultivating General Counsel Leadership Excellence with Clementine Fox. See you there!

I have been so fortunate to work with incredible firms and vendors in my various roles at WeWork, and I'm really looking forward to discussing highlights and hearing from a group of amazing GCs and partners brought together by The L Suite (TechGC) at the #2024GrowthSummit! #thelsuite