what is the cheif lawyer

by Tianna Macejkovic 6 min read

A chief legal officer is a lawyer with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, state license and extensive corporate experience. As the head of a corporate legal department, a CLO

General counsel

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.

is responsible for overseeing a company’s legal affairs.

Full Answer

What is a chief legal officer?

Sep 27, 2021 · A chief legal officer is a lawyer with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, state license and extensive corporate experience. As the head of a corporate legal department, a CLO is responsible for overseeing a company’s legal affairs.

Can a top lawyer also be a chief administrative officer?

Chief legal officers (or general counsels) are chief lawyers and have the responsibility of overseeing every legal aspect of a business or law firm. As the head lawyer, they are paid a premium salary which according to the Bureu of Labor Statistics (BLS) can be as high as $187,199 (90th percentile in 2013) or more depending on the industry.

What is the role of the chief litigator?

Oct 29, 2013 · The United States Attorney General, appointed by the President, acts as the chief lawyer for the government. The position was created in 1789.

Should a CLO be a real lawyer?

He was a son of the chief who had met Lewis and Clarke in so friendly a manner, and had cared for their horses during their stay down the river. Chief Lawyer, Nez Percé Throughout the entire history of settlement, Lawyer was a friend of the Whites. He was especially prominent in the negotiations with Governor Stevens after the Yakima war of 1855.

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Who is the chief law?

The chief legal officer (CLO) is an expert and leader who helps the company minimize its legal risks by advising the company's other officers and board members on any major legal and regulatory issues the company confronts, such as litigation risks.

What is the highest rank of a lawyer?

A principal is an executive-level attorney, equivalent to a chief executive officer, according to employment website Indeed.

What is the role of a chief legal officer?

The Chief Legal Officer is the head of the corporate legal department and is responsible for the legal affairs of the entire corporation. This role includes providing legal counsel to the board of directors, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and other senior management.

What is the difference between a chief legal officer and a general counsel?

The top lawyer in a company is usually called the General Counsel (GC) or the Chief Legal Officer (CLO). The difference between a GC and a CLO is that, usually, a CLO reports directly to the CEO while a GC does not.Oct 31, 2017

What type of lawyer travels the most?

Corporate Lawyer Both careers, whether as a lawyer working for a firm, or a lawyer employed as in-house counsel tend to involve a lot of travel, particularly if you find work with a large national or multi-national corporation.Jul 22, 2019

Do lawyers make good money?

Do lawyers actually make good money? A: Law careers have always been some of the most lucrative in the United States. Depending on their location and specialty, lawyers can make as much as $200,000+ a year, which is considerably more than people make in most other professions.Sep 21, 2021

Does head of legal need to be a lawyer?

Professional advice from a head of legal is always to best serve the business; therefore a lawyer in this role is a leader of the business with legal skills. To be the best head of legal a lawyer needs to be commercial as well as a “people person”.May 14, 2018

What do you need to become a chief legal officer?

As an aspiring chief legal officer, you should focus on corporate law. Along with courses in general law topics, you may study intellectual property law, corporate finance, business law, real estate law, employment law and other subjects related to practicing law in a business setting.Sep 27, 2021

Who reports to CLO?

According to a recent ACC Chief Legal Officer (CLO) Survey, with more than 1,300 chief legal officers participating globally, the majority (about 80%) state that their reporting line is directly to the CEO of the organization.

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.Aug 10, 2018

What title is given to the chief law officer of the state?

attorney general, the chief law officer of a state or nation and the legal adviser to the chief executive.

Is general counsel part of the C-suite?

The roles of general counsel (GC), chief legal officer (CLO), and corporate counsel (CC) have been growing in importance as C-suite leadership teams become more aware of the elevated risk conditions they are working in as well as the long-term cost of those risks.Dec 14, 2020

What is a CLO in law?

Understanding the Chief Legal Officer (CLO) When a large, publicly-traded company hires a new CLO, it may make the news, just as the hiring of a new COO or CFO might. A CLO typically has an extensive career in law. Positions a CLO might hold before becoming an executive include the head of legal, first general counsel, and firm partner.

What is the role of a CLO?

Keeping the company aware of compliance issues and recommending a course of action to remedy such matters also fall under the duties of the CLO. There is also an aspect of corporate governance to the role, in which certain responsibilities and duties rest with the CLO to ensure the company is not violating laws. For example, this may include guaranteeing the company conducts its hiring process following employment law standards, adheres to appropriate product labeling regulations, fulfills health and safety codes, and files reports that are mandated by government agencies.

What is a CLO?

The chief legal officer (CLO) is an expert and leader who helps the company minimize its legal risks by advising the company's other officers and board members on any major legal and regulatory issues the company confronts, such as litigation risks .

Who is Will Wills?

He developed Investopedia's Anxiety Index and its performance marketing initiative. He is an expert on the economy and investing laws and regulations. Will holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature and political science from Ohio University. He received his Master of Arts in economics at The New School for Social Research.

Who is the chief litigator of a company?

In cases where a business is involved in a lawsuit, the chief legal officer may act as the chief litigator. This includes making sure that the company is in compliance with regulatory codes, which typically involves making sure filings are made on time to the right agencies and are filled out correctly. Another member of the legal team may prepare ...

What is the job of a chief legal officer?

Chief legal officers (or general counsels) are chief lawyers and have the responsibility of overseeing every legal aspect of a business or law firm.

What courses do I need to become a chief legal officer?

These courses include: cyber law, international law, argumentation theory, public speaking, communication courses, communication law, symbolic logic, and an introductory course to legal practice.

What is the best way to become a legal officer?

One recommendation for a person that is interested in becoming a legal officer is corporate law. Most law schools require a person to take courses in general law topics, but later on allow a person to focus more on their interests.

Why do people work as chief legal officers?

The majority of people that work as a chief legal officer have worked in careers that are in a related field first because most corporations require a certain amount of experience. When choosing a career as a chief legal officer it is important to research the duties, job descriptions, salary, benefits, and requirements.

What degree do I need to become a lawyer?

Education Requirements. A bachelor’s degree in business law or pre-law studies is recommended in order to enroll in law school. During undergraduate studies a person will need to display excellence in order to be accepted into a quality law school.

Who has to sign off on a legal document?

Another member of the legal team may prepare the document, but typically the chief legal officer will have to sign off on them. In addition, the chief legal officer has to keep up to date on any legal changes that are made that apply to the specific industry where he/she works.

Comparing Chief Legal Officer to General Counsel

Although both the Chief Legal Officer and the General Counsel are high level positions in charge of a company's legal matters, the Chief Legal Officer is required to be a business strategist while the General Counsel is mostly concerned with legal issues.

Responsibilities of a Chief Legal Officer vs. General Counsel

The Chief Legal Officer is a top executive who works with other chief executives to make business decisions promoting growth. The General Counsel is primarily an advisor who aims to limit the company's legal risk. Both roles manage a company's legal teams and require deep industry expertise and management experience.

Chief Legal Officer

The Chief Legal Officer understands a company's business model and builds internal procedures for legal matters. He/she must balance a company's need for profits with its legal responsibilities. A Chief Legal Officer is often a lawyer who has been promoted internally from a senior counsel role.

What is a legal officer strategist?

Strategist: As a strategist, you are in the position to bring your business partners clear legal strategy that supports and enables business strategy. In this legal officer role, you provide the senior executive team with legal guidance that enables achievement of growth objectives.

What is the role of a CLO?

The role of the CLO continues to grow in importance with increasing influence at the most senior levels of leadership. To be successful in this peak legal officer role, you should learn to skillfully navigate the four faces of the CLO, focusing most of your time and effort in the catalyst and strategist roles.

What is a CLO?

A CLO is also a strategic thinker and a senior executive, operating at the highest and most impactful level of the company. To be successful in the top legal officer role, a CLO should divide his or her time between “four faces”—Strategist, Catalyst, Guardian, and Operator.

Who manages the legal team?

The legal team is usually managed by the CLO so you need a competent leader who will inspire and motivate employees to do their best work. You also want a dynamic leader in this position because they’ll also be interacting with corporate leadership and outside clients on a regular basis.

Where are the cities for Chief Legal Officer?

Cities include; New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, and Phoenix.

What is a CLO in business?

The CLO balances the legal aspects of the company while monitoring the repercussions and risks associated with new business moves. A CLO recognizes the legal risk of new ventures but can also place this decision in the bigger context of the business.

What is the role of CLO?

The role of chief legal officer is a newer position than the general counsel and in some ways is an expansion of the general counsel role. The CLO is a C-Suite position that focuses on the legal department but is also responsible for providing valid business solutions to arising problems. Legal analysis is expected, but the CLO also keeps the company’s business model and goals in mind.

What are the duties of a general counsel?

General Counsel Job Description 1 Represent the company in court 2 Convey legal advice to company executives 3 Lead and manage the legal team 4 Communicate and oversee compliance regulations with government agencies

What is the best way to become a general counsel?

When searching for a general counsel, it would be wise to seek a candidate with cross-educational training in business or someone who has extensive on-the-job experience. A great general counsel candidate will have just the right mix of legal acumen, business insight, and strategic know-how.

What is a CLO in a CFO?

Chief Legal Officer (CLO) is one of many possible appellations that might apply to a General Counsel. For example: the GC, especially if serving as the Corporate Secretary, may also be the Chief Governance Officer (CGO);

Where is CLO appropriate?

In my view, CLO is also appropriate where the company may have divisional or subsidiary company general counsels who report, directly or informally, to the CLO at the parent company. 3

Can a lawyer lose attorney-client privilege?

It's well known that a lawyer operating in a business capacity can lose the attorney-client privilege normally associated with her office. While it will always be a fact-based analysis, changing your title to reflect the recognition of your non-legal role will inevitably work against the case for privilege in the regulatory context. 8

What is ACC in legal?

ACC provides members with resources to deliver services and advice to their companies, promotes the value of in-house legal services and advocates on behalf of general counsel. For its general counsel and chief legal officer members, ACC hosts roundtables where members discuss current practice trends and issues.

What is a CLO?

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. 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 ...

What is the General Counsel Forum?

The General Counsel Forum. The Forum is an association of 700 general counsel and senior managing counsel. The non-profit organization was founded in the fall of 1998 as the Dallas-Fort Worth General Counsel's Management Practices Forum (“DFWGCMPF”). The association is a partnership between in-house members and outside counsel, ...

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