The role of the general counsel has undergone a profound transformation over the past decade. Once regarded primarily as the company’s chief lawyer, the GC of 2025 is increasingly seen as a strategic leader whose influence spans governance, risk, culture and business strategy. No longer confined to the perimeter of the boardroom, today’s GCs sit at the heart of corporate decision-making, shaping not only how businesses navigate legal complexity but also how they grow, innovate and respond to stakeholder expectations.
Modern general counsel are expected to wear multiple hats: legal adviser, risk manager, strategist and even culture shaper. This expansion of the role reflects a series of wider dynamics. Regulatory environments across industries have become more complex, while investors and stakeholders apply ever greater scrutiny to governance. Rapid cycles of innovation, particularly in technology, create new legal and ethical challenges at a speed that can outpace regulation. Meanwhile, the globalisation of business models demands constant cross-border navigation and sensitivity to differing legal frameworks and cultural contexts.
The remit of the GC in 2025 is correspondingly broad. Strategic risk management is central, with general counsel now tasked not only with identifying risks but aligning the company’s response with its wider objectives and risk appetite. They serve as trusted advisers to CEOs, CFOs and boards, grounding critical decisions in legal and ethical frameworks. They are key participants in commercial deal-making, whether in M&A, partnerships or capital markets activity, and they are instrumental in governance, ensuring corporate behaviour meets regulatory requirements, investor expectations and societal standards. Technology oversight has also become a defining element of the role, with GCs increasingly advising on data, AI and cybersecurity—areas where legal frameworks often lag behind innovation.
What defines the most successful GCs today is a blend of skills that extend beyond technical legal excellence. They combine their legal foundation with broad commercial awareness, the ability to influence non-legal stakeholders through strong communication, and the adaptability to operate across jurisdictions and industries. Crucially, they bring leadership—building legal functions that scale with the business and equipping their teams to meet the demands of rapid change.
This matters because businesses are now judged not only on profitability but also on governance, ethics and resilience. The general counsel has become the bridge between risk and opportunity, guiding companies to grow boldly while never losing sight of their obligations. The modern GC is not simply a lawyer; they are a business leader, with legal expertise as the foundation for a far wider and more influential role.
