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How to stand out as a GC
While there will always be a need for reactive advice and “fire drilling”, general counsel should focus the majority of their attention on being proactive, argues one senior professional.
Jerome Doraisamy
In conversation with Lawyers Weekly, ahead of his appearance at the upcoming Corporate Counsel Summit, American Express Australia vice-president and head of legal Ryan Rayfield said that general counsel must always be looking to go above and beyond the provision of legal services in the nine-to-five.
“How can your service stand out? By removing the stigma that lawyers are conservative, technical and here to ruin the party and by being commercial, open and proactive. I also find you can excel by building personal work relationships based on trust and authenticity – when you know your client and your client knows you, you break down many of the barriers to great advice and even greater outcomes in half the time because of the open line of communication that those relationships facilitate.”
Most of what GCs do should be proactive, Mr Rayfield continued, even in the midst of reactive advice and “fire drilling” that must be done.
This necessarily involves, he said, “anticipating and planning the management of litigation, managing for the potential brand impact of business decisions, developing regulatory strategy, or planning for the impact of political and cultural change, or, just as importantly, anticipating the needs of each and every member of your team, being proactive is where at an executive level we can add the most value to our businesses as the GC”.
When asked how best the GC can ensure the legal team is firing on all cylinders, he pointed to “engagement, development, flexibility and fun”.
“I also think it is important that your team can identify the connection between what they do day-to-day and the broader purpose and strategy of the company – they need to know what they do in the office counts!” he said.
Moreover, the GC has to lead from the front in the face of evolving marketplace factors to keep the team on the right track, Mr Rayfield concluded.
“By showing calm under pressure and acknowledging that whilst certain situations may not be ideal, change is a constant, and invariably with change or any kind comes opportunity, and an opportunity to learn,” he said.
Interested in the issues shaping the roles of in-house lawyers? Don’t miss your chance to hear from local and global in-house legal powerhouses like Ryan Rayfield at the Corporate Counsel Summit 2020!
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
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