General Counsel Interview Questions

1.1The GC mandate - legal risk management, governance, and the legal function leadership

1.2GC at board level - governance responsibilities, board secretary role, and operating at executive level

1.3Building and leading the in-house legal function - structure, talent, and operating model

1.4GC as a business leader - commercial acumen, strategic thinking, and operating as more than a lawyer

2.1Board governance - director duties, board composition, committee structure, and governance best practice

2.2Company secretarial leadership - the GC role in corporate governance administration

2.3Shareholders and investors - the legal framework for managing investor relations and shareholder rights

2.4Corporate governance reporting - governance disclosures in the annual report and what the GC owns

3.1M&A leadership - the GC role in acquisition strategy, due diligence, negotiation, and execution

3.2Transaction structuring - legal structures, warranties, indemnities, and protection mechanisms

3.3Post-acquisition integration - the legal workstream and managing the legal entities through integration

3.4Divestitures, spin-offs, and joint ventures - the legal complexity of disposal transactions

4.1Regulatory strategy - how the GC shapes the organisation relationship with regulators and government

4.2Competition law at GC level - merger control, antitrust risk, and managing the compliance programme

4.3Sector regulation - the industry-specific regulatory framework and the GC accountability for compliance

4.4Government affairs - lobbying, consultation responses, and managing the political risk to the business

5.1Executive employment - the GC role in senior executive hiring, contracts, and exits

5.2Board-level employment matters - director service agreements, executive pay, and non-executive appointments

5.3Whistleblowing governance - the GC accountability for the organisation speak up framework

5.4Investigations - the GC role in managing investigations into senior personnel

6.1Litigation strategy - when to fight, when to settle, and how to manage the risk

6.2Managing external litigation counsel - strategy oversight, cost management, and decision-making

6.3Class actions and systemic litigation - the GC response to significant multi-party claims

6.4Settlement authority - the GC role in approving settlements and managing settlement risk

7.1Contract governance at scale - authority levels, approval processes, and managing contract risk across the business

7.2Legal risk standards - the GC role in setting and enforcing contract risk tolerance

7.3Third-party management - the legal governance framework for key commercial relationships

7.4IP strategy - protecting the company IP assets and managing the legal risk of IP disputes

8.1Legal budget and resource management - making strategic decisions about in-house vs external capacity

8.2Law firm strategy - panel management, fee negotiations, and driving value from external spend

8.3Legal technology - the GC role in modernising the function and investing in legal technology

8.4Talent strategy for the legal function - building, developing, and retaining top legal talent

9.1The GC as guardian of the organisation values - integrity, ethical standards, and the legal function role

9.2Conflicts of interest at senior level - identifying, managing, and disclosing conflicts

9.3Reputational risk - the GC contribution to protecting and enhancing the organisation reputation

9.4Crisis management - the GC role in the organisation response to a major legal or reputational incident

10.1Governance and corporate law questions - board governance, M&A, competition law, and regulatory matters

10.2Leadership questions - building a legal function, managing external counsel, and operating at board level

10.3Commercial and strategic questions - demonstrating business acumen and the GC contribution beyond legal advice

10.4Compensation and package negotiation at GC level, questions to ask the CEO and chair, and evaluating the legal risk profile and board-level legal culture of the organisation