Business Thinking in Practice for In-House Counsel

This is a must-read for any in-house counsel who wants to lead their department into the future. Catherine McGregor offers excellent insights and thought-provoking perspective about blending traditional business thinking with best in class in-house counsel practices.This book is an essential guide. -- Karen Dillon,
What drives this book is the observation that business law is often insular in terms of the frameworks of understanding its uses. For in-house legal departments new ways of thinking are crucial. The good news is that this work is packed with learning not just from the business world but from in-house counsel who are applying their legal skills broadly and in new ways. Collaboration is key, thinking creatively need not induce terror in any of us and, preparation, process and focus are what really matter when you seek to innovate. Dr McGregor’s work will stimulate much thought about how businesses can attract better and more fulfilled lawyers. -- Eamonn Kennedy,
Catherine McGregor is a thought-leader and visionary at the forefront of in-house counsel operations. She has cleared the path for future conversations about leadership, management and culture. Her insights are ones that should be treated as gems. -- Deborah Farone
Modern general counsel and senior in-house lawyers are expected to be business leaders not simply good lawyers. Even lawyers with a first-rate legal education are not typically provided education on the business concepts included in this book. With her experienced lens into successful in-house legal teams, Dr. McGregor translates important business frameworks, such as purpose, culture and collaboration, to the business of leading law departments. I could not agree more with the author’s statement that "particularly for in-house lawyers – the more senior they become, the more empathy trumps legal skills...." -- Michelle Banks
This remarkable book provides pragmatic insight into how the role of a general counsel has been transformed from a traditional technical legal model to a new era of evolved lawyering - adding the dimensions of creativity, purpose and commercial perspective to the in-house toolkit. If you wish to become a great general counsel, or develop a more nuanced understanding of the general counsel as your client, this is a must read. -- Lesley Wan