The job of the chief legal officer is going to grow in 2021, and it will also become much more complex.
Businesses are being urged to expand their purpose and goals beyond the singular focus on shareholder returns. They are now expected to embrace such goals as improving the lot of employees, bolstering local communities, reducing climate change impacts, and reducing inequality, among others. While these goals have an aspirational and altruistic sound, corporations are well aware of the more tangible results of such commitments, as customers increasingly flex their purchasing power to hold companies to account.
For in-house counsel, ...