Recruitment of General Counsel / Chief Legal Officer
Is your company recruiting a General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer? Selin Legal conducts confidential General Counsel searches for Swedish and international companies from our Stockholm office.
Recruiting a General Counsel is an executive appointment with law as its specialist field. The role requires legal expertise, business understanding, judgement and the ability to build trust with the CEO, management team and board.
Selin Legal helps you define the role and the expertise required. Through a structured and confidential search, we identify and approach relevant candidates, including people who are not actively looking for a new position.
Are you recruiting a Legal Counsel without overall responsibility for the legal function? Read about Legal Counsel recruitment. If you have a temporary need for a General Counsel, read about Interim General Counsel.
When does a company need to recruit a General Counsel?
The need often arises when legal matters become more important to the company's business, risk management and decision-making.
- the company is growing, entering new markets or facing new regulatory requirements,
- an in-house legal function is being built or needs new leadership,
- the business faces a transaction or significant change, or
- an existing General Counsel needs to be replaced.
The title is not decisive. What matters is the role's responsibilities, what the General Counsel should accomplish and how the legal function should contribute to the business.
Defining the role and profile
A clear profile starts with the needs of the business. Together, we define why the role is being recruited, its responsibilities and what the company wants the appointment to achieve.
We clarify reporting lines, responsibility for the legal function and external advisers, priority legal areas, and the experience, leadership ability and personal qualities required. The agreed profile then guides the entire process.
How we assess candidates
The assessment is adapted to the agreed profile, the role and the company's situation. Relevant experience matters, but a General Counsel must also understand the business, exercise sound judgement and build trust.
Legal expertise
Experience relevant to the company's legal and regulatory needs.
Business understanding
The ability to turn legal assessments into practical advice.
Judgement
The ability to balance legal, commercial and organizational considerations.
Leadership
The ability to lead the legal function and collaborate across the business.
Personal qualities
Integrity, communication, responsiveness and the ability to build trust.
Interviews and reference checks are used to test and complement the overall assessment against the agreed profile.
Why active search?
Many relevant candidates for General Counsel roles are not actively looking for a new position. Active search allows us to map and approach selected candidates whose experience matches the profile.
Read more about Legal Executive SearchThe recruitment process
Needs analysis and profile
We define the role and its requirements together with the client.
Market mapping and longlist
We map the market and normally agree a longlist before approaching candidates.
Candidate contact and interviews
We contact selected candidates and conduct structured interviews.
Presentation and client interviews
We present relevant candidates and support the client's interviews.
References and final assessment
We take references with the candidate's consent.
Offer and agreement
We support the dialogue until the employment agreement is signed.
Timeline and next steps
The first candidates are presented once the profile has been approved and the initial mapping, outreach and assessment have been completed.
A General Counsel recruitment normally takes 6–8 weeks from launch to a signed employment agreement. Any notice period is additional.
The start date is agreed between the client and candidate and is affected by any notice period. After the first contact, we arrange an initial discussion about the role, the need and the desired timeline.
Fee
Selin Legal provides a clear proposal covering fees and payment terms before the assignment begins.
Frequently asked questions about General Counsel recruitment
Do you need to recruit a General Counsel?
Contact us for a confidential and no-obligation conversation. We respond the same day.