As the legal industry undergoes seismic change and grapples with the pressures caused by COVID-19 and ever active regulators, the law firm general counsel has arguably never been so important.

Several law firms have recently refreshed those who hold the post, or appointed their very first “lawyers’ lawyer.” Shoosmiths hired its inaugural general counsel in January, while DWF, Clifford Chance and Slaughter and May have also had a recent change of guard.