Settling into a new general counsel role is tough under normal circumstances. Ramp up the difficulty level when you add a global pandemic to the mix, requiring members of the legal department to work remotely, all while dealing with COVID-19′s strains on the business.

Jose Ramon Gonzalez accepted that challenge in March, when he took over as the top lawyer at New York-based financial services company Equitable Holdings Inc. While he’s been on the job for several weeks, it was only a few days ago that he was able to visit the company’s headquarters in Manhattan, near Rockefeller Center.