Spotify chief legal officer Horacio Gutierrez’s recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal lashing out at Apple Inc. for being a “ruthless bully that uses its dominance to hobble competitors” is a prime example of how dramatically the general counsel role has evolved.

In the not-too-distant past, it would’ve been unheard of for a GC to take a public stance on virtually any issue—much less publicly blast a rival’s business practices. But much has changed in the last several years and companies are increasingly turning to their legal chiefs to serve as mouthpieces for important and sometimes controversial issues.