In-house legal leaders are finding their companies in a unique environment since early 2020. Governments, employees, customers, regulators, and other external stakeholders are looking to private sector CEOs to comment on key issues of the day. “What are you doing about COVID?” “What are you doing about racial injustice?”  “What are your actions on climate change?”  This is how Lucy Fato, EVP, GC and since 2020 Government Affairs chief at AIG describes the way in which legal, government affairs and communications have come together.

It’s no surprise that many General Counsel have gained responsibility for government affairs since 2020. Fato says, “General Counsel have typically been involved in these activities at some level— but over the last couple of years it has become more important than ever for CEOs and other senior leaders to speak to all stakeholders with one voice, taking into account everything going on within the company and more broadly.”