After several months of being able to hear women’s thoughts, the Mel Gibson character in the movie What Women Want offers this insight: “Women worry a lot.”
General counsel and legal directors also worry a lot. As risk managers they are broadly responsible for seeing that nothing goes wrong (other than trading, which is the CEO’s concern). If a deal sours, the general counsel worries whether the transaction documents will protect the company or, at least, deal with the problem in a manner consistent with market practice. If the company receives an inquiry from the UK Listing Authority, the general counsel worries about the adequacy of the company’s internal controls and policies. If an important acquisition is delayed by competition authorities, the general counsel worries whether the competition risks were adequately explained to the CEO.
