General Counsel Job Description, KRAs and Skills

A General Counsel is the top legal officer of a company, responsible for all its legal matters and legal risk. They advise the board and leadership, oversee contracts, litigation, transactions and governance, and manage external counsel. The role reports to the Chief Executive Officer and works closely with the board. A good general counsel protects the company from legal and reputational harm, gives clear commercial advice rather than only saying no, keeps litigation and transactions well managed, builds a capable legal team, and is a trusted voice in the biggest decisions.

Detail	For this role
Department	Legal and Compliance
Level	Senior management
Reports to	Chief Executive Officer
Direct reports	Head of Legal, Litigation Manager, Company Secretary
Experience	15+ years in legal practice with senior in house or firm roles

General Counsel job description template

Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.

Job title: General Counsel

Department: Legal and Compliance

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Location: [City], [office, branch or site]

About the role

Key responsibilities

Advise the board and leadership on legal risk in strategy, transactions and major decisions.
Oversee all legal matters across contracts, litigation, employment, property and regulatory affairs.
Lead legal work on transactions such as fundraising, mergers, joint ventures and large deals.
Manage the company litigation portfolio and instruct and oversee external counsel.
Set legal policy, delegation and approval limits and the standard for contracts.
Protect intellectual property, brand and confidential information across the business.
Support corporate governance and board processes with the company secretary.
Manage legal spend and the panel of external law firms.
Build, structure and develop the in house legal team.
Handle crises, disputes and regulatory matters that threaten the company.

Requirements

LLB, with an LLM an advantage
Enrolled with the Bar Council of India
Long experience in corporate and commercial law
15+ years in legal practice with senior in house or firm roles

KRAs and KPIs for a General Counsel

Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.

Key result area	How to measure it
Legal risk	Major legal risks identified and managed before they become material
Litigation outcomes	Litigation portfolio outcomes and provisioning within the agreed expectation
Transaction support	Deals and transactions legally supported and closed on schedule
Contract standard	Company contracts on approved standards above the agreed level
Legal spend	External legal spend held within the approved budget
Governance	No governance or statutory lapse attributable to legal in the year

Skills and tools

Corporate and commercial lawLegal risk managementLitigation oversightTransactions and M&AContract governanceGovernance advisoryExternal counsel managementCommercial judgementLeadershipBoard communication

Tools used day to day: Contract lifecycle software, Legal matter management, MS Office, Case law databases, Board and governance tools.

Reporting line and career path

Moves up from: Head of Legal, Partner (Law Firm), Litigation Manager
Next roles: Chief Executive Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Board Member

Interview questions for a General Counsel

How do you give commercial legal advice rather than only flagging risk?
How do you manage a large litigation portfolio and the external counsel on it?
How do you lead the legal work on a major transaction under time pressure?
How do you keep legal spend under control without weakening the company position?
How do you advise the board when the safest legal path blocks a business goal?
How do you build an in house legal team from a small base?

Managing a General Counsel in ZeniaHR

AttendanceOffice based on general hours with court, regulator and board meetings outside. Use web punch from approved office networks and mobile app punch with location for external matters, recorded through on duty requests.LeavePlan leave around board meetings, deal timelines and key hearings, and name cover for urgent legal sign offs. The leave ledger tracks balances and the team leave calendar shows cover across the legal team.Performance and KRAsSet legal risk, litigation outcomes and transaction support as goals in an annual review cycle with quarterly checks. Review outcomes with the chief executive and use praise badges to recognise the legal team.

Hire and manage your legal and compliance team in one place

Post the role, onboard the new hire, and track attendance, leave and KRAs in ZeniaHR. Free for your first 50 employees.

Book a free demo See pricing

Frequently asked questions

What does a General Counsel do?

A General Counsel is the top legal officer of a company. They advise the board on legal risk, oversee contracts, litigation, transactions and governance, and manage external counsel and legal spend. They protect the company from legal and reputational harm while giving practical, commercial advice on its biggest decisions.

What is the difference between a General Counsel and a Head of Legal?

A General Counsel is the top legal authority, sitting close to the board and owning legal strategy and the biggest matters. A Head of Legal runs the legal department day to day and often reports to the General Counsel. In smaller companies one person holds both roles.

What qualifications does a General Counsel need?

A General Counsel needs an LLB and enrolment with the Bar Council of India, with an LLM and a strong record in corporate and commercial law. Employers value long experience across contracts, litigation and transactions, sound commercial judgement, and the ability to advise a board with authority.