This week, the legal world converged on Chicago for the General Counsel Conference Midwest 2024. Among the industry professionals sharing key insights and practical solutions was Lakeshia Ekeigwe, CEO and Founder of LeaderThinking. Ekeigwe discussed a range of pertinent issues facing today’s general counsels, focusing particularly on building and leveraging relationships in the C-Suite, successfully weathering litigation crises, and achieving more, often with fewer available resources.
Attendees at the conference were particularly intrigued by Ekeigwe’s perspective on managing C-suite relationships, a topic increasingly relevant as the roles of general counsel evolve within corporations. In her talk, Ekeigwe emphasized how crucial it is for general counsels to establish productive relationships with executive peers, given their intertwined roles in setting strategic direction, ensuring compliance, and navigating complex legal landscapes.
Equally important, according to Ekeigwe, is the ability of a general counsel to direct a corporation through a litigation crisis skilfully. General counsels, residents as they are in the eye of litigation storms, must be prepared to manage not only the legal challenges that arise, but also the potential reputational damage and financial impact a crisis can have on the corporation. To that end, Ekeigwe stressed the importance of crisis management skills and proactivity in scenario planning.
Doing more with less also featured highly in Ekeigwe’s discourse. In the context of the current business environment where resources are often stretched, general counsels must find ways to operate efficiently without compromising the quality of legal services. Ekeigwe encouraged attendees to look at this trend not as a strain, but as an opportunity for innovation and a catalyst for refining their departments.
For more detailed insights from the Conference, find the original article here.