Lynn Charytan: Comcast Cable — Building a Strong Legal Department

In this episode of the Innovative Legal Leadership Podcast, Jim Delkousis sits down with Lynn Charytan, the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Comcast Cable. Lynn traces her career journey, starting from her early days at the Washington Post, moving on to a 17-year tenure at WilmerHale as a partner, and finally transitioning to Comcast in 2010. She describes the challenges she faced in establishing a legal regulatory function at Comcast without a structured onboarding process and reflects on important milestone moments that shaped her career, including a transformative realization about her leadership approach.

Lynn discusses her perspective on leadership, emphasizing the need to empower her legal team to excel rather than focusing solely on her own expertise. She recounts how her department has grown and evolved with the addition of new legal functions like compliance and government investigations. Lynn highlights the importance of having a robust onboarding process to foster a strong team culture. She also touches on topics like cybersecurity, the role of AI in business and legal operations, and maintaining strategic partnerships with external law firms.

00:00 Lynn's Career and AI Insights

04:49 Establishing a Legal Regulatory Team

07:20 Career Transition and Reflection

12:44 Empowering Colleagues for Success

16:39 Navigating Selective Leadership and Trust

18:06 Enhancing Interdepartmental Collaboration

23:38 AI's Role in Law Efficiency

26:30 Collaborating to Overcome Resistance

29:37 Collaborative Firm Negotiations

34:18 Understanding Business Strategy for Decisions

35:01 Integrating Legal Advisors in Strategy

38:58 Shifting Focus: From Self to Others

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