Mergers and acquisitions, private equity buyouts, and transformative deals are part of business. But what's it like for the lawyers making them happen?Get an insider look at high-stakes corporate transformations from Brian Chase, GC of ServiceChannel. Brian shares a candid glimpse into the complexities behind major corporate moves as he delves into his experiences navigating company changes under different owners, handling new responsibilities, and adapting to shifting corporate structures along the way.We also discuss:— what it means to be “more than just legal” as a general counsel,— what it’s like to work at an early-stage company and set the foundation for the legal team,— how to overcome budget constraints and train your team members to fill the gaps in your team, and more.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-12Topics:Introduction: 00:00Navigating transitions in ownership structures and responsibilities: 01:13Lack of communication leading to frustration regarding desired roles and responsibilities: 07:30Being the GC of a subsidiary in a public holdings company: 10:03Building internal credibility and expanding beyond legal: 12:14Identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and communicating them: 15:39Brian’s experience as employee #31 at Foursquare: 20:03The importance of networking in growing your career and opening up to opportunities: 26:00Training people up to fill gaps in your team and overcome budget constraints: 30:41The evolution of the structure of in-house legal teams: 33:36Concluding questions around failures and learnings: 37:09Resources mentioned in the episode:Take the StandOut Assessment: https://www.tmbc.com/standout-assessment/Register for the SpotDraft Summit 2023: https://www.spotdraft.com/spotdraft-summit-2023-newyorkConnect with us:Brian Chase - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-r-chase/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Where does legal end and strategy begin? Taking on new tasks and new roles can help you expand beyond the traditional GC role. But are enthusiasm and attitude enough to skyrocket you to bold new places in your career?Join Bambee Chief Strategy Officer & GC Evan Ferl for an exciting discussion about following your passions and using legal to inject positivity into your organization.We’ll hear tips for advancing your career to match your ambitions, activating your creativity, and find out how Ferl expanded beyond legal in his roles at Hired, Poshmark, Bambee, and his many personal ventures, like Neatworking. We’ll also discuss how making mistakes can be an essential key to success and how to capitalize on your enthusiasm.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-11Topics:Introduction: 00:00Finding your passion working in legal: 02:14Starting his career at NASA with a cold email: 06:23Exploring work at big and small companies: 11:10Expanding beyond legal: 14:06Approaching strategy and corporate development from a legal perspective at Poshmark: 19:05Finding ways to activate creativity: 23:48Transitioning into a strategy role at Bambee: 26:12Identifying the inflection point to begin a new venture: 28:39Launching the Neatworking newsletter: 32:23Improving your writing practice: 37:23Advice for younger lawyers: 40:34Connect with us:Tyler Finn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnEvan Ferl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanferl/Evan’s newsletter: https://evanferl.substack.com/Evan’s children’s story book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maxs-big-day-evan-james-ferl/1142525323SpotDraft Summit 2023: http://surl.li/lufqwSpotDraft: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

“Legal just doesn’t understand our priorities.”Legal is often viewed as a cost center and a blocker in fulfilling business needs, instead of a thought partner that can help push the business forward. This perception is a challenge most in-house counsel have to overcome when they join a company.How can you transform legal’s brand, get a seat at the table, and own it so you and your team can become business co-leaders?Join us for this bonus episode as we explore what it takes to become a true business partner as an in-house counsel, with insights from GCs and legal leaders at some of the biggest companies today.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-10Introduction – 00:00Megan Niedermeyer and Brenda Perez on becoming true business partners: 01:04Doug Luftman on building trust and getting a seat at the table: 04:54Adam Glick on customer-centricity and relationship building: 06:56Celaena Powder on nurturing productive relationships between Legal and Sales AEs: 11:40Celaena Powder on transforming the perception of Legal within the org: 14:55Lydia Cheuk on building a brand for your team and for yourself: 20:14David Lancelot on using data to build trust and credibility: 25:55Akshay Verma on what companies and clients really want from lawyers: 31:31David Lancelot on transforming legal operations to build scalable and strategic legal functions: 34:14Connect with us:Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftFeatured guests:Megan Niedermeyer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganniedermeyer/Brenda Yun Perez - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendayperez/Doug Luftman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougluftmanAdam Glick - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adglick/Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/David Lancelot - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlancelot/Celaena Powder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/celaenapowder/Lydia Cheuk - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiacheuk/SpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

“How do I expand my scope of work as a GC or in-house lawyer?”The in-house legal industry is increasingly seeing GCs step up to the role of COO, CFO, head of people functions, and more. In fact, expanding your role to cross-functional leadership positions has become an important part of growth for senior legal executives.In episode 9 of The Abstract, we talk to one such leader, who grew her career from a receptionist at a law firm to now the Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel at Tally — Genessa Stout.We discuss:— how she grew into this role organically and came to head functions like finance and HR,— her consumer-centric approach to lawyering,— how she builds trust and culture within the business and her team, and more.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-9Topics:Introduction: 00:00From rural roots to plaintiff-side law at Hagens Berman to CFPB: 01:14Early days at CFPB: 05:41Transitioning from CFPB to in-house at PayPal: 08:30From PayPal to a multidimensional leadership at Tally: 13:42Fostering trust and heading people and operations functions at Tally: 16:45Navigating non-legal leadership roles and learning curves in other functions: 19:14Building culture as a GC and a COO: 23:30Transitioning from GC to different business leadership roles: 27:07Advice to young attorneys: 30:45The evolving role of the GC: 33:04A book recommendation and insight into what keeps Genessa motivated: 35:00Connect with us:Genessa Stout - https://www.linkedin.com/in/genessastoutTyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Enabling a successful IPO is an important milestone in a GC’s career. For Gary Spiegel, it was a passion he’d pursued ever since he transitioned from the regulatory world into Silicon Valley.Join us as Gary takes us behind the scenes into his experience:-navigating two acquisitions in two years, from MySQL to Sun Microsystems to Oracle,-fulfilling his dream of becoming an IPO GC at Anaplan,-helping them again go private in a blockbuster acquisition by Thoma Bravo.Along the way, we’ll also discuss what goes into building large legal teams and setting them up for success, finding growth opportunities within legal as well as other functional areas, and more.This is an episode you don’t want to miss.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-8Topics:Introduction: 00:00Gary’s start with regulatory law and shift to the business side: 01:32The journey from MySQL to Sun Microsystems to Oracle through multiple acquisitions: 06:58Supporting a company as its first GC and taking over the legal function from the CFO: 15:54The right time to join a company as the first legal hire or GC: 22:22Behind the scenes to Anaplan's successful IPO: 27:18Thoma Bravo's acquisition of Anaplan and Legal’s role in ensuring success: 33:54Building a team of 20+ people and setting them up for success: 37:16Communicating the value of legal within the business: 43:00Leveraging legal expertise as a springboard into other roles: 49:18Strategies for managing stakeholder relationships and balancing legal support: 52:00The future of in-house legal roles: 56:56Connect with us:Gary Spiegel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gspieg/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

What’s your legal team’s brand? And by that, we mean, what does your team look like from the lens of the rest of the organization?Join Away’s GC Lydia Cheuk as she shares insights on marketing Legal within the organization, authentically building your personal brand, shaping legal as the first hire at early-stage companies across different industries, and more.We’ll also discuss Lydia’s experience in supporting the business through hypergrowth, a pandemic, and then through the recovery period, as well as offering stability and support during transitions.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-7Topics:Introduction: 0:00Making the jump from law firm to in-house life: 3:11Lydia’s journey at an entertainment studio start-up called First Look: 7:03Hiring at the right time and building a strong team: 09:33Moving from Media to the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sector: 11:56Building relationships and trust with the executive team: 14:25Empowering your team and improving motivation and retention: 16:49Fostering a unified culture and goal within the legal team: 19:13Driving visibility into legal’s impact and improving legal’s brand: 20:34Building a brand for your team and for yourself: 24:19Lessons from Away's hypergrowth phase and pandemic challenges: 28:24Being on NYU Law’s venture fund jury: 31:37Closing questions: 33:23Connect with us:Lydia Cheuk - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiacheuk/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Legal, Security, and Privacy are cut from the same cloth — but it’s common to see friction between these teams. How can GCs and in-house leaders bridge this gap to form productive working relationships?Join us as we dive into the incredible journey of Celaena Powder, VP of Legal at Seismic, as she weighs in on forming unbeatable GC-CISO duos, supporting an enterprise sales motion at a company, nurturing meaningful relationships with Sales AEs to drive business impact, and more.We also discuss strategies for transforming the perception of Legal, building a high-performing legal team, and fostering a culture of growth and support.Tune in now to uncover a goldmine of actionable advice and a behind-the-scenes look into how Celaena leads Legal at Seismic.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-6Topics:Introduction: 00:00Finding inspiration for what you want to do in your career: 02:44Accelerating professional growth when working in small teams: 11:13Going in-house and becoming VP of Legal at Seismic: 14:08Transforming the perception of Legal within the org: 18:28Setting your legal team up for success: 22:30Navigating enterprise sales as a legal team: 26:22Leveraging privacy education to drive revenue generation: 32:54Nurturing productive relationships between Legal and Sales AEs: 35:33The intersection of the Legal and Security functions: 41:02Bridging the gap between Legal, Security, and Privacy: 45:00How the GC’s role will evolve with tech and AI evolution: 54:21Advice for younger attorneys: 57:30Connect with us:Celaena Powder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/celaenapowder/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

Join us for an inspiring conversation with David Lancelot, a seasoned legal leader who has fearlessly embraced the ever-evolving world of technology. While being a tech lawyer is undoubtedly exciting right now, David's journey dates back to a time when it was considered too daring to venture into this domain.With firsthand experiences of seeing the dot-com boom, surviving the crash, and now witnessing the resurgent growth of the tech industry, David's wisdom is invaluable. We had the pleasure of sitting down with him to uncover his extraordinary path, starting from his role as GC at a high-risk tech start-up to leading a global team spanning the globe at eBay Classifieds.During our conversation, we dive into David's strategies for scaling legal teams, establishing trust internally and especially with CFOs, driving impactful change within his team and the entire business, and championing the importance of legal ops. But above all, we uncover key insights that legal professionals and leaders need to position themselves and their teams as true co-leaders within the business.If you're a tech lawyer looking to navigate the thrilling world of technology with confidence, this episode is a must-listen.Topics:Introduction – 00:00Working in tech start-ups from the early days – 1:35Being the first legal hire at QVC – 4:43Surviving the tech market crash & navigating lay-offs – 10:16Playing in global legal markets & building an international team – 14:35Scaling the legal function like a business team – 21:24Building trust with CFOs & earning resources for legal – 25:51Optimizing processes & bringing in legal ops – 28:16Driving change within your team & the business – 32:19Using data to communicate & build trust internally – 39:14The future of legal & legal ops – 43:53Connect with us:David Lancelot - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlancelot/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com/ to learn more.

What do companies and clients really want from lawyers? How can you align your career with your values while pursuing your ambitions? What makes a world-class legal operations team?In the fourth episode of The Abstract, we sit down with the brilliant Akshay Verma, Head of Legal Operations at Coinbase, as he tackles these burning questions and more. Drawing from his extensive two-decade journey, Akshay Verma shares a wealth of wisdom — from his early days practicing environmental law at law firms to leading in-house legal ops teams for companies at various stages and scales.You’ll get the chance to peek into Akshay’s Critical Lawyering Skills course at Santa Clara University School of Law, and listen as he dives deep into topics like charting your path after law school, navigating career transitions, and finding meaningful employment. He also offers advice to companies hiring early-career legal professionals on how to stay competitive and attract top talent.Topics:Introduction – 00:00Navigating career transitions in law, pt.1 – 1:11Going in-house and becoming a business counsel – 4:22The evolution of the legal ops role – 9:02Navigating career transitions in law, pt.2 – 10:26Heading legal operations at Meta & Coinbase – 11:35Leveraging job interviews to lay down the roadmap – 13:40Akshay’s background in teaching at law school – 15:57Critical lawyering skills that law school doesn’t teach – 18:05Integrating your values into career decisions – 20:33What companies and clients want from lawyers – 25:42Attracting top legal talent amid changing priorities – 29:14How legal and legal ops is changing – 31:31Connect with us:Akshay Verma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshay-verma-esq/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com/ to learn more.

Join Adam Glick, a former litigator and Head of Legal at Intercom, as we discuss nonlinear career paths, hiring, building an authentic network, and evangelizing the value of a legal department to high-growth public and private tech companies. Adam has decades of in-house experience, is a profound legal executive, and provides practical advice on becoming customer-centric, so legal serves as an “enabler” for the business.