The title “general counsel” is meant to convey legal leadership and the ability to handle a wide variety of matters; however, the title itself is a misnomer. Far from the “jack of all trades” that is often associated with in-house lawyers, general counsel must wield a number of specific skills and capabilities to be effective. To best describe the competencies and qualities that a GC must possess, I have grouped them into three areas that I characterize as the “3Qs”: the Intellectual Quotient (“IQ”), Emotional Quotient (“EQ”) and Agility Quotient (“AQ”). Many lawyers only possess one of two of these abilities; a good in-house lawyer must have all three to be effective.

If your U.S.-based company collects or otherwise has access to the personal data of European residents, you may be asked by your European clients or U.S.-based clients who give you access to such data to complete a “Schrems” questionnaire to assess potential exposure to U.S. surveillance and other laws, such as FISA 702 or EO 12333. The purpose of this request is to enable the completion of a Transfer Impact Assessment (TIA).

Many states are grappling with privacy issues and considering data privacy legislation due to the absence of a comprehensive federal data protection law. This effort is being fueled, in large part, by consumers pushing for data privacy protection in the face of businesses’ expanded use and sale of personal data. With the recent passage of a privacy law in Connecticut, 5 states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah and Virginia) now have state privacy laws. At least 13 states and the District of Columbia are currently considering privacy legislation, and another 15 states considered, but did not pass, privacy legislation in the last year.

On May 12, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams signed a bill (Int. 134-A) that amended New York City’s salary transparency law (which we previously wrote about here and here) by, among other things, pushing back the law’s original effective date until November 1, 2022.  

Expanding a U.S.-based business internationally is a significant step that requires a thoughtful approach and well-developed strategy. Before diving in, it is important to first learn as much as you can about the legal and business landscape of the market you intend to enter since foreign laws and business practices can vary considerably from those in the U.S. In this 3-part blog series, we will explore three popular expansion targets for U.S . companies - Canada, the UK and France – by reviewing some basic considerations associated with doing business in each one of these markets.

Expanding a U.S.-based business internationally is a significant step that requires a thoughtful approach and well-developed strategy. Before diving in, it is important to first learn as much as you can about the legal and business landscape of the market you intend to enter since foreign laws and business practices can vary considerably from those in the U.S. In this 3-part blog series, we will explore three popular expansion targets for U.S . companies - Canada, the UK and France – by reviewing some basic considerations associated with doing business in each one of these markets.

As we discussed in part one, templated contracts can be a great resource, saving companies both time and money, when used in a coordinated and thoughtful way – i.e., drafted by an attorney with knowledge of your organization and industry, consistently rolled out to appropriate stakeholders, regularly reviewed for relevancy and compliance, and updated as needed. To ensure such use, I recommend creating a “template playbook” to help manage the use of contract templates throughout an organization.

Expanding a U.S.-based business internationally is a significant step that requires a thoughtful approach and well-developed strategy. Before diving in, it is important to first learn as much as you can about the legal and business landscape of the market you intend to enter since foreign laws and business practices can vary considerably from those in the U.S. In this 3-part blog series, we will explore three popular expansion targets for U.S . companies - Canada, the UK and France – by reviewing some basic considerations associated with doing business in each one of these markets.