General Counsel Executive Search Project: Case Study
Background
A private equity-backed construction business retained us to undertake a confidential executive search to appoint a General Counsel and Company Secretary following the departure of the incumbent individual. Operating across multiple regional divisions in the UK, the company was on a clear trajectory towards either an IPO or trade sale within a 3-5 year horizon and a different profile of candidate was sought.
The role would oversee all legal, regulatory compliance, governance and company secretarial requirements, excluding operational real estate matters. Leading a small legal team, the General Counsel recruited would report to the CFO and, whilst not an Executive Committee member, would attend all executive meetings and play a crucial strategic role in preparing the business for its next phase of growth.
Challenge
The primary challenges were threefold. Firstly, the incumbent’s imminent departure created an immediate need for interim cover while conducting our thorough search for a permanent GC appointment. Secondly, the role required someone who could balance technical legal expertise with strong commercial acumen and the ability to influence across all levels of the business. Additionally, the successful candidate needed to be excited by the prospect of shepherding a PE-backed business through to exit, whilst managing the day-to-day demands of a diverse legal and governance function.
The company’s regional UK headquarters, though offering hybrid working arrangements, added complexity to the search. Whilst the role offered significant strategic input and development opportunities, the location meant carefully considering candidates’ willingness to maintain a regular physical presence away from the closest major legal centres, which were, for many, further away than an acceptable daily commute.
Solution
We implemented a dual-track General Counsel recruitment strategy, simultaneously addressing both the interim and permanent requirements. For the permanent role, we focused on two distinct candidate profiles: experienced GCs and heads of legal with PE/exit experience, and high-potential senior lawyers ready to step up into their first GC role.
Rather than limiting the search to construction sector lawyers, we broadened our scope to include candidates with strong corporate and commercial backgrounds from various industries. This approach recognised that whilst sector experience was valuable, the core requirements centred on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and commercial acumen – allowing for transferrable skills.
Following a comprehensive search process including behavioural assessments, we successfully placed both an interim and permanent General Counsel. The senior interim lawyer brought operational continuity and high-level support to a team of more junior people to bridge the obvious experience gap, pending the permanent appointment being made. The GC permanently appointed at the end of the search project came with experience of preparing businesses for exit events, combined with the commercial mindset and influencing skills needed to drive change across the organisation.
