Has Social Media Changed the Skills Required of the General Counsel Function?

October 2014

Abstract

“Act in haste, repent at leisure” is perhaps a fitting mantra for any aspiring lawyer. Reflecting on a problem is significantly preferable to acting too quickly and giving advice which we spend a long time regretting. This mantra is under challenge. Increasingly businesses need its General Counsel (GC) and their function to exercise judgement in very tight timescales. GCs now need to act decisively and with speed, perhaps something for which we have not traditionally been known.

Author

Derek Walsh

Counsel & Group General Counsel, Royal & Sun Alliance, UK

Derek joined RSA as Group General Counsel and Group Company Secretary in July 2010 and has over 18 years’ experience in the insurance industry. From 2002, he served as Group General Counsel at Benfield Group Limited, where he was responsible for the global legal, company secretarial and compliance teams. Prior to that, Derek held positions in law firms Pinsent Curtis (now Pinsent Masons), McKenna & Co (now CMS Cameron McKenna) and Norton

Company

Royal & Sun Alliance

With a 300-year heritage, RSA is one of the world’s leading multinational insurance groups. Today, we employ around 23,000 people, serving 17 million customers in over 140 countries. While our origins lie in London, RSA is a global company with businesses in both mature and emerging markets. We have major operations in the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe, Canada, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Our focus on general insurance delivers strong, profitable performance, even in the most challenging market conditions. In 2013, our net written premiums were £8.7bn

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