Recruitment of a General Counsel: why opt for interim management?

In a context where companies are facing increasing challenges and a shortage of legal talent, interim management is emerging as a pragmatic and effective solution.

The recruitment of a General Counsel is particularly complex due to the scarcity of available profiles. Indeed, all the companies in the SBF 120, which brings together the 120 largest companies listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, have vacant positions in their legal departments, some of which have been vacant for several months. according to Descleves & Associés)​​​. This shortage is exacerbated by structural factors, such as insufficient training of legal specialists. In addition, only 1% of interim managers hold legal and compliance management roles, illustrating the scarcity of qualified candidates in this specific field ( according to the France Transition Barometer 2022).

Faced with this situation, adopting interim management for the recruitment of a General Counsel can energize your team and guarantee the continuity of operations in times of crisis or transition. In short, interim management represents a strategic solution to overcome the talent shortage and maintain the performance of your legal department.

 

A legal transition director: what is it?

Interim management consists of temporarily recruiting an experienced manager to occupy a key position within a company. Generally, the interim manager has to deal with a particular situation (restructuring, emergency, replacement or relay management).

This approach offers a fast and flexible response to the specific needs of companies, especially in the legal field.

A Transitional General Counsel is a highly qualified and experienced professional in the legal field. He intervenes in a limited time to lead the legal department of a company, ensure that everything is in accordance with the law, and help the company in its strategic decisions.

A shortage of lawyers and senior profiles?

The legal and finance professions are under pressure. Just take a look at the vacancies in the legal departments. To date, on the APEC website, 2317 job offers have been published, some of which are several months old.

The recruitment pool is limited: employers are often looking for candidates with the same type of profile (5-7 years of experience) but the number of candidates is limited. The decision is therefore up to the candidate. The dynamics of a permanent contract are the same on the interim management side.

In addition, the mobility of General Counsel is often limited to Paris and the Paris region. However, legal missions are becoming more and more diversified.

The job market for lawyers is tight, with positions that remain unfilled for months. Companies are struggling to find experienced profiles, especially in specialisations such as mergers and acquisitions. The limited geographical mobility of candidates accentuates these challenges, often concentrating demand in areas such as Paris and its region.

According to Fed Legal’s 2024 compensation study, companies are facing significant difficulties in recruiting experienced lawyers and tax specialists, especially in specializations such as mergers and acquisitions (Fed Group).

In addition, the 2024 Workforce Needs survey conducted by France Travail indicates that recruitment difficulties persist in various sectors, particularly in services where legal activities are located. That study highlights that although the number of recruitment projects for 2024 has decreased slightly compared to the previous year, demand remains high, particularly in large metropolitan areas such as Île-de-France ( Pôle Emploi Statistiques).

 

Benefits of interim management for General Counsel

The use of interim management has several advantages for companies and managers:

1. Flexibility : Transitioning general counsel are available quickly and can adapt to changes in the business.
2. No mistakes : no mistakes or lengthy recruitment processes. The interim legal director is a seasoned professional who will carry out his or her mission in your company.
3. Expertise : These professionals bring their specific experience and skills to the challenges faced by the company
4. Effectiveness : The temporary assignment allows for targeted intervention with rapid and measurable results.
5. Cost : The overall cost of an outsourced temporary General Counsel recruitment is often lower than that of a permanent contract, while still offering a high level of expertise.

How to implement interim management?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to onboarding a transitioning general counsel into your company:

1. Identify needs : Analyze the current situation and determine the skills required to respond to legal issues.
2. Select the right candidate : call on a firm specialising in interim management to find the legal manager that meets your needs.
3. Define the mission : Set clear objectives and performance indicators to measure the manager’s impact on the company.
4. Ensure integration : promote good communication between the interim manager and the internal teams to facilitate his or her integration.
5. Reassess regularly : Review the engagement regularly and adjust as necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the interim general counsel.

Example of a transition mission

Here is a concrete example of a senior international compliance lawyer assignment for one of our clients, in the pharmaceutical sector:

An interim manager joined the Ethics & Compliance team of the client company to replace a maternity absence and strengthen the team following a major acquisition. His mission included ensuring compliance with international regulations and improving due diligence processes, while collaborating with global teams to embed ethics best practices into business functions.

 

Comparison with traditional recruitment

Interim management has several advantages over conventional recruitment methods:

• Speed of intervention and flexibility.
• Targeted expertise to meet specific needs.
• This cost is often lower than a permanent recruitment.

Unlike traditional recruitment methods, interim management, like what EMT WAYDEN offers for large groups, is characterized by its ability to deploy experts quickly, often within 48 hours. This approach leverages an extensive network of professionals from various sectors, each with deep expertise and significant international experience. This outsourced recruitment model is specifically designed to respond in an agile and precise way to the specific and urgent challenges faced by companies, thus facilitating the strategic integration of a General Counsel adapted to the complex requirements of the moment.

 

Contact us to find out how WAYDEN can help you with your problems.