Corporate counsel vs general counsel

The differences between corporate counsels and general counsels can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a corporate counsel and a general counsel. Additionally, a corporate counsel has an average salary of $142,515, which is higher than the $125,248 average annual salary of a general counsel.

The top three skills for a corporate counsel include legal issues, litigation and legal advice. The most important skills for a general counsel are litigation, legal issues, and legal advice.

Corporate counsel vs general counsel overview

	Corporate Counsel	General Counsel
Yearly salary	$142,515	$125,248
Hourly rate	$68.52	$60.22
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	14,913	50,275
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

What does a corporate counsel do?

A Corporate Counsel, also known as a corporate lawyer, works for a business or company providing legal advice to the employer. They usually work in the employers main office, but also can travel to participate in meetings, trials, and other legal proceedings.

What does a general counsel do?

A general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.

Corporate counsel vs general counsel salary

Corporate counsels and general counsels have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Corporate Counsel	General Counsel
Average salary	$142,515	$125,248
Salary range	Between $98,000 And $207,000	Between $75,000 And $208,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Perkins Coie	Martin's Point Health Care
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between corporate counsel and general counsel education

There are a few differences between a corporate counsel and a general counsel in terms of educational background:

	Corporate Counsel	General Counsel
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Law	Law
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Corporate counsel vs general counsel demographics

Here are the differences between corporate counsels' and general counsels' demographics:

	Corporate Counsel	General Counsel
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2%	Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between corporate counsel and general counsel duties and responsibilities

Corporate counsel example responsibilities.

Lead and conduct interrogatories and depositions.
Develop, implement and manage key business ethics programs including FCPA compliance and other anti-bribery/anti-kickback programs.
Manage all product liability, general commercial, environmental, intellectual property and real estate relate claims and litigation matters.
Manage all aspects of lease-relate litigation involving commercial, collection and personal injury lawsuits, including case planning and discovery processes.
Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
Prepare corporate governance documentation, codes of ethics and negotiate acquisition, ventures and outsourcing.

General counsel example responsibilities.

Assist in liaising with insurance authorities, responding to regulatory inquiries and managing relationship with region from legal and business perspective.
Review subpoenas and attorney letters for compliance with HIPAA and institutional guidelines and coordinate non-party depositions as needed.
Prepare dozens of complex commercial transactions in connection to equity and debt securities offerings.
Handle regulatory, compliance, licensing, and registration matters for securities broker- dealer and register investment adviser.
Supervise commercial litigation, arbitration and claims, including case strategy, pleadings preparation, hearings, depositions and settlement negotiations.
Supervise and train unit charge with securing patient medical records, ensuring compliance with Medicare and HIPAA regulations and accreditation standards.

Corporate counsel vs general counsel skills

Common corporate counsel skills

Legal Issues, 9%
Litigation, 8%
Legal Advice, 8%
Intellectual Property, 6%
Legal Support, 6%
Legal Risks, 4%

Common general counsel skills

Litigation, 12%
Legal Issues, 8%
Legal Advice, 8%
Intellectual Property, 5%
Risk Management, 4%
Ethics, 4%

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Corporate Counsel
Corporate Counsel vs General Counsel

Updated January 8, 2025

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