How to hire a corporate counsel

How to hire a corporate counsel, step by step

Here's a step-by-step corporate counsel hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a corporate counsel job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new corporate counsel
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a corporate counsel do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the corporate counsel you need to hire. Certain corporate counsel roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect corporate counsel also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of corporate counsel salaries for various roles:

   Type of Corporate Counsel	Description	Hourly rate
   Corporate Counsel	Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.	$47-99
   Lawyer	A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts... Show more	$30-100
   Attorney At Law	An Attorney at Law is responsible for preparing and examining contracts involving leases, licenses, purchases, sales, etc. They advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, or legal rights and obligations.	$33-79

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Legal Issues
   • Litigation
   • Legal Advice
   • Intellectual Property
   • Legal Support
   • Legal Risks
   • Internal Clients
   • Risk Management
   • In-House Counsel
   • Due Diligence
   • Legal Services
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Human Resources
   • Securities

   Check all skills

   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.

   More corporate counsel duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the corporate counsel job description is a good way to get more applicants. A corporate counsel salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a corporate counsel in New Mexico may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level corporate counsel. Additionally, a corporate counsel with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average corporate counsel salary

   $142,515yearly

   $68.52 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level corporate counsel salary

   $98,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average corporate counsel salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$172,142	$83
   2	District of Columbia	$155,502	$75
   3	New York	$147,436	$71
   4	Massachusetts	$141,074	$68
   5	Virginia	$138,815	$67
   6	Illinois	$137,462	$66
   7	Washington	$132,429	$64
   8	Colorado	$131,399	$63
   9	Utah	$127,522	$61
   10	New Jersey	$124,722	$60
   11	Texas	$124,603	$60
   12	Minnesota	$124,504	$60
   13	Georgia	$124,158	$60
   14	Pennsylvania	$122,011	$59
   15	Delaware	$121,843	$59
   16	North Carolina	$121,549	$58
   17	Rhode Island	$118,302	$57
   18	Ohio	$117,966	$57
   19	Arizona	$116,600	$56
   20	Nebraska	$114,856	$55

   Average corporate counsel salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Perkins Coie	$208,260	$100.13	3
   2	Waymo	$199,429	$95.88	2
   3	DoorDash	$198,230	$95.30	5
   4	Meta	$197,547	$94.97	128
   5	Bloomberg	$190,049	$91.37	6
   6	Google	$189,677	$91.19	39
   7	Chewy	$189,341	$91.03
   8	Match Group	$188,322	$90.54
   9	Zendesk	$183,557	$88.25
   10	Amazon	$182,698	$87.84	99
   11	Palo Alto Networks	$182,620	$87.80
   12	Fortinet	$181,106	$87.07
   13	Medallia	$180,524	$86.79
   14	VMware	$178,999	$86.06
   15	Shiseido	$177,990	$85.57
   16	Expedia Group	$177,884	$85.52	8
   17	Cisco	$177,179	$85.18	12
   18	Bed Bath & Beyond	$177,134	$85.16
   19	Arrow Electronics	$176,975	$85.08	7
   20	Slalom	$176,972	$85.08

4. Writing a corporate counsel job description

   A good corporate counsel job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a corporate counsel job description:

   Corporate counsel job description example

   We're looking for a Corporate Counsel to join us in Denver.
   
   As Corporate Counsel you will work closely with colleagues based in Denver and across international borders. Reporting to the Vice President-Legal and working closely with the Denver-based legal team, including the General Counsel, you will provide legal and business advice on subject matters such as securities, financial reporting, capital markets, general corporate, compliance, executive compensation and commercial contracts.
   Liberty Global's Legal & Corporate Affairs Department has lawyers and business personnel located in the U.S. and Europe.
   
   What will you be doing?
   Function as a key strategic in-house lawyer with a securities law focus on SEC and stock exchange reporting and compliance matters (including preparation of the Company's 10-Ks, 10-Qs, proxy statements, Form 3s, 4s and 5s) and advice on Section 13 and Section 16 issues, capital market transactions, financial and corporate structuring, accounting issues and related matters.Provide analysis and counsel on public company governance and compliance matters, including Board and committee issues, conflicts of interest, policies and best governance practices.Assist in corporate secretarial services for complex organizational structure, including corporate reorganizations.Provide support on executive compensation, incentive plans and other employee benefits matters.Review, draft and negotiate commercial contracts.Assist in the management of litigation and other special projects as needed.
   
   We tend to look for people with:
   Essential :
   Minimum of four years of experience at a U.S. law firm.Experience with U.S. Securities Laws and Stock Exchange Reporting, including the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, and Section 16.Experience with general corporate law matters and governance.Experience with compliance matters.Experience in commercial contract negotiation.Ability to work collaboratively and thrive in ambiguous environments.Strategic thinker.Ability to articulate clearly and concisely.Willingness to “roll-up-the-sleeves.”Ability to juggle and prioritize multiple matters.Emotional intelligence.Broad business orientation and good understanding of the commercial, legal, and political context in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate.Demonstrated strong commercial skills and ability to think on your feet across cross-cultural boundaries and all levels of an organization.Ability to interact effectively and work in partnership across business units in a matrixed organization.Unwavering moral/ethical convictions.Ability to influence others and the confidence to work with senior managers.
   
   Desirable:
   Law degree from an accredited school of law and strong academic credentials.Active member in good standing of the bar of a United States state or jurisdiction.
   
   What's in it for you?
   Salary Range $160,000 to $185,000 dependent on experience + bonus & excellent benefits Access to our online learning platform to continue to develop and grow your career with us The chance to join an innovative, fast-paced and passionate team
   
   Who we are:
   We're building Tomorrow's Connections Today, bringing people together through the power of our technology.
   Liberty Global is a world leader in converged broadband, video and mobile communications and an active investor in cutting-edge infrastructure, content and technology ventures.
   With our investments in fibre-based and 5G networks we play a vital role in society, currently providing over 85 million fixed and mobile connections and rolling out the next generation of products and services, while readying our networks for 10 Gbps and beyond.
   We're creating national champions, combining the best broadband and mobile networks under brands such as Virgin Media-02 in the UK, VodafoneZiggo in The Netherlands, Telenet in Belgium, Sunrise in Switzerland, Virgin Media in Ireland and UPC in Slovakia.
   Liberty Global Ventures, our global investment arm, has a portfolio of more than 75 companies and funds across content, technology and infrastructure, including strategic stakes in ITV, Univision, Plume, Lionsgate and the Formula E racing series.
   Our scale enables us to transfer knowledge and expertise across our operations and investments, creating a dynamic family of brands united in the pursuit of innovation and excellence.
   And we're prioritising diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace and communities, while reducing our impact on the environment. We are using technology as a force for good; for our people, our partners and the planet.
   
   Liberty Global is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our people. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process. We're 100% committed to having a workforce that represents every part of our society. So we're keen to hear from candidates of all background and circumstances.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right corporate counsel for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with corporate counsels they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit corporate counsels who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your corporate counsel job on Zippia to find and recruit corporate counsel candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with corporate counsel candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new corporate counsel

   Once you've selected the best corporate counsel candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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