General Counsel Resume Sample

Rebecca Zhang

rebecca@zhang.com

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(650) 555-0925

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linkedin.com/in/rebecca-zhang-gc

General Counsel

General Counsel with 12+ years providing legal and strategic leadership for high-growth technology companies from Series B through IPO. Built 8-person legal department from ground up, led company through successful $200M IPO process, and managed $500M+ in M&A transactions including 5 acquisitions. Established comprehensive legal function covering corporate governance, commercial contracts, intellectual property, employment law, regulatory compliance, and litigation management. Trusted advisor to CEO and board of directors on strategic initiatives, risk management, and company growth. Skilled in balancing legal risk with business objectives, building scalable legal operations, and partnering with executive team to enable aggressive growth while maintaining compliance.

WORK EXPERIENCE

General Counsel

Jan 2019 – Present

TechGrowth Inc (B2B SaaS - Series B through IPO)

Legal Leadership & IPO: Built legal department from 1 to 8 people and led company through successful $200M IPO process, establishing public company infrastructure and achieving zero material audit findings
M&A Transactions: Managed $500M+ in M&A including 5 acquisitions ($10M-$150M each), leading due diligence, negotiation, and integration with 100% successful closes
Board & Strategic Advisory: Serve as trusted advisor to CEO and board presenting at 40+ meetings on strategy, governance, risk management, and regulatory matters while supporting 300% revenue growth
Operations & Efficiency: Reduced outside counsel spend 40% ($600K savings) while improving legal service delivery through team building, process optimization, and technology implementation

Senior Corporate Counsel

Mar 2015 – Dec 2018

Growth Stage Tech Company (Series A/B)

Corporate Transactions: Led legal workstream for Series A ($15M) and Series B ($40M) fundraising rounds including term sheet negotiation, due diligence, and closing documentation
Commercial Contracts: Negotiated $50M+ in enterprise customer contracts and strategic partnerships supporting revenue growth from $5M to $30M ARR
Corporate Governance: Advised board and management on corporate governance, equity compensation, option grants, and stockholder matters

Corporate Associate Attorney

Sep 2009 – Feb 2015

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (BigLaw)

Public Offerings: Worked on 10+ IPOs and secondary offerings for technology companies ranging from $100M to $1B+ market cap
M&A: Supported 15+ M&A transactions including buy-side and sell-side representation, due diligence, and deal negotiation
Corporate: Advised startups and public companies on corporate governance, securities compliance, and general corporate matters

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

CERTIFICATIONS

Licensed Attorney - California

Dec 2009

California State Bar Association

Corporate Governance Certificate

Aug 2020

Stanford Directors' College

Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP)

Mar 2021

IAPP

EDUCATION

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

2006-2009

Stanford Law School

Stanford, California

Corporate Law
Securities Regulation

Tools to build your General Counsel resume

Copy and adapt these proven examples to create a resume that stands out.

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Resume Headlines

Use these attention-grabbing headlines to make a strong first impression.

General Counsel | Built Legal Team | Led $200M IPO Process

GC | $500M+ M&A Experience | Strategic Board Advisor

General Counsel | IPO & Public Company Leadership | Tech Industry

Legal Executive | Building Legal Functions | Series B Through IPO

General Counsel | 8-Person Team | Corporate Governance Expert

GC | M&A Integration Specialist | Trusted C-Suite Advisor

General Counsel | Scaling Legal Operations | High-Growth Technology

💡 Tip: Choose a headline that reflects your unique value proposition and matches the job requirements.

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Power Bullet Points

Adapt these achievement-focused bullets to showcase your impact.

Legal Leadership & Department Building

• Built legal department from 1 to 8 people supporting company growth from $50M Series B through $200M IPO and $1B+ market cap, establishing corporate, commercial, IP, employment, and compliance functions

• Hired and developed legal team including senior corporate counsel, commercial counsel, IP counsel, and legal operations manager, with 100% retention and internal promotions

• Managed $1.5M annual legal budget including team salaries, outside counsel, and legal technology, reducing outside counsel spend by 40% while improving service delivery and response times

• Implemented legal operations including contract management system (Ironclad), matter management, legal request process, and self-service resources improving efficiency 50%

IPO Leadership & Public Company Governance

• Led company through successful $200M IPO including S-1 preparation, SEC review process, underwriter negotiations, and closing, achieving favorable terms with no material delays

• Established public company infrastructure including board governance, committee structure, disclosure controls, insider trading policies, and SEC reporting processes achieving zero material audit findings

• Manage ongoing SEC reporting compliance including 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K filings, proxy statements, and Section 16 reporting, maintaining 100% on-time filing record

• Advise board of directors and audit committee on corporate governance, fiduciary duties, compensation matters, and regulatory requirements, presenting at 40+ board meetings

M&A & Corporate Transactions

• Managed $500M+ in M&A transactions including 5 acquisitions ranging from $10M to $150M, leading due diligence, purchase agreement negotiation, regulatory approvals, and integration

• Led legal due diligence and negotiation for acquisitions including technology, customer, team, and IP acquisitions, identifying material issues and negotiating appropriate protections

• Negotiated complex deal terms including purchase price adjustments, escrow provisions, indemnification caps, and earnout structures protecting company interests

• Managed post-closing integration including entity consolidation, IP transfer, employment transitions, and contract assignments achieving smooth integrations with no litigation

Strategic Legal Counsel & Risk Management

• Serve as trusted advisor to CEO and executive team on strategic business matters including market expansion, product strategy, partnership evaluation, and competitive positioning

• Advise on commercial strategy for enterprise contracts negotiating $100M+ in deals with Fortune 100 customers including SaaS agreements, professional services, and strategic partnerships

• Manage litigation portfolio including employment claims, commercial disputes, and IP matters, achieving favorable outcomes through strategic settlement (90% resolution rate) and external counsel management

• Lead cross-functional privacy and data security program ensuring GDPR, CCPA, and industry-specific compliance while enabling international expansion and product innovation

💡 Tip: Replace generic terms with specific metrics, technologies, and outcomes from your experience.

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Resume Writing Tips for General Counsels

Lead with Business Milestones, Not Legal Work

General Counsels are strategic executives first, lawyers second. Start bullets with business outcomes: "Led company through $200M IPO," "Enabled $500M in M&A," "Supported 300% revenue growth." Legal work (contracts, filings, policies) is the means; business results (IPO, deals, growth) are the ends. Show you enable business success, not just manage legal risk.

Show Department Building from Ground Up

Building a legal function demonstrates executive leadership. Document team growth (1 → 8 people), function establishment (corporate, commercial, IP, compliance), process development (contract management, legal operations), and budget management ($1.5M). Show you can build scalable organizations that support company growth, not just hire lawyers.

Emphasize Board and C-Suite Partnership

At GC level, board and executive engagement is core to the role. Use language like "Present to board of directors (40+ meetings)," "Trusted advisor to CEO," "Strategic planning with C-suite," "Audit committee presentations." General Counsels sit at the executive table and influence company strategy—show you operate at that level.

Quantify at Scale with Big Numbers

Use executive-level metrics across multiple dimensions: IPO value ($200M), M&A volume ($500M+), acquisitions (5), team size (8), budget ($1.5M), revenue growth (300%), cost reduction (40%), board meetings (40+). Big numbers demonstrate you operate at significant scale and deliver measurable impact.

Highlight Public Company and IPO Experience

Public company experience is highly valued and commands premium compensation. If you have it, feature it prominently: "Led $200M IPO process," "SEC reporting compliance," "SOX 404 implementation," "Public company board governance." Even if targeting private companies, public company experience demonstrates sophistication and readiness for higher responsibility.

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Essential Skills & Keywords

Include these skills to optimize your resume for ATS systems and recruiter searches.

Executive Leadership

Legal Department Leadership Team Building and Development Board and Executive Advisory Strategic Planning and Vision Budget Management and Cost Optimization Cross-Functional Leadership

Corporate & Securities

IPO and Public Company Compliance SEC Reporting (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, Proxy) Corporate Governance Board and Committee Management Securities Law Compliance Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Compliance

M&A & Transactions

M&A Strategy and Execution Due Diligence Leadership Purchase Agreement Negotiation Deal Structuring and Terms Post-Merger Integration Corporate Development Support

Commercial & Operational

Commercial Contract Strategy Enterprise SaaS Agreements Intellectual Property Management Employment Law and HR Partnership Privacy and Data Security (GDPR, CCPA) Regulatory Compliance Programs

Risk Management

Legal Risk Assessment Litigation Management and Strategy Compliance Program Development Crisis Management Insurance and Risk Transfer Outside Counsel Management

💡 Tip: Naturally integrate 8-12 of these keywords throughout your resume, especially in your summary and experience sections.

Why this resume works

Role-Specific Strengths

Department building and IPO leadership: Built legal department from 1 to 8 people supporting company growth from Series B ($50M valuation) through successful IPO ($1B+ market cap), establishing all legal functions and achieving zero material audit findings
M&A and transaction expertise: Managed $500M+ in M&A transactions including 5 acquisitions ranging from $10M to $150M, leading due diligence, negotiation, integration, and achieving 100% successful deal closes with no post-closing disputes
Board and executive partnership: Served as trusted advisor to CEO and board on company strategy, corporate governance, risk management, and regulatory matters, presenting at 40+ board meetings and supporting strategic decision-making
Scalable legal operations: Built efficient legal operations supporting 300% revenue growth while reducing outside counsel spend by 40% through strategic hiring, process optimization, and technology implementation

✓ ATS-Friendly Elements

Executive keywords: "general counsel," "legal department leadership," "IPO," "board of directors," "C-suite advisor," "strategic planning"
Transaction experience: "$500M+ M&A," "5 acquisitions," "$200M IPO," "due diligence," "deal negotiation," "corporate development"
Legal expertise: "corporate governance," "securities law," "commercial contracts," "IP," "employment law," "regulatory compliance," "litigation management"
Team leadership: "built 8-person team," "department building," "hiring," "budget management," "outside counsel management"
Quantifiable metrics: $500M+ M&A, $200M IPO, 8-person team, 40% cost reduction, 300% growth support
Company stage: "Series B through IPO," "high-growth technology," "public company," showing experience at scale

✓ Human-Readable Design

Executive-level metrics: department size (8 people, built from scratch), IPO ($200M), M&A ($500M+), acquisitions (5), growth support (300%)
Shows full legal career progression from associate attorney through counsel roles to General Counsel
Balance of strategic leadership (board advisor, company strategy) and operational execution (department building, deal management)
Concrete examples of high-impact work: IPO process, major acquisitions, board engagement, compliance programs
Demonstrates both legal expertise (corporate, commercial, IP, regulatory) and business acumen (growth enablement, cost management)
Summary emphasizes leadership scale, transaction experience, and strategic partnership with executives

💡 Key Takeaways

At GC level, lead with business impact and strategic initiatives, not legal tasks. Show how legal enabled company growth, deals, and market milestones.
Quantify at scale: team built (1 → 8 people), IPO value ($200M), M&A volume ($500M+), acquisitions (5), growth supported (300%), cost reduction (40%)
Show board-level engagement: presentations (40+ board meetings), strategic planning participation, governance oversight, C-suite partnership
Demonstrate department building: hiring strategy, function establishment, process development, budget management, outside counsel optimization
Highlight public company experience: IPO leadership, SEC reporting, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, corporate governance. Public company GC roles command premium.

📈 Career Progression in Legal

See how Legal roles evolve across career stages, from legal support to general counsel.

📋 Paralegal → ⚖️ Attorney → 🏛️ General Counsel (Current)

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General Counsel Resume Example