The document provides guidance for general counsel on key tasks and priorities during the first three months on the job. It recommends establishing positive relationships, learning about the business and key documents, analyzing legal processes, and demonstrating initiative to add value while addressing immediate needs and supporting business initiatives. The general counsel should develop strategic plans, systems, and performance metrics aligned with the company's goals and balance legal risks with creative solutions that impact the bottom line.

1. Getting Started as General Counsel The First Three Months

2. Goal: Contribute to the Bottom Line

3. Three Key Things to Understand: Individuals Culture History

4. The First Month “The beginning is a very delicate time.” - Dune , by Frank Herbert

6. Division Leaders

8. Outside Auditors

9. Insurance Brokers

10. Customers

12. Encourage face-to-face meetings

13. Promise timely response to inquiries

14. State commitment to positive solutions

16. Benefits company delivers to customers

17. Technical advantages/gaps of competitors

18. Business model, gross margins

19. Acceptable risks

20. Revenue recognition issues

21. Concerns on the horizon

23. Most recent annual report

24. Last four sets of board minutes

25. Last year of press releases

26. Auditor's notes on legal matters

27. 3-year business/strategic plans

29. SWOT analysis

30. Contracts/other internal process controls

31. Corporate policies and procedures

33. Set up voice/email

34. Update contacts/memberships

35. Identify personal training needs

36. Link with useful trade/networking/ educational groups

38. Support current business initiatives

39. Start adding value

40. The Second Month

42. Contract templates – fit with risk appetite

43. Marketing materials

44. Insurance policies

45. Current litigation/threatened claims

46. Existence/protection of intellectual property

47. History of corporate training on policies

50. Customer meetings with sales teams

51. Executive meetings

52. Department meetings

54. Assess staff capabilities, training needs

55. Develop performance metrics, obtain staff buy-in

56. Identify opportunities to improve efficiency

57. Decide which legal matters are core and which should be sent to outside counsel

59. Support current business initiatives

60. Keep adding value

61. The Third Month

63. EHS

64. Ethics

65. Other regulatory matters

66. Records management

67. Information security

68. Disaster planning

70. Develop/implement electronic filing system

75. Maintain communication with executives, business leaders, staff – avoid surprises

77. Creatively Balance Risk and Reward

78. Show Impact on Bottom Line

79. The foregoing is intended to prompt thinking about how to create a new legal function for a company or how to assume the leadership of an existing legal department. It cannot be used exactly as is but needs to be adapted to the specifics of the actual business. The author is happy to discuss the details of any particular case, and suggestions for improvements are also welcome.