Conversations with GCs: Episode 4: Lisa Gilley - Operating from the Intersection of Relationship, Business and Law

55 Min Listen By: ABA Business Law Section

Lisa Gilley is the General Counsel of Higher Logic, the industry-leading engagement platform delivering online communities and communication tools to corporate and association customers worldwide. The first theme that ran through our discussion was learning through relationships, whether among peers in the legal field or within the business. Whether thinking through the implementation of legal tech, learning the underlying business, career advancement or exchanging best practices, Lisa’s great insight is that these learnings most often come within the context of relationships. In an environment and profession that pushes us towards isolation, the encouragement is to push towards collaboration. 

The second theme was the importance of finding the intersection between business and law. While being a legal expert serves as a baseline for in-house lawyers, Lisa makes a compelling case that knowing the underlying business is absolutely essential to adding value as an in-house attorney. She also provides some helpful tips for how an in-house attorney can go about learning her company’s business.

Lisa also shared the differences between serving as a solo GC and leading a legal function and the unique skills that are essential in each context. Along the way, Lisa provided actionable and practical advice for aspiring GCs, including how to have the courage to be authentic, finding what gravitas or executive presence means on an individual basis and how those concepts are evolving and the power of story in communicating legal concepts to others. 

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