As reported by Bloomberg Law, top in-house attorneys said their jobs have expanded well beyond compliance oversight and risk management. Many are now advising on business operations, real estate, and workforce strategy in response to economic volatility, rapid AI adoption, and evolving regulatory demands.

“I’ve seen our role evolve tremendously in the last few years,” said Timothy Phillips, chief legal officer at Habitat for Humanity International. He and others described how legal departments have shifted from reactive problem solvers to central strategists within their organizations.

Compliance Landscape Intensifies

Panelists noted a sharper focus on trade and corruption enforcement. With tariffs again a key policy lever for President Donald Trump, customs and trade compliance have reemerged as high-risk areas. Deere & Co. assistant general counsel Wesley Carrington pointed to increased use of the False Claims Act in trade fraud cases, while DLA Piper’s Gray Stratton advised companies to adapt long-standing FCPA and anti-money laundering controls to new cartel and transnational crime risks.

General counsel are also facing uncertainty over Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure requirements, including the possibility of changes to quarterly reporting. “You kind of use your business hat and lawyer’s intuition,” said Meg Cavanaugh, senior vice president of Commvault Systems, on determining when regulatory changes warrant board-level attention.

Legal Departments as Technology Gatekeepers

The emergence of generative AI and other advanced technologies has transformed legal departments into gatekeepers for digital risk. “If something happens, it’s going to be my neck on the chopping block,” said Elizabeth Jones, associate general counsel at Breakthrough T1D, highlighting the accountability lawyers bear even without technical backgrounds.

Legal professionals are increasingly expected to interpret how fragmented state-level privacy and AI regulations apply to their operations. Tasheika Hinson, associate general counsel at Edward Jones, called it a “mosaic” of laws that requires constant vigilance. Meanwhile, Apex LPO founder Sajju George warned that the pace of AI development is forcing GCs to adapt faster than ever. “This is going to be a very different conference next year,” he said.

As data centers proliferate to support AI computing needs, counsel must navigate local sensitivities. “Communication is key,” said Equinix senior counsel Jeanine Anderson. Todd Blair, assistant general counsel at American Tower Corp.’s CoreSite unit, added that community engagement and alliances with third parties are critical to avoiding project delays.

Keeping Company Values

Federal scrutiny of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs under recent executive orders has prompted many companies to rebrand, if not rethink, their initiatives. Verizon Communications associate general counsel Rippi Karda said compliance doesn’t require abandoning inclusion goals: “We’re in a transition phase... the essence of what we’ve been doing hasn’t changed much.”

Verizon’s “culture and community” office replaces its diversity unit but maintains the same mission, deputy general counsel David Hubbard said. He added that companies remain cautious amid shifting political climates: “People are more cautious now than they were before.”

For many GCs, reinforcing company ethics is not just reputational—it’s strategic. “Push that narrative with your executive team about the positives of ethical behavior,” advised Garrett Heenan, vice president of compliance and ethics at PDSHealth. His remarks captured the overarching message of the conference: the modern legal department is as much about leadership and communication as it is about law.