WGCC Networking Circles
Invitation: Summer Circles 2026
Circle Topic: WGCC Leadership Series: Leading Beyond Legal - Navigating the Expanding General Counsel Mandate
Circle Summary:
Today’s General Counsel role extends far beyond legal risk management. Many legal leaders now oversee broader portfolios that include compliance, privacy, HR, culture, ESG, government affairs, investigations, and operational leadership, while serving as strategic advisers to executive teams and boards.
Join fellow WGCC members for an interactive discussion on how senior legal leaders are adapting to these growing expectations—balancing leadership, crisis management, organizational influence, board responsibilities, and personal sustainability. Together, we will explore practical approaches to managing complexity, leveraging AI and technology, and deciding what to stop doing in order to focus on what matters most.
The WGCC Networking Circles have been thoughtfully crafted to facilitate the discussion and exchange of ideas and insights among WGCC members, with a particular emphasis on legal leadership and professionalism and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). These small, informal groups offer an invaluable opportunity to forge connections with other WGCC members, expand your professional network and support system as you navigate the complex challenges that arise in legal executive roles.
BONUS: This Networking Circle has been approved for accreditation by the Law Society of Ontario. Click HERE for details.
Date and Time: WGCC Networking Circles are 60 minutes long and are scheduled as follows:
How to Sign up:
- Send an email to info@womengc.ca indicating which circle you wish to attend, if you can attend more than one time slot, please indicate all that you can attend, along with your preferred time, so that we may adjust the attendees if necessary.
- Please sign up ASAP – Guaranteed registration ends by – 12:00 EDT on Friday July 17th
- Once you've signed up, please block the date and time in your calendar.
- You will receive a calendar invitation and email containing the call-in information and materials for your chosen circle.
- Please note that a scheduled Circle may be cancelled if interest is low for that time.
Directions for Attendees:
- Note that Chatham House Rules apply to all WGCC Networking Circles.
- Accept the calendar invitation from your WGCC Networking Circle Lead with the Circle details (Zoom/Teams) (you will get it soon, if you have not already received it).
- Review the Circle Materials as time allows; full review isn't required.
- If you do not have time, still attend - the discussion will be valuable.
- On the day of the Circle please sign in using the invitation from your Circle Lead and please be sure to turn on your camera for maximum participation – your Circle Lead will start the discussion.
Circle Topic: WGCC Leadership Series: Leading Beyond Legal - Navigating the Expanding General Counsel Mandate
The role of General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer has evolved dramatically. What was once primarily a legal advisory function has become one of the most complex and influential leadership roles in the modern organization. Today’s General Counsel is expected not only to manage legal risk, but also to provide strategic business leadership, guide organizations through crises, oversee compliance and privacy programs, support human resources (or step in as lead for HR), lead employee resource groups, contribute to corporate culture, and often serve on external boards and industry bodies.
As the scope of the role continues to expand, so too do the expectations. General Counsel are increasingly called upon to act as enterprise leaders—balancing competing priorities, responding to emerging risks, influencing organizational strategy, and driving business outcomes while maintaining sound judgement, integrity, and resilience.
Join fellow WGCC members for a candid and engaging WGCC Networking Circle exploring how senior legal leaders are adapting to this evolving mandate. Through an open, peer-to-peer discussion, we will share practical experiences, leadership lessons, and approaches for successfully managing responsibilities that now extend well beyond traditional legal boundaries.
Together, we will explore how General Counsel are navigating broader portfolios that may include compliance, privacy, ethics, government affairs, human resources, ESG initiatives, investigations, corporate culture, and operational leadership. We will also discuss the growing expectations placed on legal leaders to champion diversity and inclusion efforts, sponsor employee resource groups, participate in external board and community leadership roles, and serve as trusted advisers to executive teams and boards of directors.
Importantly, we will reflect on what we have intentionally stopped doing in order to lead more effectively. What processes, habits, assumptions, or expectations have we let go of? How are we leveraging technology, including AI, delegating differently, simplifying decision-making, and focusing our energy on the areas where we can have the greatest impact? How are we simply just saying “No”?
Grounded in real-world experience rather than leadership theory, this discussion will provide an opportunity to exchange practical insights with peers who face similar challenges every day.
Key discussion themes:
- The evolution of the General Counsel from legal adviser to enterprise leader
- Leading through crises, uncertainty, and increasing organisational complexity
- Managing expanded portfolios and when to say “No”
- Sponsoring employee resource groups and shaping organisational culture
- Balancing internal leadership responsibilities with external board and community commitments
- Leveraging technology and AI to increase effectiveness and create capacity
- Determining what to let go of in order to focus on what matters most
- Building a sustainable leadership model for a role that continues to grow in scope, visibility, and influence
Come prepared to share your experiences and hear from peers who are redefining what it means to be a General Counsel in today's business environment.
Accreditation (Ontario): Circles are submitted for CPD credit in Ontario (other provinces upon request). More information will be available once approval has been received.
Sign up now by emailing:
Info@womengc.ca with your preferred Circle(s)!
