As boards and executive teams place greater emphasis on governance, transparency, and informed decision-making, the role of the General Counsel is expanding beyond legal advisory into a more strategic, enterprise-facing position. Directors increasingly expect clear judgment, proactive engagement, and alignment on strategy, business development, and risk. In this environment, board access and communication are critical. When information flow is tightly managed or legal perspectives are not fully integrated, boards may assume GC involvement where it has not occurred, creating risk for both management and directors.

In this webinar, Marla Persky, BarkerGilmore Strategic Advisor and Executive Coach and former SVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation and Acting General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Baxter International and independent board member of Xeris Biopharmaceuticals Inc and Revolo Biotheraputics; Mary Ann Hynes, BarkerGilmore Strategic Advisor and Executive Coach and former General Counsel of Ingredion Incorporated, IMC Global, Sundstrand, Wolters Kluwer US, and CCH Incorporated, as well as Senior Counsel at Dentons and independent board members of The Scholl Foundation; Anna Richo, former Corporate Senior Vice President, Strategic Advisor to the CEO and General Counsel of Cargill and independent board member of Exelon and Illumina; and Nichelle Maynard-Elliott, Independent Board Director at Xerox and Lucid Motors and Founder and CEO of Dunamis Transaction Advisors LLC, draw on their experience working with General Counsel, CEOs, and boards across complex organizations.

Bringing together legal and director perspectives, the discussion explores how expectations can be better aligned and how trust is built. Rather than focusing on theory, the session draws on survey insights and real-world experience to address practical challenges that arise in boardrooms, from ensuring appropriate GC involvement in M&A and business development discussions to shaping board culture so legal input is expected and valued. Panelists will also share candid perspectives on maintaining credibility with directors, handling missteps, and navigating disagreement in ways that strengthen relationships.

Key topics will include:

• Navigating limited GC access to the board, including the timing and positioning of legal input
• The GC’s role in business development and M&A, and what boards should expect before matters reach the boardroom
• Strengthening alignment between business development, legal, and the board to support cohesive decision-making
• Building the relationship between the CEO and GC as the foundation for effective board engagement
• Maintaining credibility with the board, including how GCs can recover from missteps and rebuild trust
• How directors can appropriately challenge or question GC advice while preserving trust and effectiveness

Designed for both General Counsel and board members, this session offers practical insight into strengthening communication, aligning expectations, enhancing effectiveness, and expanding impact at the intersection of legal leadership and board governance.

Marla Persky
Strategic Advisor & Executive Coach — BarkerGilmore
Former SVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary — Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation
Former Acting General Counsel & Corporate Secretary — Baxter International Inc.

Anna Richo
Independent Board Director — Exelon, Illumina
Former Corporate Senior Vice President, Strategic Advisor to the CEO & General Counsel — Cargill

Nichelle Maynard-Elliott
Independent Board Director, Compensation Committee Chair — Xerox, Lucid Motors
Founder & CEO — Dunamis Transaction Advisors LLC

Mary Ann Hynes
Strategic Advisor & Executive Coach — BarkerGilmore
Former Officer & General Counsel — Ingredion Incorporated, IMC Global, Sundstrand, Wolters Kluwer US, and CCH Incorporated
Former Senior Counsel — Dentons