The virtual event tackled enterprise risk, compliance, and communication with internal stakeholders
This month, the Association of Corporate Counsel held its first-ever In-house Legal Impact Certificate Program, which aims to bolster in-house lawyers’ business acumen.
The two-day program was conducted virtually and was attended by a global cohort of in-house counsel. In-house faculty from different jurisdictions hosted 10 live virtual learning modules on topics like contract negotiation in international contexts, artificial intelligence, internal investigations, crisis management, and cross-border privilege considerations.
Faculty members included Epoch Payment Solutions’ chief compliance officer Adriana Dulic; KBR’s AI law, cybersecurity, and data privacy director Daniel Lenhoff; GSK’s SVP and general counsel for US commercial Brennan Torregrossa; and ABB’s division general counsel for electrification services Spiwe L. Jefferson.
The program shared actionable strategies to enhance in-house lawyers’ role as business partners, tackle enterprise risk, manage compliance issues, improve communication with internal stakeholders, and boosting business impact. Attendees also joined dedicated peer networking discussions to exchange experiences and solutions to shared problems.
“The legal profession is evolving at an extraordinary pace. Today’s in-house lawyers are expected to do far more than provide legal advice. They are business partners, trusted advisors, risk managers, negotiators, crisis counselors, and leaders. This program was created to help in-house counsel strengthen the practical skills and strategic insight needed to succeed in that environment,” said Jason L. Brown, ACC’s president and chief executive officer, in a statement.
Business acumen was a key focus of the program. The 2026 ACC Chief Legal Officers Survey found that 68 percent of chief legal officers considered this to be the leading skill they wanted in-house legal teams to gain.
Those who finished the program obtained the ACC In-house Legal Impact Certificate and a shareable digital badge. The organization revealed that the next ACC In-house Legal Impact Certificate Program event would be held in November.
“Legal professionals are lifelong learners. ACC is committed to supporting that journey by providing opportunities that help practitioners within in-house departments grow, adapt, and thrive throughout their careers,” Brown said.
The ACC In-house Legal Impact Certificate Program is open to lawyers who have about 1-4 years’ experience working in-house from any jurisdiction. Those who are moving to an in-house role from another legal position were welcome to register as well.
The first iteration was held from August 11-13.
