Your first six months as a PE-backed company GC: what really drives success?

Stepping into a private equity backed company as General Counsel can be jarring. The environment is fast and lean. Hesitation gets noticed. Expectations are high, and resources are often limited. From what I’ve seen in twenty years of placing GCs into these roles, the first six months determine whether you’re seen as an indispensable business partner or a back-office cost centre.

The First 90 Days: Building Credibility as a Business Partner

 In many portfolio companies, the GC is hired later than they should be. By the time you arrive, the business already has momentum. You don’t have the luxury of a long runway. You need to show impact quickly.

Start with the basics that earn trust: contract discipline, integration support, and clean data room hygiene. Don’t present it as “legal housekeeping.” Put it in business terms. Tightening contract language, for example, reduces exposure while safeguarding revenue, speeding cash, and helping deals close faster.

The GCs who thrive establish a close partnership with the CFO early. Together, you form the operating spine of the company. The CEO relies on that combination to keep growth and compliance aligned. If you can speak the language of free cash flow beyond legal risk, you’ll build credibility quickly with both management and the sponsor.

Navigating the Sponsor Relationship (and How You’re Valued)

 Every sponsor has its own style. Deal teams are often young and model driven, focused narrowly on revenue, EBITDA, and multiples. Operating partners are more seasoned and pragmatic, but they aren’t always given the influence they could have. As a GC, you need to bridge both groups.

Too many sponsors still see the GC as an insurance policy rather than a strategic partner. That perception shows up in two places: influence and compensation. Base and bonus typically track market. Equity is often set below the CFO package, even though the GC carries a comparable risk profile.

I’ve seen GCs handle this most effectively by showing business impact, not arguing theory. Translate legal decisions into operational consequences. Make clear how your work enables growth and preserves enterprise value. Over time, that earns you a seat that moves past the “insurance” label.

Fit Matters: Who Thrives in PE Backed Roles

 The portco GC role isn’t for everyone.

Builders tend to thrive. They can work from a whiteboard, tolerate ambiguity, and deliver solutions without endless process. Business-first lawyers also succeed, those who can prioritise what matters, communicate clearly with the CEO and sponsor, and keep decisions moving.

Where I’ve seen struggles is with GCs coming directly from very large platforms such as public companies or global banks. Many expect infrastructure that doesn’t exist. If you’re not comfortable rolling up your sleeves in a leaner, faster-moving environment, the role can be overwhelming. The key question is simple: do you want to build as much as you advise?

Closing Thought: More Than Insurance

In a PE-backed company, the GC enables growth, preserves value, and partners with the CFO to steady the business through rapid change.

If you’re in one of these roles, or considering one, your first six months will set the trajectory. Step in early, show up as a business partner, and make clear why the GC seat matters as much as any in the C-suite.

For those already living it: what surprised you most in your first six months? What do you wish you had known going in? The more we share these lessons, the stronger the collective playbook for GCs in private equity will become.