General counsels play a crucial part of any business as it is responsible for monitoring changes in the law that may affect the company and the industry. Hiring the right general counsel will make it easier for the firm to operate without breaking or interfering with local, state, and country laws.
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What is a General Counsel?
General Counsel (GC) is typically an executive position in a corporate company responsible for legal and compliance work. The GC represents the company in court, gives legal counsel to the executive team, directs the legal department’s work, and ensures that all requirements are followed. A GC is also expected to attend board and committee meetings to keep up with the latest developments at the company.
List of General Counsels To Watch In 2023
The following list of General Counsels is ranked in no particular order. The selection considered its 4×24 membership and its contributions to the company. However, many other leaders who also provide excellent products and services may be excluded from this list.
Matthew Madalo, Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary of Siemens Government Technologies
Matthew Madalo is currently working as Siemens Government Technologies’ General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary. Siemens is a global technology firm serving numerous infrastructure, transportation, and healthcare sectors and SGT is the company’s federal division in the United States.
Mr. Madalo oversees the legal, contracting, compliance, and infrastructure security departments at SGT. He also manages all government reporting obligations to ensure compliance with all applicable legislation. He believes compliance is an art, as a general counsel creates innovative solutions for the company’s growth or client’s needs.
Josh Petty, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Booz Allen Hamilton
Josh Petty holds the position of executive vice president and general counsel at Booz Allen Hamilton. In his current role, he is responsible for leading several legal initiatives, such as legal advice to management, overseeing the legal department, and coordinating with outside counsel. He has extensive experience in commercial and government contracts and compliance programs.
Mr. Petty is known for his expertise in giving practical legal guidance that aids in accomplishing corporate goals and staying compliant with relevant laws and regulations. He held several high-level legal positions from different companies, like Accenture. As the company’s global government compliance officer, Josh was integral to improving Accenture’s rules, procedures, and training materials.
Kevin Boyle, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of V2X
Kevin Boyle serves as Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at V2X. Since joining the company in October 2018, he has been overseeing all legal business dealings and ensuring corporate and government compliance. V2X is a professional services provider that offers IT solutions, logistics, and supply chain management for the federal government and worldwide markets.
Since 1997, Mr. Boyle has been in various executive legal and business capacities, advising the top management and boards of both public and private companies. His expertise spans multiple business transactions, from mergers and acquisitions to capital-raising initiatives, long-term strategies, risk management, and performance development.
Devon Engel, Vice President and General Counsel of General Dynamics Mission Systems
Devon Engel is the Vice President and General Counsel of the business unit of General Dynamics, known as General Dynamics Mission Systems. He oversees all the legal issues and government contracts for General Dynamics Mission Systems. This part of the company makes mission-critical, cyber-secure systems for the military and government.
Mr. Engel practiced federal contract law as an associate in the Crowell & Moring office in the nation’s capital. He is well-known in government contracts, having written extensively on the subject and given numerous talks. Besides hiss position in GD, he is involved in his community and has been a part of DrugFreeAZKids.org’s Board of Directors since 2004. In 2016, he was recognized as one of the Top General Counsels in Government Contracting by Executive Mosaic.
Hilary Hageman, Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretary, and General Counsel of SAIC
Hilary Hageman serves SAIC executives as a vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary. She is an accomplished business leader with a wealth of legal knowledge spanning public company law, federal contracting, national security law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance. She started working in the company in 2016 to 2019.
In 2022, SAIC announced her comeback and was appointed to her current position. She primarily served the defense and aviation sectors as soon as she returned. Ms. Hageman has served in numerous high-level legal positions, including those at CACI (where she was Principal Deputy General Counsel) and the US Department of Defense.
Maryanne Lavan, Senior Vice President, Corporate Secretary, and General Counsel at Lockheed Martin
Maryanne Lavan is a Senior Vice President at Lockheed Martin, an American defense and aerospace firm worldwide. In addition, she serves as the company’s General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. She oversees the company’s legal affairs, the law department, the Board of Directors, and the top management.
Before this role, Ms. Lavan was the vice president of corporate internal audit, overseeing impartial reviews of corporate governance, internal control procedures, and risk management. She started serving at Lockheed Martin in 1990 as an attorney and gradually rose in her position.
Jeremy Nance, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Legal Operations at V2X
Jeremy Nance is currently working at V2X as the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Legal Operations. V2X connects people, technology, and capabilities around the world throughout the lifecycle of a project. The company provides proactive operating solutions that benefit the government and defense sectors.
Mr. Nance was L-3 Vertex Aerospace’s Senior Director of Legal and Contracts until the company was sold. He began working at L-3 as an attorney in 2006 and has since held positions of increasing prominence there.