A recent survey by the Association of Corporate Counsel Georgia Chapter and its in-kind sponsor and communications agency, Poston Communications, highlights a shift in the role of in-house counsel.

Distributed in January, the survey, titled "The Role of In-House Legal Counsel in Corporate Communications," assessed ACC Georgia members' responsibilities overseeing corporate communication, the integration of legal and corporate communication departments, and their knowledge of and comfort executing communications initiatives on behalf of their organizations.

This quick-pulse data reinforces current trends in cross-functional collaboration as all consumer markets continue to become more belief-driven and shareholder value is increasingly derived from community engagement. 

"The survey results offer important insights into the role our members play in their organizations," said Melloney Douce, ACC Georgia president. "We hope that this thought leadership survey will be the first of many for our chapter as we stay ahead of changes to our roles in the legal industry.

"It was an honor to partner with ACC Georgia in this endeavor," said Dave Poston, CEO and general counsel of Poston Communications. "We hope that this data helps members benchmark best practices for how they can lead the integration of legal and communications to the greater success of both."

Presented in an ACC Georgia webinar on February 3, the survey results highlight key considerations for in-house counsel regarding their relationship with corporate communications departments.

"I believe it is important that attorneys work closely with their communications experts," said webinar panelist Alina Lee, founding partner of Your Ad Attorney, LLC. "Just as we hope that our corporate communications teams and other departments are proactive about reaching out to legal when they feel like there could be a potential legal concern, it is a good rule of thumb to invite your corporate communication partners to weigh in, especially if it's a public facing matter."

In the realm of litigation public relations, the data also suggests that the integration of legal and communication is key to a winning strategy.

"Litigation PR starts before the problem arises and before you have a claim or lawsuit," said webinar panelist Yoon Ettinger, chief counsel, litigation and claims at Southern Company Gas. "The work you do daily to build a reputation of quality and trust is what builds the foundation for litigation PR."

To download a copy of the survey results, click here.