How Legal Leaders Are Navigating 2025's Executive Order Surge
The business landscape in 2025 has shifted dramatically, driven by a wave of new executive orders issued by the current administration. In our recent webinar, "Reactive or Ready? Executive Orders and the Legal Leader's Role in Change," we explored how general counsel (GCs) and their teams are navigating this rapid change—and shared practical strategies to stay ahead.
The Challenge: High-Speed, High-Stakes Change
From tariffs and trade policies to AI regulation and ESG mandates, legal departments are being pulled in many directions—expected to make frequent, high-risk decisions, often on short timelines. As panelist Lourdes Fuentes, CEO of Karta Legal, noted, "The pain is real for GCs. Executive orders aren't waiting for quarterly planning cycles; they're arriving quickly, often without clear timelines or implementation guidance."
This relentless pace is taking its toll. Legal leaders across industries are contending with resource gaps, budget constraints, and advisory bottlenecks—all while fielding an increasing volume of urgent requests from internal stakeholders.
How Top Legal Teams Stay Ahead
Rather than staying reactive, top legal departments are taking a proactive stance—anticipating regulatory turbulence and triaging risks early to help the business move forward with clarity. Drawing on their experience as both former GCs and legal advisors to in-house legal teams, our panelists shared actionable strategies for navigating change:
- Reframe change as opportunity, positioning legal as a strategic business partner—not just a department of risk mitigators
- Create workflows and processes that break down internal silos, clarify ownership, and foster cross-functional collaboration
- Build adaptable frameworks for compliance in evolving areas like ESG, AI, and data privacy
- Review contracts and key clauses to assess options and identify renegotiation opportunities
- Embed flexibility into commercial terms, procurement strategies, and legal operations
- Invest in playbooks, templates, and tech to support rapid, repeatable responses to change
- Develop and roll out an AI policy—including training for employees, vendors, and outside counsel
Ready Doesn't Mean Going It Alone
Smart legal leaders know that staying ready doesn't mean doing everything yourself. In today's environment, strength lies in knowing when—and where—to bring in the right support. Whether you're facing regulatory complexity, resource constraints, or just need a sounding board for strategic decisions, augmenting your internal team is not a fallback—it's a forward-thinking move.
At OGC, we work alongside in-house teams to extend capacity, accelerate response, and build legal infrastructure for what's next. If you're navigating a high-stakes change or simply want to get ahead of the next one, let's talk.
What You'll Learn:
✔ Key areas affected by recent Executive Orders and policy changes—AI, data privacy, cybersecurity, labor and immigration, tariffs and supply chain, ESG, and more.
✔ How these regulatory shifts are impacting legal, operational, and compliance obligations—including contracts and policies.
✔ Practical strategies to stay aligned, agile, and ahead of regulatory changes.
✔ How to allocate resources effectively—bridging knowledge gaps, managing budget constraints, and addressing headcount concerns in rapidly changing times.
Why Should You Watch?
Hear from experienced legal counsel and industry peers on how they are:
- Keeping pace with new Executive Orders and policy changes impacting business.
- Balancing risk mitigation with emerging opportunities.
- Leading key business functions—Legal Operations, HR, Compliance, IT—through evolving challenges.
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