• Remuneration for General Counsel is generally steady, although some specialists in construction and civil infrastructure, energy transition projects, technology/data centres and telecommunications infrastructure have enjoyed an increase beyond CPI. Organisations are increasingly viewing legal teams as strategic business partners rather than purely a cost centre, and that shift is reflected in how senior legal leaders are being benchmarked and rewarded.

• Candidates increasingly prioritise work‑life balance, role scope, and career progression over headline salary alone, influencing how packages are structured and negotiated. Short and long‑term incentives (which may include equity in some sectors), and additional financial benefits (health and wellness, education and car-related allowances) continue to apply.

Retention

• Competitive remuneration alone is no longer sufficient to retain top in‑house talent. Retention is enhanced through investment in upskilling (including in AI fluency), leadership development, and teaching lawyers to sharpen their commercial judgment. Legal counsel who can operate as strategic partners to the business, not just technical legal advisors, will be hired most readily by General Counsel.

Use of External Firms

• In‑house teams continue to retain more work internally due to cost pressures, AI efficiencies and expanded expertise in the legal team. Referral to the private professions is increasingly reserved for high‑risk, novel, or highly specialised matters. This places greater responsibility on General Counsel to manage legal spend, oversee AI‑enabled workflows and act as informed purchasers of external advice.

Impact of AI

AI adoption is now being used by General Counsel to reshape in‑house teams by automating lower‑value tasks (e.g. document review, contract triage, research), allowing lawyers to focus on commercial advice, strategic decision‑making, governance and risk. General Counsel are expected to demonstrate competency in data privacy and cyber security and to combine legal expertise with technology literacy and business acumen.

The Outlook

• he General Counsel role is continuing to evolve rapidly. The General Counsel is no longer merely the organisation’s senior lawyer but must adopt a broader enterprise leadership position covering governance, strategy, regulation, ESG, cyber security and AI-related risk. Boards are expecting General Counsel to contribute commercially and strategically, while also helping to manage organisational risk and cost pressures.

• We expect external legal spend to continue to shift away from volume-based work towards specialist advisory and transaction support. Law firms offering pricing certainty, sector expertise and transparency around AI usage are likely to remain competitive.

• Demand is expected to remain strongest for General Counsel with a background in regulation, infrastructure, technology, energy, health and data-related sectors. That said, the overall number of General Counsel opportunities remains relatively limited, making competition for the top roles consistently strong.

• Company Secretaries with ASX‑listed experience attract a clear remuneration premium due to exposure to continuous disclosure, market communications, and regulatory scrutiny. They tend to operate in a high‑risk, time‑critical environment, with personal accountability for disclosure accuracy, Board processes, and compliance with the Corporations Act and ASX Listing Rules.

• Listed Company Secretaries are more likely to participate in short‑term and long‑term incentive schemes, reflecting their C-suite status.

• Unlisted Company Secretaries are typically remunerated lower on a like‑for‑like seniority basis, though premiums exist in large private and highly regulated entities. They generally have broader operational responsibilities, less public market pressure and lower immediacy of regulatory consequences.

• In unlisted environments, remuneration is more heavily weighted towards base salary, with incentives more common where the role supports transactions, growth, or exit events (e.g. IPO‑ready or PE‑owned companies).

Demand

• There is a structural shortage of Company Secretaries with ASX-listed experience, making this capability highly sought after and difficult to replace. Unlisted experience remains valuable and transferable but moving into listed roles often requires demonstrable exposure to ASX obligations, Board advisory work, and regulator interaction. Employers are increasingly planning succession early and investing in upskilling to manage this risk.

Impact of AI

• AI and governance platforms are impacting both cohorts, but differently. Listed Company Secretaries are leveraging AI for disclosure controls, Board reporting, regulatory monitoring, and risk escalation, increasing expectations around judgment and governance leadership. Unlisted Company Secretaries more often use AI to drive efficiency and scale across entity management, compliance, and policy administration, often covering larger portfolios with leaner teams.

The Outlook

• The Company Secretary role will continue its shift from compliance executor to governance advisor and strategic Board partner. Boards are increasingly relying on Company Secretaries for judgment and regulatory foresight, not just process management. The role will continue to work closely with the Chair, General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer, with greater impact on Board effectiveness and risk escalation.

• Regulatory complexity will increase, particularly around corporate disclosures, ESG, cyber resilience, AI governance, and Director accountability. Company Secretaries are expected to translate regulatory changes into practical governance frameworks, not merely record compliance. ASX‑listed and regulated entities will place higher value on experienced Company Secretaries who can anticipate regulatory and shareholder expectations, not just respond to them.

• AI is automating routine tasks such as Board pack compilation and version control and action tracking, regulatory calendars and filings. This will reduce administrative load, but could increase accountability, as Company Secretaries are expected to oversee AI governance, accuracy and audit trails.