A recent example of general counsel under the klieg lights was the joint appearance on Capital Hill of the general counsel of Yahoo, Microsoft, and Google.
Whether the general counsel takes on the role of spokesperson depends on such factors as the person’s comfort doing so, the availability of other senior executives, their familiarity with the subject matter, and their respect within the company. To the degree the topic has legal ramifications also tilts a company’s choice toward the general counsel as mouthpiece.