Industries vary in the degree to which they face regulation (See my post of Dec. 14, 2005 on McKinsey’s rough cut at regulatory intensity.)
For companies operating in a highly-regulated industry, some sizeable chunk of their general counsel’s time must go to developing relationships with regulators, staying abreast of regulatory requirements, and pushing forward-thinking activities that assuage regulators. (top of mind, Vol. 4, at 10). (See my post of Dec. 19, 2005 on the unusual demands of GCs for foreign-based owners.)