Product Counsel Legal Strategy: Crop anonymous diverse entrepreneurs shaking hands after meeting and negotiating about new project

Beyond the Courtroom: Mastering the Art of Product Lawyering

In her article, “Product Counsel: How to be THAT kind of lawyer,” Adrienne Go explores the importance of product counsel legal strategy in the modern tech landscape. Unlike traditional courtroom roles, a product lawyer plays a collaborative role in product development—working closely with product managers, designers, and engineers to shape user experiences that are both intuitive and legally sound.

Adrienne emphasizes that successful product counseling draws from a range of legal disciplines. From commercial contracting and regulatory compliance to privacy, intellectual property, and consumer protection, product lawyers integrate multiple areas of law into a strategic approach tailored to the tech ecosystem. This well-rounded product counsel legal strategy helps companies innovate confidently while managing legal exposure.

Three Learning Outcomes:

  1. Ask Great Questions: Product lawyers must develop a deep understanding of both the business objectives and technical workings of the products they support. Asking strategic questions about both front-end design and back-end infrastructure is essential to shaping strong legal outcomes.
  2. Be the Customer: To guide product development with empathy and clarity, lawyers should actively use their company’s products. A strong product counsel legal strategy relies on firsthand knowledge of user experiences, industry trends, and competitor benchmarks.
  3. Know Your Stuff: A good product lawyer stays informed—not just about the law, but about the people, challenges, and dynamics behind the product. They act as legal strategists, connectors, and team advocates, helping ensure that legal solutions don’t just protect the company but also enhance product value.

To gain a deeper understanding of how product lawyers operate and the strategies they use, read the full article on LinkedIn: Product Counsel: How to be THAT kind of lawyer.

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