In the past several years, as the economy has struggled and the regulatory environment heated up, CEOs and boards of directors relied on their senior legal officers to guide them through various issues. The role of the GC began to evolve at a more rapid pace, and almost every general counsel has found themselves asking the question: In today’s business climate, how can I be the most effective trusted advisor to my client?

On the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 30, Nancy Dowling will participate, alongside an esteemed group of her in-house counsel peers, on a panel discussion titled, “Managing Corporate Risks: Key Issues in Preventing and Navigating Through Crisis.”

Corporate risk comes in all shapes and sizes. Big or small, the responsibility of companies to properly manage crises is greater than ever — underscoring the significant role in-house counsel play in helping their clients to mitigate risk.

Having taken over the IMF in a time of unprecedented turmoil, Christine Lagarde served largely as a crisis manager. But when asked about the most pressing challenges she’s faced in her tenure, Lagarde described her efforts to persuade Congress to ratify a reform measure that would encourage the representation of women on the organization’s board.