Why Consumer Goods Companies Need Legal Business Partners, Not Just Legal Advisors

As consumer goods companies become more digital, data-driven and internationally connected, the role of the in-house legal team is expanding.

The continued growth of e-commerce has created new considerations around privacy, data security and artificial intelligence. At the same time, companies must still manage contracts, intellectual property, marketing, compliance, supply chains and, for businesses with physical locations, premises and general liability.

According to Campbell Patteson, Principal Legal Recruitment Consultant at Larson Maddox, these pressures are not only influencing which legal professionals companies hire. They are also changing what employers expect from them.

E-commerce is changing the legal hiring landscape

Consumer activity has steadily shifted from physical stores toward online and omnichannel environments. While brick-and-mortar locations remain an important part of the sector, e-commerce introduces a different set of legal risks.

Companies now collect, process and use significant volumes of customer data. As more businesses also integrate AI into their operations and customer experiences, the legal questions surrounding how that data is stored, protected and used become more complex.

This is contributing to demand for lawyers with experience in:

• Data privacy and security
• AI governance
• Intellectual property
• Marketing and advertising
• Commercial contracts
• Regulatory compliance

Campbell is seeing privacy-focused attorneys become particularly relevant as consumer goods businesses expand their digital capabilities.

This does not mean every consumer goods company requires the same legal structure. A digitally native apparel brand, for example, is likely to have different priorities from a national retailer with hundreds of physical locations.

For grocery stores, retailers and other businesses with significant physical footprints, litigation experience may remain particularly valuable. In-house lawyers can be responsible for matters involving premises liability, general liability and incidents occurring at stores or other company properties.

Compliance now reaches across the supply chain

Compliance is another area receiving greater attention from employers.

For consumer goods companies, this remit can extend far beyond corporate policies. It may involve manufacturing, logistics, distribution, product imports and the legal requirements governing goods as they move between jurisdictions.

Lawyers working in this area may need to understand how rules differ between the country where a product is manufactured and the market where it is ultimately sold. For businesses managing international supply chains, changes to tariffs, trade rules and local regulations can quickly create new risks.

That breadth can make it difficult to separate legal advice from commercial operations. The strongest in-house professionals are therefore able to interpret regulation while working closely with supply chain, logistics and other business functions.

The five-to-seven-year candidate is in demand

Although senior legal leadership opportunities remain active, Campbell is seeing particularly strong demand for attorneys with approximately five to seven years of experience.

These candidates may have spent their first few years receiving structured training within a law firm before moving into an in-house position. This gives them a combination many employers value: technical legal foundations and experience working directly within a business.

Prior in-house experience can be especially attractive because it demonstrates that a candidate understands how to work cross-functionally. Rather than advising several external clients, an in-house lawyer must balance the needs of different departments while supporting the company’s wider commercial objectives.

That experience can develop several of the qualities consumer goods employers increasingly prioritize:

• Commercial awareness
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Clear communication with non-legal stakeholders
• Adaptability across different matters
• The ability to translate complex legal issues into practical advice

As Campbell noted, the role requires lawyers to understand that each department is ultimately working toward the same company-wide goals.

Hiring for potential, not a “unicorn” profile

The current market gives employers access to a wider candidate pool, but it can also encourage hiring teams to create overly restrictive requirements.

Some businesses search for a “unicorn” candidate who combines a top law firm background, precise sector experience, previous in-house work and an exact number of years in practice. That profile may exist, but focusing too narrowly can cause companies to overlook professionals who could become stronger long-term hires.

Employers should examine what candidates have actually handled, rather than relying solely on employer names, titles or credentials.

A lawyer’s resume may not immediately reveal the breadth of their responsibilities. However, further discussion might show that they have stepped into unfamiliar projects, covered for colleagues, adapted quickly or advised a much wider range of stakeholders than their job title suggests.

Communication is another important indicator. In-house lawyers must be able to explain risk in clear, practical language to business leaders who may not have a legal background.

For candidates, demonstrating curiosity and a willingness to learn can also compensate for limited exposure to a newer area such as AI. Proactively pursuing relevant projects, training or certifications can show employers that they are already building the knowledge the role will require.

What makes a consumer goods legal opportunity competitive?

Competitive compensation remains important, but it is not the only factor influencing legal candidates.

Flexibility continues to be highly attractive, including for roles that require a regular office presence. Candidates value employers that recognize occasional personal commitments and allow reasonable flexibility when circumstances arise.

At the five-to-seven-year level, Campbell also sees candidates respond positively to equity or another form of long-term financial participation.

The recruitment process itself can also determine whether an employer secures its preferred candidate. Long gaps between interviews, delayed feedback and too many stages give candidates time to progress elsewhere or lose interest.

Being transparent about compensation from the beginning can further reduce delays and prevent unexpected negotiations from disrupting the process at offer stage. For employers reviewing their approach, the USA Regulatory & Legal Compensation Guide: Manufacturing & Consumer Goods Edition 2026 and USA Compliance Compensation Guide 2026 can provide useful benchmarks to support informed, competitive hiring decisions.

The legal skills likely to become more valuable

Technology will continue to influence legal careers across consumer goods.

Campbell is already seeing attorneys pursue the Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional certification, known as AIGP. In previous years, privacy credentials such as the Certified Information Privacy Professional qualification became valuable differentiators. AI governance could follow a similar path as companies introduce the technology across more areas of their operations.

Experience with technology-related work, including software-as-a-service contracts, may also become increasingly useful. At the same time, lawyers should remain attentive to international supply chain developments, tariffs and changing laws in overseas jurisdictions.

Ultimately, technical expertise alone will not define the strongest candidates. Consumer goods companies are looking for lawyers who can combine that knowledge with commercial judgment, communication and creativity.

The legal function is no longer simply expected to identify what a business cannot do. Increasingly, its value lies in showing the organization how it can move forward responsibly.

Build your consumer goods legal team with Larson Maddox

Larson Maddox connects consumer goods organizations with legal and compliance professionals who understand the commercial, regulatory and operational pressures shaping the sector. Whether you are expanding an existing legal team or recruiting specialist expertise in privacy, compliance, contracts, litigation or AI governance, request a call back to speak with Larson Maddox about your hiring requirements today.