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Paragon Legal Paragon can quickly and affordably ramp up your legal resources. There's always something new at Paragon.

Paragon Legal-Our Story

Paragon Legal is an innovative legal services firm that provides highly-skilled and experienced legal professionals to corporate legal departments on an on-demand, project basis. We partner with the Bay Area's leading companies to provide them with flexible, cost-effective legal resources that meet each company’s unique needs, and our unique model and culture allows legal

professionals the opportunity to continue with challenging legal work while maintaining flexibility and control over their schedules. To learn more about us, visit www.paragonlegal.com or get in touch at [email protected].

05/29/2026

POV: You made it to GC! 🎉

Now the role changes.

The legal work doesn’t go away, but it becomes only part of the job.

Today’s GCs are expected to:
- Manage budgets and resources
- Advise the CEO and board
- Lead a cross-functional business function
- Translate legal risk into business strategy

And most people step into that role without a real playbook.

Built from conversations with experienced GCs, CLOs, and legal leaders across industries, and survey data from 150+ legal professionals, The New GC Toolkit is a practical guide to navigating the transition from lawyer to business leader. Coming next week!

Join the waitlist to get your FREE copy 🔗 https://na2.hubs.ly/H05Q98s0

🧰 The modern GC role isn’t just about expertise. It’s about how you use the tools around you.In our latest GC Sidebar co...
05/29/2026

🧰 The modern GC role isn’t just about expertise. It’s about how you use the tools around you.

In our latest GC Sidebar conversation, Alisha Cieslak, former Chief Legal and Risk Officer at Gordon Food Service, shares three insights that define how the role is evolving.

From building leaders within your team to using the full GC “toolbox”, flexible talent, technology, outside counsel, and internal resources, her perspective highlights what it takes to scale your impact as a legal leader.

Swipe through for three quotes that capture how she thinks about resourcing, leadership, and partnering with the business.

How are you thinking about your team’s “toolbox” today? Curious what’s working for others.

Full episode linked if this is something you’re working through 👇

05/28/2026

Twenty years ago, Google bought YouTube and The Hills premiered, marking the start of a new kind of media era.

As Paragon Legal marks 20 years, our 20 Faces of Paragon series continues with Jake Murphy, Paragon Attorney since early 2025.

In 2006, Jake was a paralegal at a small law firm, figuring out his next steps and considering law school. Today, he shares how Paragon removes the friction from job searching and placement, allowing him to focus on the work itself.

A standout moment for Jake was landing his current project, supporting sales, marketing, and product in an emerging space that is expanding his experience in exciting new ways.

Because the right partner does more than place you. It positions you to grow.

✨ Meet Jake.

05/27/2026

🧰 The modern GC has more tools than ever before. The real question is how you use them.

In our latest GC Sidebar episode, Alisha Cieslak, former Chief Legal and Risk Officer at Gordon Food Service, shares how she thinks about the GC “toolbox” and what it takes to build a legal function that can truly scale with the business.

From flexible talent to technology to outside counsel, access isn’t the challenge. It’s being intentional about where you invest time, energy, and resources.

There’s often hesitation to bring in support because it takes effort to onboard. But that investment is going to happen either way. The difference is whether your team is spending that time on high-impact work or stuck in the day-to-day.

When used well, the right mix of resources reduces burnout, improves engagement, and creates space for lawyers to be part of the strategic conversations that move the business forward.

In this episode, Alisha discusses:
- How to think about the full GC “toolbox” and when to use each resource
- Why investing upfront in the right support leads to better outcomes long term
- How to keep your team focused on high-value, strategic work
- Why getting lawyers out of the trenches and into leadership discussions matters

Most GCs are measured by their answers. The best ones are measured by how they use their teams and resources.

How are you thinking about your team’s “toolbox” today? Wondering how others are thinking about this.

Watch the full episode if this is something you’re working through 🔗 https://na2.hubs.ly/H05LqLJ0

49% of GCs say their relationship with the CEO is the biggest factor in their effectiveness.Not the CFO.Not the Board.No...
05/26/2026

49% of GCs say their relationship with the CEO is the biggest factor in their effectiveness.

Not the CFO.
Not the Board.
Not team size.

The CEO relationship.

That stat says everything about how the GC role has evolved.

Today’s top legal leaders aren’t just advising the business. They’re helping lead it.

We explore more insights like this in The New GC Toolkit.

❓ What do you think matters most to succeeding as a modern GC?

Join the waitlist to get early access 👉 https://na2.hubs.ly/H05Lcxh0

On Memorial Day, we honor and remember the service members who gave their lives for our country. We are grateful for the...
05/25/2026

On Memorial Day, we honor and remember the service members who gave their lives for our country. We are grateful for their sacrifice and the freedoms they protected.

05/22/2026

What does it really mean to lead as a modern GC?

In the next GC Sidebar episode, our CEO, Trista Engel, sits down with Alisha Cieslak, former Chief Legal and Risk Officer at Gordon Food Service.

Alisha shares a perspective that defines the role today: a GC has to be a business leader first, whose work is informed by the law. That means leaving legal jargon at the door and framing issues in terms of ROI, growth, speed, and business impact.

She also talks about why letting go of perfection is critical. In fast-moving environments, judgment and clarity matter more than having the “perfect” answer.

Here’s one idea that stood out. More next week.

Teaser now available 🔗 https://na2.hubs.ly/H05Hh_f0
📅 Episode drops Wednesday, May 27th

❗ Some of the most important legal work never makes headlines.In this GC Sidebar conversation, Lisa Gorman, former Chief...
05/19/2026

❗ Some of the most important legal work never makes headlines.

In this GC Sidebar conversation, Lisa Gorman, former Chief Legal Officer at Eventbrite, shares what modern GC leadership really looks like.

From embedding legal earlier in business decisions to redesigning systems that prevent risk from arising in the first place, Lisa offers a thoughtful look at how legal teams create real impact across the business.

Swipe to see the three moments from the conversation that stood out.

How early is your legal team brought into decisions today? Curious how others are thinking about this.

Full episode linked if this is something you’re working through ⬇️

05/15/2026

🤔 When does the legal team get brought into the decision?

In many organizations, it’s too late.

In the latest GC Sidebar episode, Lisa Gorman, former Chief Legal Officer at Eventbrite, shares why that dynamic holds legal teams back and what it takes to change it.

When legal is seen as a downstream reviewer, teams wait as long as possible to involve them. They don’t want to hear “no,” and they don’t want to be blocked.

But that approach limits impact.

Lisa explains that when legal is embedded earlier, everything changes. Instead of reacting to issues, legal can help the business think through trade-offs, anticipate downstream consequences, and design solutions that actually work in practice.

That shift requires more than just showing up earlier. It’s about building trust so the business sees legal as a partner, not a checkpoint.

In this conversation, Lisa discusses:
- Why legal teams are less effective when brought in late
- Why the most impactful legal work is often invisible and how to measure success differently
- How redesigning systems can prevent risk instead of just managing it
- How to use flexible legal talent to protect high-value judgment work and support team development

If you’re trying to get your team closer to the business and involved earlier in decisions, this is a conversation worth your time.

Watch the full episode here 🔗 https://na2.hubs.ly/H05w-810

05/14/2026

Twenty years ago, An Inconvenient Truth brought climate change into the global conversation.

As Paragon Legal marks 20 years, our 20 Faces of Paragon series continues with Rich Foehr, General Counsel, Electrification Software at GE Vernova.

Rich shares how Paragon has supported him and the companies he’s worked with over the years—changing how he thinks about legal talent and staffing. From flexible support for temporary projects to a cost-effective alternative to traditional law firms, Paragon has been a trusted partner for two decades.

Because flexibility, trust, and strong partnerships are what make legal teams work.

✨ Meet Rich.

05/08/2026

👀 What does great GC leadership look like when it’s working at its best?

“The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that your best work is often invisible.”

That perspective from Lisa Gorman captures something many in-house lawyers experience but rarely talk about.

🚩 Your credibility is built on the risks you flag that never happen. The problems that never surface. The crises that don’t unfold.

And the reality is, that kind of impact doesn’t come with applause or clear feedback loops.

“Success as an in-house lawyer… sometimes just looks like nothing happening at all.”

In our next GC Sidebar episode, Lisa reflects on what it means to lead in that environment and how the role shifts from reacting to problems to preventing them altogether.

How do you measure impact when the best outcome is nothing happening? Curious how others think about this.

Teaser now available 🔗 https://na2.hubs.ly/H05mWM70

📅 Full episode drops Wednesday, May 13

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