In-house legal heads at companies in Europe are continuing to grow their boardroom influence, with a record number of chief legal officers now reporting directly to the CEO, according to the Association of Corporate Counsel’s (ACC’s) annual CLO survey.
A record 82% of European CLOs now have a direct reporting line to their CEO, up from 73% a year ago and closer in line with the global average (84%). The ACC’s 2026 Chief Legal Officers Survey, in collaboration with FTI Consulting, also found that European CLOs were more likely than their global peers to lead on ESG strategy (48% compared to 26% globally), enterprise risk management (83% compared to 65%) and geopolitical risk advisory (57% compared to 41%), underscoring the growing strategic role of legal heads in the region.
Two-thirds of European CLOs said strengthening their position as business partners, alongside technology implementation and operational efficiency, were their top initiatives for 2026.
Jason Brown, president and CEO of the ACC, said: “This year’s European findings confirm that the CLO role is no longer confined to legal risk management. European CLOs are deeply embedded in business strategy, enterprise risk and ESG leadership at a time when organisations face unprecedented geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty. The data shows a profession moving decisively into the centre of corporate decision-making.”
European in-house teams are also adopting new technology at a faster clip than the global average, the survey data shows. Almost 62% of CLOs said they plan to implement new legaltech over the coming 12 months, with 77% expecting to adopt generative AI tools within the next two years. Another 72% believe AI will fundamentally reshape the way legal work is done and what that means for in-house lawyer skills.
Sophie Ross, global CEO of FTI Consulting’s Technology unit, said: “European CLOs are not waiting on the sidelines when it comes to AI. They are prioritising technological fluency and operational efficiency to meet rising regulatory demands and faster business cycles.”
The survey also shows that European CLOs have divergent regulatory concerns than their global peers, with sanctions enforcement and ESG enforcement both seen as major regulatory risks (34% and 26% in Europe compared to 13% and 14% elsewhere). Almost half of European CLOs (45%) are also anticipating higher investigation costs and greater complexity (43%), with 44% saying they have ramped up compliance hires in response to strengthen in-house regulatory and risk management expertise.
European CLOs also reported geopolitics as their biggest organisational risk, with 28% concerned about the impact of rising global tensions, nearly triple the global average.
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