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At the height of the pandemic, Eric Mitchell was aiding GM’s pivot towards PPE and ventilator production in ways he’ll never forget. He was working with outside counsel to restructure contracts and manage spend as GM’s core automotive production was on hold, literally calling senior partners at law firms and asking them if they could withhold payment until the company started producing cars again.
“We weren’t really producing revenue-generating products at the time,” Mitchell remembers. “We were producing equipment that healthcare workers desperately needed.”
Mitchell was making these tough, million-dollar calls in between changing the diapers of his six-month-old, with a three-year-old also in the house. The silver lining (we had to find them in such a desperate moment) was that the idea of his children in frame on a Zoom meeting suddenly lost any embarrassment. We were all together in a mess, and making do.
Today, Mitchell serves as complex litigation counsel at General Motors, a company he’s been part of for a decade. The lawyer’s number one recommendation to younger lawyers is that you don’t try to emulate his journey, but it’s still sort of a wonder to behold. The lawyer’s journey is something of a pure reflection of the millennial experience. He graduated with a degree in finance in 2008, amidst the backdrop of the Great Recession. He graduated from law school in 2011 as law firms were still reeling from years of uncertainty and backlog.
“Straight out of law school, I went to PWC, because I knew how brutal it was out there… Everyone had run to law school during the recession, and record classes were graduating, and I knew it was going to take time for things to get back to normal. People were pivoting to second and third career ideas, and I was just happy to have options.”
Mitchell would eventually come to GM, one of his former clients, not as an attorney, but as a senior financial analyst. From there on out, Mitchell would essentially earn every promotion the hard way. It wasn’t pretty, but boy was it effective.
As an analyst, Mitchell got early experience at GM working on OnStar business (a GM technology subsidiary renowned for launching connected vehicle safety and telematics services in 1996) as well as new business ventures like the company’s Zipcar competitor, Maven. He began working closely with legal staff, creating relationships in a massive organization. When a legal operations role became available, he went for it and got it.
Under Craig Glidden (GC) and Suzanne Meckle (AGC), Mitchell managed spending, headcount, and negotiated rates for outside counsel. The attorney jokes that he wasn’t afraid of Excel like other attorneys, and he was able to thrive in the role. Outside counsel was slimmed down in order to drive efficiency. At the same time, Mitchell was becoming a regular face, a trusted advisor, and someone people knew they could depend on.
“Anything from labor relations to manufacturing, environmental, international trade, logistics, litigation, and obviously complaints, I’ve gotten to take part in all of it, which is pretty rare for such a large company like GM,” Mitchell says. “I got facetime with leaders and got to understand what was important to them. It was a really incredible experience that I’m grateful for.”
Mitchell spent four years in the role before taking on his litigation role in 2022. An “official” GM attorney who probably knew the legal department better than any on their “first” day. The counsel oversees subpoena response for OnStar nationwide, management of California consumer warranty litigation, and handling more intricate class action and commercial disputes within the organization. Mitchell also guides a team of paralegals and still finds time for streamlining processes, all while providing guidance to the greater GM.
“I’m grateful that people here were willing to take a chance on me,” Mitchell says. “You always hear how important it is for an in-house lawyer to be a good business partner, and I feel like I was a business partner first. I’ve helped create budgets for new startups here, and I’ve been involved with a full budget cycle. I understand what’s important to driving business ahead here.”
To those younger than himself, Mitchell advises future in-house counsel to learn how to stop litigation before it can manifest. Learn how to prevent the fire instead of putting it out. That looks different in different businesses, but it’s an invaluable skill.
“I’d also just advise people to be open to a new experience,” Mitchell says. “My path wasn’t maybe the most ideal, but I do have skills that a lot of other attorneys have to learn when they go in-house.”
Outside of his day-to-day life, Mitchell and his wife and family are just starting to venture out into the world again. He and his wife used to travel frequently, but they’re now learning how to with two additional small people in their care. They look forward to visiting new continents together in the years to come.
“We always look forward to opportunities to collaborate with Eric Mitchell at GM. His creative thinking inspires innovation and drives results.”
–Jeff Lamb, Partner
“It has been a pleasure working with Eric and the GM team. His legal operations background and innovative, data-driven approach has allowed the litigation team to streamline and create significant efficiencies for GM’s complex litigation.”
–Susan Clare, Partner
