Navigating Turbulence as a Startup Legal Pro with Faraz Rana

There are certain traits that can make or break your success, especially when you’re working in-house at a startup. From effective decision-making to understanding the regulations in your space, the list of skills you need to excel can seem never-ending. Host Tim Parilla, CLO at LinkSquares, and Faraz Rana, previous CLO, and part of the founding team at Bread, are here to help. Faraz saw the company through a time of rapid growth and is here to share his perspective on what it takes to be a successful in-house legal leader. Key takeaways Skills you need when transitioning from a law firm to an in-house legal professional How the GC/CLO role evolves as the company grows and matures Why making and sticking to a decision pays off And more! Timestamps 0:52: Introductions and Faraz’s pre-flight ritual. 5:27: Faraz’s career path from a large law firm, to working in-house. 9:11: The transition into the startup world and the importance of taking accountability, having an opinion, and proposing solutions. 12:36: How did you see your role as CLO change as the company grew? 17:28: Think of yourself as a brand. 21:39: How do you balance legal responsibilities with broader business goals? 29:51: What Faraz is working on now. 37:24: How to deal with pushback from the business as a compliance function? 40:35: Advice for building out a compliance program from scratch? 43:10: What is your leadership style and how has it changed over time?