Tips on Getting to the Top of the In-house Heap

By Peter Scott

 

 

Disillusioned with private practice? Want to get off the treadmill of having to record ever more chargeable hours?

 

Want a life? Then why not move in-house and leave all that frustration behind!

 

It’s a temptation that’s been luring law firms’ beleaguered masses for nearly a generation now.

 

Even though the grass is always proverbially greener in the other guy’s yard, you will need to appreciate, before you make the jump, that there is a huge “culture” gap between being in a professional partnership and being part of a corporate environment.

 

If, as a lawyer in a partnership, you still cannot accept being told what to do by those who manage the firm, how are you going to survive in a corporate hierarchy where everyone knows their position in the pecking order? To successfully make that transformation from law firm to law department, you will have to understand and accept the notion of accountability, and swallow a certain subservience, as the price of your progress up the slippery corporate ladder.

 

Be clear as to you goals before you make your move. Ask yourself, “What do I really want to be – a technical lawyer or a top decision-making manager?” In-house life is all about ambition and determination to get to the top because, as a mere technician, you are unlikely to get very far.

 

Do not be misled into thinking that life in-house will be easy. Many corporate counsel actually work longer and harder, and under more stress, than their counterparts in private practice because corporations are intensely value-driven organizations.

 

Due Diligence

 

Above all, carefully choose your company. Big is not necessarily beautiful. So:

 

·         Given recent events in the corporate world, check out the company and, in particular, its auditors and accounting practices. As an in-house lawyer, you can all too easily become very close to the epicentre of the not-so-kosher action.   

·         Avoid new technology companies.

·         Check out the fate of your predecessors in the law department.

·         Find out how long the head of legal has to go before retirement. You could be waiting a very long time and with no guarantee that you will ever step into his or her shoes.

·         Evaluate the career paths that exist for lawyers within the company. You will be hired to carry out a specific function and there may be no possibility of advancement. Find out if any lawyers have made it to senior management positions in the past. It could be a career dead end for you.

 

Adapt to Survive

 

Having decided that this is what you really want to do, and having then made the jump, you will quickly need to adapt to the particular culture of your company and become a fully integrated member of the corporate team. Do not allow yourself to remain aloof and to develop a reputation internally as “one of those lawyers who think they’re above it all.”

 

Corporations can be very political, so start by developing a political nose and take your time to ascertain where in the company the power really resides. Then make sure you keep close to it. Always look after the people who really matter and give them the service they demand, and more.

 

Take steps to make yourself nearly indispensable, and always the first person they call when they have a problem. In this way, you can become a part of the very hub of decision-making in the company.

 

Dealing with external lawyers

Take a hard look at the company’s external legal advisors and make sure you are getting best value out of them. Companies are performance-driven and value-driven, and you will be judged on how well you and they perform. So:

 

• Do not favor your former firm out of emotional ties or friendships if they cannot perform to your exacting standards. Make sure your external lawyers never fail to perform because it is you who will be held responsible.

 

• Carry out a review of your external lawyers from time to time to keep them on their toes. Only retain those firms that have shown they can consistently perform to your satisfaction. But be careful not to make enemies when dealing with those external firms who may have long-established relationships with, and the ear of, the people who matter in your company.

 

• Demand open-book accounting and total transparency from your external law firms when it comes to fees and fee structures so you obtain best value every time.

 

Value for the company’s money

There is one additional area in which you should tread carefully. In this economic climate, many companies are looking to cut costs, and that includes reviewing the cost effectiveness of their internal legal resource. Make sure as an in-house counsel that you and your legal team provide the company value for its money. Otherwise, you’re on thin ice.

 

What companies look for

The in-house lawyers who are most likely to prove their worth in today’s corporate climate are the ones who add value, time and time again, by dispensing wisdom, experience, and common sense, particularly at the strategic level. This is what many companies are really looking for and those who succeed in this are usually the ones who rise to the top.

 

Editor’s Note: Peter Scott is a solicitor and a Director of Horwath Consulting in London. He advises law firms from the United States, United Kingdom, and elsewhere on strategic, management, and implementation issues. The article was adapted from his website: http://www.peterscottconsult.co.uk