So you've moved in-house: what now?

I doubt that there is a private-practice lawyer in existence that has not at some stage considered moving in-house.  Whether as a result of having been tempted by a particularly enticing role or because of a particularly quiet month of attributable billing – it has crossed all of our minds at some stage.

That is why I was so pleased to be invited to take the stage at the second edition of legal festival Crafty Fest and play the part of that lawyer, imagining for a moment that I was a freshly-minted, newly-landed and possibly-crafty counsel who had an opportunity to interrogate several much more experienced in-house experts about what matters most in the role.

The in-house gurus that were kind enough to join me at Regent's Park, in London, on 14 June 2023 and provide the animated crowd with guidance were Emma Humphrey, GC at Time Out Group; Alex Love, Associate Legal Counsel at AlphaSights; and Oliver Searle, Head of Corporate (Legal) at Kantar.  I could not have asked for better, or more amusing, guides.

The discussion considered the transition from private practice to in-house, how to get to grips with a new organisation and role, and how to stand out as a junior.

Five key takeaways from our session:

1. Adjusting to life in-house

The session kicked off with what changed most when making the move in-house.  I was advised that upon joining a new company, in-house lawyers should focus on three main aspects:

• Understanding what drives the business – fundamentally, how does it make money?
• Translating that into legal concerns – what are the risks the business faces?
• Making it work for that business – who do you need to know and why?

Take the time to understand who the key stakeholders are so you can anticipate the advice needed is a good way to facilitate this change of perspective.

2. Staying Sharp

The discussion moved on to the best ways to continue developing technical legal knowledge and soft skills.

The task can be particularly challenging for junior lawyers, who have the support of PSLs to provide constant updates and training at private practices. Such structured legal support may not be readily available or sufficient at corporations.

In-house lawyers who want to avoid a significant drop off need to keep motivated and make sure to deliberately allocate some time in their diaries to keep up with developments.

On the other hand, the greater exposure to different departments will offer valuable opportunities to develop abilities outside of the legal sphere, in particular commercial and negotiation skills.

3. Getting acquainted with the business

A vital step at the start of any role is the onboarding process to the new company. The panel discussed what could be done differently to improve the process for new in-house lawyers.  Not all of my hosts had had a great start.

Assigning a mentor, who might not have the same reporting line, can be helpful throughout the process.

Since legal skills are as important as knowing the business and relevant people, it is important to help the new joiner develop both external and internal networks.

It is also a good idea to run through what's within the legal team's remit, as this tends to differ depending on the company.

Finally, companies should make sure that new joiners know what training resources and technology are available to employees.

4. The differences between in-house and private practice

The debate then focused on how the two roles are intrinsically different.

Even though a heavy workload is something that both positions share, in-house lawyers must be mindful of the different team structure and the fact that it will simply not always be possible to finish the work at the end of every day.  There is always more work in-house.

The panel concurred that another critical question is where legal work starts and where it ends, as in-house legal teams are sometimes seen as 'the thinking department' in an organisation – when should you know to say 'no', or simply ask to be looped in at a later stage in the deal?

As teams do not have the resources to handle all aspects of the business, it is important to set parameters, even though it might be difficult to say 'no' when colleagues ask for help with something out of your remit. 

Experience might make this task easier, but it is equally important for senior leadership to empower junior people so these parameters are clear from the top down.

5. Biggest mistakes when you went in house 

The panel was then invited to reflect on their experiences and discuss what they would have done differently. Some of the themes that came up were:

• Not getting to know people and the business
• Not tapping into someone with more experience
• Not cherishing the quiet before the storm
• Not writing brief and snappy answers to queries

The session ended with a productive wider group discussion, in which participants came up with ideas for a more effective onboarding process, including adjustments necessary for hybrid working, attendance to social events, and shadowing more experienced team members.