In this session we consider how the in-house legal team can anticipate and adapt to changing needs in the environment in which the organisation operates.
It can seem like organisations are constantly changing as they initiate, adapt and react, whether it be to launch new products or services, expand into new markets, merge, navigate new laws and regulations, or respond generally to events within the organisation, sector or in the world beyond.
Change can be planned, ordered and predictable, or it can be urgent, unexpected and disruptive and it is often a combination of all of these at different times and in different ways.
Yet in-house lawyers must respond and adapt to changes in their organisations whilst ensuring that they provide relevant, accurate and timely legal advice and maintain a high level of service to their clients. This can be a challenge and you may be familiar with some of these scenarios:
“We’re swamped with work and we’re always fire-fighting. I simply haven’t got time to plan for the future”
“The organisation is launching a new service. It’s going to tie up some of my best lawyers for months. I’m not sure how to respond”
“We’re all working remotely again. How can I make sure that I maintain key relationships across the organisation?”
“We’ve always had lawyers working with specific client areas but we now need a more centralised, collaborative legal team. Where do I start?”
“Our lawyers are legal experts but there’s something missing in our communications with clients as we don’t seem to be giving them what they need. How can I address this?”
“I thought being in-house would be just about knowing the law but my clients seem to take that for granted and they expect more. How should I recruit and develop lawyers for this?”
“I can’t seem to get involved in the discussions that really matter, yet I know that decisions are being taken that involve legal issues and risks. How can I get a seat at the table?”
If any of these sound familiar, this interactive (virtual) workshop will provide an opportunity to talk about the challenges that you’ve faced and how you responded and to learn from the experience of others.
The workshop will include a brief introduction from a senior in-house lawyer based on their own experiences and we will consider different aspects of the topic, including (time allowing): -
- Planning and delivering the legal service;
- Collaborating across the organisation;
- Resourcing and structuring the legal team and working with external advisers;
- What skills and behaviours really make a difference and how to develop them?
- Building relationships and trust, together with any other areas of particular interest to participants.
The discussion will be facilitated by Anthony Inglese and Paul Bentall of CLL, both former senior in-house lawyers, and will take place under Chatham House rule.
Also speaking will be Richard Tapp - Solicitor and Chartered Governance Professional
He has held General Counsel and Company Secretary roles in FTSE-100 and -250 companies for more than 20 years, building integrated legal teams internationally. He is the architect of a multi-award-winning legal services business which now forms part of a Magic Circle law firm.
Richard currently consults with law firms, in-house legal teams and alternative legal providers on a range of in-house legal, alternative legal services, and legal innovation issues. He has authored The Future of the In-House Lawyer and The In-House Lawyers’ Toolkit (both Law Society Publishing) and Managing External Legal Resources (ICSA Publishing). He is a winner of the FT Innovative Lawyers’ Award for European In-House Lawyer of the Year, and a member of the Company Secretaries’ Forum, which acts as an advisory group on governance matters to ICSA, the Chartered Governance Institute.
We invite participants to bring their particular issues to the discussion, and we will focus on these at the virtual table.
Because of the interactive nature of the workshop, numbers are limited to 16 participants and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Participation is free and is open to in-house lawyers. Please register here [link] for those workshops that you would like to attend.
To register, fill out the form below or contact us here.