Webinar report: Developing yourself and your team

Planning and building a career in the in-house environment can be a lonely, unstructured journey. 

However, two individuals who have walked that walk with distinction joined us to talk the talk in early February 2025.

The event was the first of our 2025 Legal Leaders Webinar series with Thomson Reuters in which we also welcomed Bill Josten as moderator. Bill is Legal Market Innovations Strategist for the Thomson Reuters Institute. In what was a truly transatlantic event, Minnesota-based Bill was joined by Angus Haig in Atlanta and Chris Fowler in London.

Angus’ in-house career includes 20 globetrotting years with The Coca-Cola Company, holding senior roles in Sydney, Shanghai, London, Tokyo and Atlanta, followed by a further seven as Senior Vice President & General Counsel at Cox Automotive Inc. Today, Angus works closely with startups, private equity and venture capital projects.

‘It’s about luck, timing and chemistry’
Angus Haig

Chris is Chief Operating Officer, Legal Governance & Corporate Affairs at the mining and metals multinational, Rio Tinto. He's responsible for the operations of a function comprising 500 people in the Legal, Governance and Compliance team in locations from Mongolia to Madagascar. Chris joined Rio Tinto following a 24-year spell with BT during which he progressed from a commercial lawyer to General Counsel Technology.

‘Are you in the movie – or watching the movie?’
Chris Fowler

Angus and Chris had a wide-ranging freestyle conversation, reflecting on some of the challenges awaiting ambitious in-house lawyers.

On moving sideways when openings for upward progression are limited

Take every opportunity that comes your way. Even if it doesn’t look like a career advancement at first glance, it will expand your knowledge, your skills and your visibility. This in turn will put you in pole position when that big opportunity does arise.

A sideways move can also crystallise your aspirations. After making one such move – from a large to a medium sized law firm - Angus discovered that the partnership route in a private practice was not for him. He realised he was more interested in working with business people and solving business challenges as a lawyer at the heart of a commercial organisation.

Few careers go according to a detailed plan. Decisions such as sideways moves lead to further opportunities and open our eyes to new career interests. That said, luck, timing and chemistry are three indispensable factors. When you see that these are all present, seize the opportunity.

On the optics of making a downward move

If it offers a path to a longer term advantage, embrace a downwards move and follow your instincts. It’s gutsy, shows bravery and will put you on the map. And remember, there’s no progression without risk.

On raising your profile

As Chris recalled, it’s often not enough merely to do your work exceptionally well. You also need to ensure people know you’re doing a great job.

Taking that a step further, decide what you want to be known for among your colleagues and peers. Deep knowledge of the regulatory landscape? The go-to person in a crisis? A key player in a game changing turnaround? Decide what you want to be famous for and think about building your professional identity.

This is important because if you decide to move on from your organisation, search consultants will ask around the industry/profession to get a feel for you, your values and your superpowers.

This is another area for which you’re unlikely to have received formal training or guidance. You may need to learn the finer points of personal branding through experience and observation or seek out one-to-one coaching.

Another proven way to differentiate yourself is through clarity of communication. This is vital when you need to speak the truth to power. You cannot shirk this responsibility if you aspire to a leadership role. When uncomfortable conversations are going on around you and decisions need to be made ask yourself, ‘Am I in the movie or watching the movie?’ 

Leaders are always in the movie. 

On winning over internal clients who are resistant to legal advice

Not every internal client welcomes the involvement of the in-house lawyer. If you encounter resistance to your advice, it may be worth digging to see if a negative previous experience is causing the block. If it is, get it out in the open and talk honestly about happened with a view to resetting the relationship. 

Another effective technique is to find some common ground with the resistor. Non-work conversations often reveal mutual interests, which can help form the basis of great working rapports. 

On risk

Much depends on how supportive your organisation is when it comes to risk. Do people understand what’s at stake? Are the organisation’s culture and dynamics such that you feel people have your back? Again, you’ll need to strike the balance between getting on with people and being ready to deliver unpalatable advice if an internal client is about to breach the organisation’s risk appetite.

On their top three pitfalls to avoid

Angus

• Being afraid to say ‘I don’t know.’ Nobody knows everything and nobody expects you to;
• Being too conservative. You must take risks to progress; and
• Neglecting to build your network. You’ll need if before you know it.

Chris

• Not getting a grip on reality. Too many things break down because of poor communication;
• Forgetting to be yourself. As a lawyer, you may be a perfectionist. But life isn’t always perfect, so follow your intuition; and
• Ignoring unwelcome feedback. Sure, it’s not always pleasant but it’s the stuff that makes us adapt and grow.

Next webinar: 23 April

The second webinar in this series will examine the balance between commercial and legal advice: how to ensure your client understands what you’re offering- and why they should act on it. Register here.