We interviewed some familiar faces to many of you who attend CLL events, Anthony Inglese and Paul Bentall - two distinguished former in-house lawyers.
Anthony Inglese CB, Legal consultant, hon professor of law, trainer, former DG Legal in government service, Contributor to The Centre for Legal Leadership and Paul Bentall, former General Counsel and charity trustee and Company Secretary, Contributor to The Centre for Legal Leadership.
Anthony’s career included 22 years as Head of Legal with HM Revenue & Customs, Trade and Industry, Treasury Solicitors, Ministry of Defence, Fair Trading. Paul, meanwhile, spent several years in-house with AXA, was the GC of the Financial Ombudsman Service for nearly nine years and worked in professional services regulation for ICAEW.
Both have worked tirelessly with CLL since its inception. Both ‘retired’ from their roles with us at the end of last year (2024), we reflect and thank them for their huge contributions to the in-house legal community.
What attracted you to work with CLL?
Paul: Having retired from my in-house career, I was looking for a new project. In 2015 Bruce Macmillan [founder director of CLL] invited me to join CLL. What appealed to me was CLL’s focus on all those important aspects of being an in-house lawyer, apart from the law itself, which can sometimes get overlooked in a busy working environment.
Anthony: I was at an event with some former government colleagues and Paul and Bruce were there, too. Afterwards, they explained the concept of CLL and asked me if I’d like to be involved. I’ve always been interested in training new lawyers. I ran more than 100 induction courses and chaired a government training committee as well as the pupillage and trainee solicitor’s committee. I liked the sound of what Bruce and Paul were proposing, so said yes.
What are the highlights of your work with CLL?
Anthony: The quarterly discussions we run with regulators and what we call ‘regulatees’ stand out as a highlight. Also, our collaboration with Thomson Reuters for events has worked very well. Perhaps most satisfying is how we’ve helped define the format for these events. For example, having guest speakers representing both the public and private sectors and covering subjects that are at the core of the in-house role. We focus on real issues such as personal effectiveness and quality relationships, rather than catchy or ephemeral topics. That’s a real highlight as it’s something we helped conceive for CLL.
Paul: It’s been so rewarding to be involved in CLL from the very start and see it grow and develop. It’s also gratifying that our instincts have been proved correct. We wanted to provide in-house lawyers with the opportunity to discuss their role and career aspirations in a safe space. Many of the lawyers we’ve had dealings with over the years tell us that they really appreciate that CLL gives them this.
It’s also great to see the articles CLL publishes still being updated and shared online. That sense of shared community and knowledge is a big part of what CLL stands for.
What makes your CLL discussion groups so successful?
Anthony: The peer learning element is at the core of these events. When chairing groups, I just try to ensure everyone gets to speak and be listened to – without letting them know what I think about anything. That way, events become truly interactive and an opportunity for people to learn from the real-life situations and experiences of their peers.
Paul: We decided not to run these events as lectures. People don’t want to be talked at or told how to do things. We avoid presenting our own experiences as the best way to do things. Instead, we aim to create a setting in which peer learning will thrive. As well as people sharing ideas that have worked, some of our most powerful sessions have been those in which people have shared things that didn’t work. These can be just as valuable to others as success stories.
What are the keys to a rewarding in-house career?
Paul: Firstly, you’ve got to be a good lawyer. This means understanding the law particularly as it applies to your organisation and across your sector. You need to keep up to date and be ready to advise your internal clients quickly with a business-like interpretation of the relevant law. You also need to understand how your organisation works – its strategy, finances, governance, competitive landscape and risk appetite.
Finally, you have to be personally effective. This covers a wide range of skills – communication, collaboration, good judgement, proactivity and resilience, for example. It’s important to build good internal relationships and align the legal team to the wider goals of the organisation. As you progress, you’ll also need to develop your people management and leadership skills.
Anthony: There’s no single way of doing it. You need to a good learner who’s ready for anything. Genuine legal skills become more important than deep specialist knowledge as you progress in-house. You’ll end up doing many different things across a wide legal remit and you’ll oversee people. This means showing leadership in many ways. For example, how will you respond when an internal client rejects your expert legal advice?
Leadership as an in-house lawyer can also involve being part of many small teams. The best way to navigate this is to be clear about your role and purpose. That purpose goes beyond just being there to draft a contract – you’re also there to uphold the legal integrity of the organisation and allow it to flourish.
How is the role of the in-house lawyer changing?
Anthony: The core of the legal role hasn't changed. However, the growth of legislation and governance in recent years means lawyers must be far more proactive nowadays. In-house legal teams need to be bigger to meet growing legal challenges as people outside the legal function are unlikely to keep up with the constant evolution. We’re also seeing many in-house lawyers expanding their remit to take on responsibility for risk and compliance.
Paul: Technology is continuing to develop, and it will be interesting to see how AI impacts legal work in the future. Generally, technology should help free up more time for the most important and strategic work.
Another recent change has been the increase in remote and hybrid working. For many, the opportunity for informal meetings and discussions is now more limited. Lawyers, like others in their organisations, have had to adapt and find new ways to build relationships and fill the gaps in their knowledge. All this will make it vital to use the times when they are together to maximum effect.
How beneficial is peer learning?
Paul: No matter what your experience in private practice, coming into an in-house environment is different in many ways. Participating in CLL events has confirmed for us how effective and beneficial peer learning is. You cannot overstate the value of bringing people together to share, learn and develop.
Anthony: There's an extra dimension to what people can learn when they learn it with people from other organisations. Whether they’re a new lawyer or a sole lawyer, they can listen to other people, see what issues they faced and how they addressed them. CLL offers exactly that learning environment.
