Why are in-house lawyers well-placed to drive change in their organisations?

People, by nature, tend to resist change. So, driving change in an organisation can be a challenge. All things being equal, in-house lawyers are in better position to drive institutional change because they are well-respected in their organisations. Owing to their strategic thinking, risk management capability, broad perspective and experience (on legal issues or otherwise), it is relatively easy for in-house lawyers to influence behaviour and drive change that aligns with legal requirements and supports the organisations’ business objectives.

As we live in a fast-paced world today, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

Corporate legal teams should have a keen understanding of the business they support. The corporate legal teams need to understand the company’s commercial objectives, business operations as well as its risk appetite so that their professional advice is responsive to the company’s needs.

Moreover, corporate lawyers must be good communicators because their audience are often non-legal business decision-makers. They should be able to articulate complex legal issues in layman’s terms, avoiding legal jargons as much as possible. In the same way, they should understand the language of business so that they could spot the real or underlying issues and provide on-point and timely legal advice. For instance, lawyers who understand accounting, tax laws, and various regulatory issues would be very effective transaction counsels. This way, they can ensure that the transaction can be booked by accountants, is structured the most tax-efficient way, and will pass the scrutiny of various regulatory agencies.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

In-house lawyers must earn the trust and confidence of their business partners, especially the business decision-makers, by demonstrating competence, leadership, and integrity. Decision-makers would usually base their judgment calls on legal advice. Projects that are plainly illegal would be scrapped; those with potential legal issues would be modified to manage legal and regulatory risks; and those without legal issues would be given the green light. It is imperative, therefore, that in-house lawyers provide business decision-makers with timely and accurate legal advice.

For legal advice to be heard and considered, competence is key as the legal advice must be well-researched and comprehensive. Also, a sense of leadership is needed to create effective communication channels, show genuine desire to support the goals, and foster collaboration and mutual respect among colleagues. Lastly, integrity is crucial, too. In-house counsels need to be independent and honest in providing competent legal advice, at times even taking a contrary opinion where the situation calls for it. These qualities make in-house lawyers respected, relevant, and valued in the organisation.