How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

Cultural fit is critical when choosing an adviser. After closing a transaction, we send the business team a survey to have their feedback on the firm and lawyers, not only on re-cost, but how well did they perform during negotiations and interactions with our team and the counterparty, and how is our level of trust in their work after closing. Allocation of projects among firms is concentrated in the legal department, and cultural alignment plays a key role.

In general, what would you like to see change about the external law firms you use? Examples could be greater flexibility in billing, a more expansive suite of services offered, more transparency in reporting ESG statistics etc.

In my view, law firms could rethink the way they approach work and collaborate internally and with their clients. The classic law firm approach to work seems to be outdated, considering the tools and technology available for collaborative work. Law firms could benefit from more brainstorming sessions and using precedents as a compass and not a map. I often see structures and opinions that fail to consider all of what the deal could be, because external lawyers are biased by precedents and develop a culture that fails to foster creativity. On collaboration with clients, I always highlight to our external lawyers that they are not service provides, but rather business partners who we expect to originate deals and create value to the business. Off-topic discussions, having coffee to discuss the market and their views on law, regulation, politics, are all important things to build up trust and to determine level of cultural fit.

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

My goal as an in-house lawyer is to become our business partners’ most trusted advisor. For me, this means acquiring deep knowledge of our market and business, being up to date on market moves, legislative and regulatory changes, and being proactive in suggesting solutions to foreseeable challenges. I see our legal team as the company’s offensive line, always protecting the business and doing that by tackling and moving forward, by running toward the problem and not from it. It is paramount to be curious and eager to learn, since new things come up all the time. Also, I believe it is critical to build a relationship on a personal level with internal clients, as this helps building trust and empathy. Finally, never panic.