GOING IN-HOUSE

You may well be jealous of the in-house lawyers you meet. The challenges they face are considerable, but the sense of achievement can be really rewarding.

We advocate this as a slogan for legal departments:

The in-house legal department is both a business function which understands the law and a legal function which understands the business.

This is not always easy to live up to. In today's world it means relishing:

• Being closer to decision taking and business process
  
• Having more accountability both to business (and corporate centre) for part in business success and failure
  
• Coping with more calls to deal with collision between established legal principles and commercial needs
  
• Having more involvement in contract risk assessment and management
  
• Producing more creative solutions and contributions
  
• Having direct contact with external customers and other parties
  
• Coaching business managers in uncharted waters.

If you are moving in-house to establish a department, click here.