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More junior assistants may simply be seeking a closer relationship with their client where they can be the chief point of contact and responsible for making decisions. In-house lawyers have a deeper understanding of their (internal) client’s concerns, and offer practical business solutions which have a direct impact on the direction of the business. This can bring a feeling of satisfaction, as well as a feeling of being involved at a commercial level with a business.
Add to this not only that accounting for your time in a law firm is an onerous task, but also the frustration over the lack of control of your diary, often resulting in an unbalanced lifestyle and missed weekends and holidays, and you have a recipe for restlessness. A move in-house may often correct the balance, but new challenges and pressures will tax you in different ways.
You will be expected not only to refresh your legal colleagues but train the business people if the changes haves a direct impact on the running of the company. Spend on external lawyers is kept to an absolute minimum, and in-house teams take great pride in doing as much work as they can themselves. You must be prepared to cover for your colleagues or be seconded to different parts of the business when they are working on special projects.
An in-house lawyer will be expected to make decisions with the business people. You must therefore have strong commercial acumen and an ability to offer practical business solutions. Translation of the key legal implications must be communicated in plain English, and if the business’s plan is not workable you will be relied upon to come up with a workable alternative.
Businesses are constantly changing, and you must have a flexible approach that enables you to cope with change. Your working day will be unpredictable and your work will be varied. An ability to take decisions in a pressurised environment, and cope with short deadlines is a must.
Reporting lines are key, and the road to a general counsel position within a large organisation takes time. First you might find yourself responsible for a business division which has a turnover that is the size of some other companies. Here you most likely would report to the finance director of that division with another report to the overall general counsel. Gaining international experience will open up more opportunities, as will partaking in adhoc projects which affect the business. You might also be awarded other ‘hats’ of responsibility including company secretary or head of HR.
Moving sectors happens quite regularly, and companies prefer hiring those with some industry experience at a senior level rather than those coming directly from private practice. Some lawyers find that commercial positions become available within their organisations which take them away from the law resulting in a complete shift in career.
More often than not those that make a move a move in-house never look back. It offers a completely different working environment set with new demands which are exciting and rewarding. It is not for the faint-hearted, but for those with a robust, commercial approach who can move at a fast pace and want to be part of growing business.
Moving in-house
Qualifying as a lawyer and working in a law firm can leave some assistant solicitors disillusioned with their potential career path and it is no coincidence that the last decade has seen the profile of an in-house career increase enormously as a potential alternative. However this alternative career is not often considered until that "sinking feeling" becomes unbearable, and many assistants only find out at this stage the skills they require that would make a transition in-house possible.Reasons for your search
Law firms do tend to manage the long term career path of their assistant solicitors in a more responsible manner than in the past. Now that assistants have an idea of the expectations required of a partner in a law firm, they might decide that this is an unfavourable business model to which they are unsuited or that they simply do not wish to embark upon the endless marketing that is required to build and maintain a book of business for partnership.More junior assistants may simply be seeking a closer relationship with their client where they can be the chief point of contact and responsible for making decisions. In-house lawyers have a deeper understanding of their (internal) client’s concerns, and offer practical business solutions which have a direct impact on the direction of the business. This can bring a feeling of satisfaction, as well as a feeling of being involved at a commercial level with a business.
Add to this not only that accounting for your time in a law firm is an onerous task, but also the frustration over the lack of control of your diary, often resulting in an unbalanced lifestyle and missed weekends and holidays, and you have a recipe for restlessness. A move in-house may often correct the balance, but new challenges and pressures will tax you in different ways.
New challenges that you will face in-house
In-house teams are small and their visibility within the business results in a constant flow of queries that require immediate attention. You may have gained a broad training in your law firm, but passed work to different departments if it fell outside your area of expertise. This is not possible in-house and you must show yourself to be a proactive team-player who is willing to research new areas of law applicable to the business.You will be expected not only to refresh your legal colleagues but train the business people if the changes haves a direct impact on the running of the company. Spend on external lawyers is kept to an absolute minimum, and in-house teams take great pride in doing as much work as they can themselves. You must be prepared to cover for your colleagues or be seconded to different parts of the business when they are working on special projects.
An in-house lawyer will be expected to make decisions with the business people. You must therefore have strong commercial acumen and an ability to offer practical business solutions. Translation of the key legal implications must be communicated in plain English, and if the business’s plan is not workable you will be relied upon to come up with a workable alternative.
Businesses are constantly changing, and you must have a flexible approach that enables you to cope with change. Your working day will be unpredictable and your work will be varied. An ability to take decisions in a pressurised environment, and cope with short deadlines is a must.
How will my career develop in-house?
In-house lawyers have to manage their own careers. After your first move in-house you will start to assess what skills you have and obtained training in those areas where you have less experience. If you are the sole lawyer you may now be able to put a business case together which justifies growing the legal function resulting in the management of a team. If you joined a larger in-house function and wish to gain management experience you might have to make another move if this opportunity is not available in your current environment.Reporting lines are key, and the road to a general counsel position within a large organisation takes time. First you might find yourself responsible for a business division which has a turnover that is the size of some other companies. Here you most likely would report to the finance director of that division with another report to the overall general counsel. Gaining international experience will open up more opportunities, as will partaking in adhoc projects which affect the business. You might also be awarded other ‘hats’ of responsibility including company secretary or head of HR.
Moving sectors happens quite regularly, and companies prefer hiring those with some industry experience at a senior level rather than those coming directly from private practice. Some lawyers find that commercial positions become available within their organisations which take them away from the law resulting in a complete shift in career.
When should I move in-house?
If you decide you wish to move in-house at an early stage in your career then the most common time to make that move is between 2-4 years pqe. It is important to get a couple of years of good law firm training under your belt, which will give you more choice. If you decide to wait until you are more senior then the most opportunities at this level happen when you have between 6-8 years pqe. It is harder to make a move after that as you will be a more expensive proposition.More often than not those that make a move a move in-house never look back. It offers a completely different working environment set with new demands which are exciting and rewarding. It is not for the faint-hearted, but for those with a robust, commercial approach who can move at a fast pace and want to be part of growing business.