Most corporations appoint an in-house general counsel to discharge vital legal as well as business duties. General counsel lawyers must be familiar with different practice areas and also help in risk management at the organization. They must also have an in-depth understanding of their employer’s business and its working culture. Only then can they provide effective advice and mitigate risks that an enterprise faces. The nature of work for an in-house lawyer is completely different from that of a regular attorney. Corporations look for individuals who have extensive knowledge of the law and understand business functions and processes equally well. Here are a few valuable suggestions that can help lawyers become top in-house counsels.
1. Develop Analytical Skills
Companies depend on their in-house legal services cell to get advice before making important business decisions. They look for professionals with good analytical skills who can assess complex situations to provide sensible advice. Attorneys looking to get an in-house post must spend their initial years handling complex cases with multiple aspects to consider. Working on cases that require the knowledge of applicable compliance regulations, business procedures, and litigation will prepare professionals for a bigger corporate role in the future.
2. Learn To Communicate Effectively
Good communication skills are a prerequisite for becoming a successful lawyer. In-house professionals must be able to translate the legal jargon into simple language for their corporate clients. This is essential to educate the key decision-makers about the benefits and disadvantages of different legal alternatives. Moreover, lawyers have to deal with various kinds of people in an organization with varying levels of legal knowledge. They will need to be effective while addressing their audience which may consist of junior employees, top-level executives or the company board.
3. Understand The Different Business Aspects
It is essential for an in-house general counsel to have an in-depth understanding of all aspects of running a business. The must be aware of the nature of the trade their employing organization is involved in besides its current position. They must also possess knowledge about the industry in which the business is located. This will be helpful in giving effective advice that will successfully resolve an issue or help the organization achieve important business goals. Attorneys must read business publications and talk to experts to polish their knowledge. They must also attend conferences and other events where they can get some additional information.
4. Gather Knowledge In Different Practice Areas
Large corporations have separate departments for different legal requirements. However, an in-house attorney must possess basic knowledge of all practice areas. It will be sensible for professionals to learn about all the different fields of expertise. For instance, a lawyer working on intellectual property cases can try to handle labor law cases. It will also be helpful to gather all kinds of legal experience from transactional law to litigation. Let’s say a corporate attorney has handled only transactional law cases requiring the drafting of business agreements. Then she must look to get some experience is litigation and arguing cases. Not only businesses but even legal agencies like general counsel services in India or any other nation also look for professionals with an extensive knowledge-base.
5. Try To Read Situations To Anticipate Problems
An efficient in-house attorney must be able to anticipate issues and chart a course to avoid them. A business can face safety, regulatory, and legal risks which can harm its reputation. Lawyers must try to read a situation well in advance to identify potential problems. This will help their organization avoid legal trouble and negative publicity. This is another reason professionals need to be aware of the intricacies of business processes and other associated factors. Extensive knowledge of business and the legal aspects will help them in pre-empting issues and alerting the company.
Conclusion
In-house general counsels help corporations comply with legal regulations and facilitate better business decisions. Companies with limited resources can engage general counsel services to get professional help at reasonable costs.
