Legal Department Integration
Presented by
Faculty #1
Title
Company
Faculty #2
Title
Company
Faculty #3
Title
Company
What does the organization value?
How does the legal department add
value?
How do I add value?
2
Perspectives: Organization, Department and Individual
Value
Executive
Team
Legal
Departmen
t
Regulators
Integration
COMPAN
Y
Employee
s
Customers
Others
Investors
Soft skills
Relationship
Development
What does the board and executive
team expect from me and the legal
department?
How can the legal department provide
value to the executive team?
4
Legal Leadership Perspective: Executive Leadership
Know Your Customer: Understanding the Board and Executive
Leadership
• What is the risk profile of executive leadership?
• What is the focus of executive meetings?
• How does executive leadership prefer to interact with the legal
department?
• What is the board looking for from the legal department?
• What is the most effective way for the legal department to communicate
with the board and executive leadership?
Answering these questions can enhance the trusted advisor role of the
CLO/General Counsel.
Legal Leadership Perspective: Executive Leadership
Legal Department Goal: Manage Legal Affairs of Company
Competently and Efficiently
Additional Ways to Add Value:
Understand the
business and its
key drivers
Understand the
major commercial
and legal risks to
the business
Help business
managers
navigate and
avoid both kinds
of risk
Smart and savvy in-house attorneys are uniquely positioned to add this value!
Legal Leadership Perspective:
Legal Department
Keys to Legal Department Success:
(1) Structure the department to optimize support
(2) Hire ‘Go-To’ lawyers interested in working with business partners to
further the organization’s goals
Action Items to Consider:
• Evaluate organizational needs and department strengths, weaknesses
• Determine how to best support business to achieve goals
• Enable attorneys to spend time with their business clients
• Ensure attorneys understand key drivers and risks of the business
• Provide mentoring, support and opportunities for growth
• Encourage work outside of comfort zone to enhance knowledge,
experience
How can I set a strategy to increase the legal
department’s focus on delivering value?
What leadership attributes do I need to
demonstrate to drive value?
Developing a Value Focus
Strategic
objectives
• Company vision
and strategy
• Business partner
plans and
expectations
• Key company and
department
initiatives
• Cultural
imperatives
Evaluate
“value”
• Team feedback
and data on work
• Business partner
needs and
priorities
• Input/surveys on
what business
partners value the
most
Stakeholder Communication
Implement,
test &
adjust
• Test plan with clear
measures of
success
• Business partner
commitment and
advocacy
• Joint
communication
plan
• Team engagement
in change
management
process
Translating value focus into action
• Leaders not just
lawyers
• Leverage nonattorneys
• Create go-to
resources
• Both team and
business partners
• Self service focus
• Playbooks
• Defined and
supported risk
appetite
Foundational
attributes
• How will you create value?
• Create a before and after picture
Vision
Developer
Mindset
Value
Provid
er
Delivery
Empower
Proactive
• Nature of your role
• Clear performance
expectations
• Joint ownership
• Innovative
approach
• Create capacity
• Modernize access
• Technology
enabled
• Knowledge
management focus
• Drive relationships and interactions
• Solution-orientation/strategic input
• Future focused viewpoints
Courage
Communication
Ownership mindset
Collaboration
Innovation
Change leadership
Am I a “go-to” lawyer?
What can I do better?
Are You a “Go-To” Business Partner?
How does executive leadership perceive me? Do they view me as a “go-to” lawyer?
•Whether or not one is regarded positively in this regard often has less to do with title and level
of experience, and more to do with style, judgment, and one’s ability to “get the business folks
where they need to be.”
•A “go-to” lawyer has the ability to assess the risk, (simplistically) explain such risk, and then
creatively develop/propose/sell/execute a more ‘workable’ and strategically-sound approach.
•Having the reputation of being a “go-to” lawyer is more than good business for the lawyer in
his/her personal capacity – it is great business for the company. Attorneys that are sought-out
from the beginning, are able to shape business decisions (rather than trying to remedy afterthe-fact).
Which Attributes Could You Benefit
from Developing?
Know when
to take a
stand and
when to back
off
Commit to
objective,
candid and
frequent
communicatio
n
Know your
company
and the
players
Embrace the
chaos
Demonstrate
a “one team”
mentality
Be fun and
approachable
Find the
balance
How will YOU add value to YOUR
organization?
Appendix: Useful Handouts and
Reference Materials
Example:
Client Support Before and After View
Outdated
Client support
Reactive and tactical
(“Incoming fire”)
Legal “sign-off”
Strong service model
Complex and detailed
Modern
Client Support
Proactive and strategic
Informed, empowered decisions
(Client self-sufficiency)
Strong partnership model
Simplify and streamline
Example:
Value Strategy in Action
Create capacity
to drive value
focus
Prepare
ourselves and
our partners for
the future
Proactive
partnership and
outreach
Value
aligned
Vision
Create
development
opportunities
and broaden our
bench strength
Engaged and
empowered
business partner
mindset
Key Success
Measures
Our broad expertise and exceptional
partnership connect law and
business to create measurable
business value.
Modernize access
and delivery
Key Principles:
Drive
effectiveness
through
knowledge mgmt
and technology
Implement and
promote client
self help tools
Innovative
approach
Team
development
Delivery of enterprise business plans, key priorities
and goals
Improved productivity, effectiveness and culture of
business partnership and empowerment
Enhanced capacity to execute on strategic initiatives
and proactively support business strategy
Development opportunities that increase depth and
breadth of legal and business acumen
Example:
Critical Communication Skills
Communication skills are the key!
• Listen as well as you speak and write; hear
the client’s needs and concerns
• Ask questions when needed to fully
understand issues
• Establish reasonable expectations for
responding to requests
• Know when to pick up the phone or meet in
person
• Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
• Explain the law and its implications to the
client
• Look ahead and provide risk analysis and
direction
• Communicate in a clear and practical
manner
• Provide straightforward, actionable advice;
give answers and get to the point
• Avoid communicating like an attorney
communicates to another attorney
• Clearly differentiate legal from business
advice
• Tailor messages and level of detail to the
audience, the complexity of the situation
and the time available
• Avoid just saying “No” where possible
• Suggest alternative approaches that might
achieve the same objective
• Where you can, convey your desire to
assist clients’ in achieving their business
objectives
• Don’t be perceived as aloof
• Act with Integrity
• Test to make sure clients fully understand
Example:
Critical Soft Skills for You and Your Team
Risk appetite
• Support informed, tempered risk taking
while ensuring compliance
• Provide risk assumptions and articulate
the chances of success for a particular
strategy
• Be innovative, creative and solutionoriented
Partnership focus
• Exhibit a positive attitude in difficult
situations
• Align efforts with business objectives
• Drive sustainable client self sufficiency
and self service
• Proactive approach to value alignment
Business acumen
• Know how to think like a business
person
• Understand how clients’ legal needs
align with the company’s strategic
issues and objectives (or not)
• Keep abreast of what competitors are
doing and how it affects the company
• Be recognized as a business partner—
better yet, a business leader
Judgment
•Know the law and know what to do
with it, focusing on what’s really
important
•Make a call based on past experience
but with imperfect information
•Help clients navigate through the gray
issues with helpful suggestions
•Drive the business—don’t just be
“overhead”
Executive presence
•Convey mature confidence (but not arrogance) in your interactions and approach
•Collaborate well with peers and clients, knowing when to enter the conversation
•Develop the bandwidth to make tough calls and manage unpredictability using facts, data
and logic
•Say, “No” without alienating the client
•Hone your ability to “stand and deliver” to leaders
•Be engaged with clients and enthusiastic about their work and objectives
Baseline: Legal Competence
Elements of success
•Strong legal skills alone are not
enough
•Clients want to work with you and
proactively turn to you with
confidence
•You stand out from other business
partners
•Not associated with title, years of
experience or amount of
responsibility; it’s earned
•Demonstrate the differentiators:
general manager mindset, ownership
of outcomes and leadership focus
•Willingness to challenge yourself,
explore new areas and act outside of
your comfort zone
•Ability to be culturally savvy
•Proven ability to treat people at all
levels with respect and courtesy