Law Department Search

In-House Contract Attorney Position - Austin, Texas

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:26:50 -0600

Large Texas company seeks experienced transactions attorneys (ideally in the 5-7 year range) for temporary assignments in Austin. Candidates must have experience handling federal, state and local government sales or procurement transactions. Local candidates preferred, but not required. This opportunity has the potential to become permanent. Please send salary / rate requirements to csapire@sapiresearch.com.

Re-Tooling a Law Practice: Adjusting for Economic Cycles - Part 1

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:22:28 -0600

There was a time when lawyers spent an entire career in one particular practice area. For an increasing number of attorneys, those days are over. With practice areas becoming more cyclical and a heavy emphasis on maintaining profitability, lawyers are feeling the pressure to re-tool. I recently had an opportunity to speak at the Association of Legal Administrators Conference in St. Louis regarding this topic and wanted to share some initial highlights of the discussion below:

A legal career used to be very stable. After about eight years as an associate, you made partner, and continued your career at the same firm. However, as competition in the legal marketplace has increased, law firms have begun to operate more like businesses with heavy attention to profitability, measured by profits per partner. Beginning about five years ago, firms began to reduce the number of equity partners being made each year by either adopting two-tiered partnership models and/or deferring partnership for some associates. Companies have drastically cut legal budgets.

Since September 2008, the legal industry has lost about 34,000 jobs. Firms started reducing associate salaries, deferring start dates for incoming associate classes and eliminating lock-step pay. A dean of one of the top law schools in the country said that as of September 1, 40% of the class of 2009 did not have a job. The previous year it had been 4%.

Now, more than ever, law firms are more business-oriented in how they operate, and companies are heavily focused on cost containment and doing more with less. Efficiency is one way to ensure survival, which is why the business case can be made for practice area re-tooling. Among the many changes in law practice management over the last 10-15 years is the growing acceptance of attorneys who change specialties. An associate, junior partner, or in-house counsel with a good track record and institutional knowledge of the organization’s culture and its client base has a good chance of being given time to climb the learning curve. In many cases, the ideal scenario for both the firm/company and the re-tooling lawyer is to make the transition within the organization.

In my next blog posting, we will continue the discussion including the following topics:

Obstacles to overcome
How to prepare for a transition
High-growth practice areas

Senior Corporate & Securites Counsel Position - Austin, TX

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:53:37 -0600

Austin company seeks 10-15 year attorney with corporate and securities experience. This position will support operations and finance, including reviewing and preparing 1934 Act filings, supporting the investor relations team, coordinating debt offerings, and other finance-related functions. The ideal candidate has experience handling securities compliance matters, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, strong communication and presentation abilities, an ability to work confidently with executive management and extremely strong skills in negotiation and drafting.

Other responsibilities include: providing regulatory and compliance advice, training finance teams to assure legal compliance and adherence to company policies and procedures, and risk management.

The compensation package is attractive, and includes a highly competitive base salary, significant bonus opportunity, equity participation and excellent career advancement potential.

Contract Attorney Jobs - Atlanta

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:44:09 -0600

National law firm seeks litigation attorneys for immediate contract assignment in Atlanta. Experience handling employment litigation matters is desirable. The work is substantive and requires thoughtful analysis and discretion. Great resume-building experience and opportunity to work with a firm in growth mode. Please e-mail resume and contract rate to csapire@sapiresearch.com.

Trend Report: Reduced Budgets Lead to Growing Reliance on Contract Attorneys

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:37:05 -0600

Corporate legal departments are keeping more work in-house these days to reduce costs. For many, this means more work and fewer people to do it. To that end, many companies are taking advantage of the high quality of talent on the market now by increasing the use of contract attorneys.

While using outside counsel is still a necessity for certain highly specialized work, many corporate law departments are re-evaluating and increasing the work can be done internally. Often, that work consists of routine matters, such as patent applications, document reviews, low-level litigation and contract administration. However, as law departments lean more heavily on temporary legal professionals, the project work is not always routine. With increased federal regulation, more companies are turning to contract attorneys to handle large projects, such as corporate investigations and transactional due diligence. When the project is completed, the contract lawyers are released.

“Our company has seen a dramatic increase in the use of temporary attorneys and paralegals by corporate clients,” says Joe Freedman, Chairman of AMERICAN Legal Search, LLC, a national legal search firm and recruiting industry leader. “The talent pool is better than it’s ever been, and our clients are taking advantage of it.” Freedman added.

As the work product quality generated by contract lawyers increases, temporary legal teams may play a bigger role in corporate law departments. With a continued emphasis on cost-minimization, this may be a catalyst that changes the legal industry.

In-House Commercial Contracts Negotiators: Austin

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:39:10 -0600

Large company seeks commercial contracts negotiators to review, analyze and negotiate domestic and international sales agreements. Position responsibilities include:

· Leading negotiations for the sale of information technology projects and services

· Interacting with senior management as both an advisor and business leader

· Collaborating with sales, operations, finance, legal, tax, and risk management to ensure that agreements adequately protect company’s interests

· Reviewing and providing input on terms and conditions contained in RFP & and sales proposals

Requirements:

· Heavy experience dealing with international business practices, antitrust laws, intellectual property, resellers, leasing companies, and commercial contract law

· Minimum of 8 years of domestic and international sales negotiation, transactional, and/or in-house corporate legal experience

· Extensive knowledge of the information technology industry and detailed knowledge of commercial contracts terms

East Coast Opportunities For Energy Regulatory Lawyers

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:55:56 -0600

We have multiple opportunities with energy companies in the New England area for lawyers with federal and state energy regulatory experience. This is an exciting time to work in the electric power industry and participate in shaping energy policy and regulations.

Our clients seek attorneys with 3 - 7 years of FERC or state regulatory experience and excellent writing skills. These are busy departments that offer cutting-edge work, along with competitive salaries and benefits, and career stability.

If interested, please contact sharon@sapiresearch.com .

Building Your Personal Brand - Special Offer

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:05:34 -0600

In today’s economic world, marketing is more important than ever. The people who are bringing in business are the ones who are going after it. Here’s a great opportunity: for the next 48 hours only, my colleague Paula Black is offering a collection of free bonus gifts to anyone who purchases her latest book: “The Little Black Book: A Lawyer’s Guide To Creating A Marketing Habit in 21 Days.” Designed to help lawyers integrate marketing into their daily lives, this book is quick, easy and inspirational. By purchasing it within the next 48 hours, you’ll receive special access to information and resources from more than 30 industry experts. A compilation of advice from some of the most sought-after experts in the legal arena, “The Smart Lawyer’s Toolkit” gives you instant admittance to an incredible collection of tips and information. Click here for details.

New LinkedIn Group for In-House Counsel

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Fri, 29 May 2009 07:12:41 -0600

Legal Week recently launched a group for in-house lawyers. Established last month by Legal Week conference editor Anthony Parker, the group enables law department attorneys to to exchange information and build working relationships. The 500-member group is growing fast.

Members include in-house counsel from JP Morgan, Dubai International Capital, Virgin, Nomura, UBS, 3i, Carillion, Chevron, Barclays and IBM. Access to the group provides links to features and analysis from Legal Week and its US sister titles, the latest news stories relating to in-house counsel and corporate legal departments, discussion boards, and information about upcoming events.

To join, click here.

Keeping Your Contact List Updated

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:25:50 -0600

Downsizing almost always destabilizes a corporate law department, leaving in its wake uncertainty and doubts about the future in the minds of those not affected by the layoffs. If you’re among the ranks of those left standing, you might be thinking it’s a good time to start exploring other opportunities. Networking and reaching out to former colleagues is first step.

If you’ve been with the same firm or company for several years, your contacts may be out of date, especially if networking has taken a back seat to the demands of work and family life. Here are some tips to start reconnecting:

If you’re not using online business and social networking tools, join now. These really work. LinkedIn is the leading online business networking site and has a very user-friendly interface. Spoke and ZoomInfo are also fairly useful, although the information can be outdated. Facebook is even crossing over to the business arena.
If you’re already a member of an online network, make sure to update all your current job and contact information. Join alumni groups and those that relate to your area of specialty.
Bar association websites are also great resources to find former colleagues. Most states have online searchable attorney databases.
The Association of Corporate Counsel is also an excellent resource and the contact information for its members is almost always current.
Finally, Twitter is gaining ground as a way for business people – including lawyers – to self-promote and find colleagues. You can search for contacts and follow them, which can be a great way to re-establish a relationship.

Lessons from a Best-in-Class Legal Department

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:09:52 -0600

This month’s Corporate Counsel features the magazine’s annual review of top legal departments. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. earned top honors this year for its impressive accomplishments on the precipice of a financial industry meltdown and for its highly-developed internal efforts to promote success within the legal department.

Building a great team, of course, requires hiring great people, but Hartford Financial demonstrates how to push a legal department to truly excel. And having a legal department that excels has never been more critical than it is now in times of tightening budgets and increased scrutiny on legal expenses.

Key lessons your legal department can learn:

Hire not just talented staff, but talented staff with complementary strengths. Each hire should strengthen the overall team and equip the department to be more agile in the face of changes to the business.
Systematically implement mentoring and training programs. These are long-term investments that will pay off in recruiting, retention, and productivity.
Train lawyers within the legal department to hire and manage the relationship with outside counsel. Legal departments of all sizes need their lawyers to take a consistent, strategic approach to working with outside lawyers, particularly in times of tight budgets. Even though most in-house counsel previously worked as outside counsel, many would benefit from training to get the most from outside lawyers.
Take a hands-on approach to legal work. Keeping in-house counsel actively involved in the matters they manage encourages a better result.
Encourage innovation. Lawyers are not natural innovators, and change often comes slowly. However, a culture that encourages experimenting with new methods, new approaches, and new perspectives will yield more successes than failures.

You can learn more about Hartford Financial’s successes here: http://www.law.com/jsp/ihc/PubArticleIHC.jsp?id=1202430800136.

Retaining Talent When Budgets Are Tight

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 08:54:34 -0600

Corporate bonuses decreased by an average of 25 percent in 2008, and experts are predicting that companies will continue operating under reduced budgets for at least two more years. To compensate for slimmer compensation packages and retain valued employees, companies will need to boost morale in other ways.

Here are some tips on how to retain talent when budgets are tight:

Communication from Management. Employees want to be regularly informed and know what’s happening around them – even if the news isn’t positive. Status reports from management give employees a sense of visibility and control.
Give Employees a Chance to Talk. Periodic “Town Hall” meetings are particularly effective and give employees an opportunity to voice their concerns. It might even be an opportunity to get some fresh ideas.
Training and Development. This is a great time to cross-train your team and utilize the people who have institutional knowledge about your organization. Investing in training and giving employees an opportunity to broaden their skills demonstrates an investment by the company in their future. Training and development initiatives may also present an opportunity to identify top performers who can someday lead the team when times are better.

Résumé Tips: Handling Multiple Job Changes and Work History Gaps

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:42:05 -0600

Gaps on your résumé and multiple jobs within a short time period can raise red flags when applying for a new job. Although we’re in a recession and have seen in the last several years an unprecedented wave of corporate and law firm consolidation, hiring managers and HR will still question résumé gaps and multiple job changes. No matter what the job market conditions are, first impressions on paper still count.

Here are some tips on how to handle these issues:

On the Resume. In my experience, people tend to go straight to the résumé and either scan or skip the cover letter entirely. Consequently, candidates should include as much explanation as possible on the actual résumé.

Example 1 - To explain a move or job change as a result of a merger: “ABC Company was acquired in 2006 by XYZ Corp.” The candidate may or may not have joined XYZ, but the message communicates that something unrelated to performance is the reason for the change.
Example 2 - To explain a gap as a result of maternity or parental leave: Place an asterisk or footnote next to the year or month in which the gap occurred and explain it at the bottom. “From 2000 – 2001, I took time off to care for my young children.”

Cover Letters. Although cover letters are extremely helpful to headhunters and external recruiters in that they tend to provide more information about the candidate than what is on the résumé, they are frequently discarded in the online résumé submission process, or are simply not forwarded by HR to the hiring managers. Sometimes, even hiring managers don’t read them. If you believe more explanation is necessary to explain a career gap or job change than what you can fit (or should try to fit) on a résumé, then attach your cover letter to the résumé so that it becomes page 1, and then PDF it so that it’s all in one document. It is more likely to stay intact that way, which increases the chances that a hiring manager will read it.

Dates of Employment. A way to de-emphasize multiple moves in a short period of time is to list years instead of months and years in connection with dates of employment.

Chronological vs. Skills-Based Format. A skills-based format typically highlights strengths, accomplishments and skills at the top with a summary of job positions below. Although this format is frequently recommended by career counselors, I advise against it. When I see résumés formatted this way, my initial impression is that a candidate is trying to hide something (like re-arranging the furniture to conceal a floor plan problem). Recruiters and hiring managers want to know what you did in each job.

Preparing For Your Telephone or Video Conference Interview

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:27:45 -0600

As companies continue to look for ways to trim costs, video and telephone conferences are quickly becoming an initial first step for interviewing non-local candidates. Here are several tips on how to prepare for your video interview:

Dress as you would for a face-to-face interview - from head to toe. Even though the camera may catch you from waist-up at your desk, don’t take the chance being viewed in shorts.
Try to maintain eye contact with remote viewers and avoid frequently looking away, which could create an impression that you’re distracted.
DON’T CHECK YOUR BLACKBERRY.
Speak clearly and pay close attention to the interviewer’s conversation with you, even if the interview is being simultaneously broadcast to multiple offices.
When emphasizing something important, lean in slightly toward the camera.
If you’re a small person in a large chair, sit on the edge of your seat to maintain a strong visual presence.

To prepare for a telephone interview:

Minimize distracting background noise prior to the call’s start. Barking dogs, television noise and flushing toilets can blow it.
If the call is unexpected, ask to reschedule for a time when you’ll have had a chance to prepare yourself and your environment.
If the interview is scheduled, keep your résumé and notes close for reference.
Like a video interview, avoid checking your blackberry or e-mail, and pay close attention to the conversation. Phone interviewers judge candidates by what they say and how they say it. Lulls in conversation can indicate a lack of focus or knowledge on a subject.

For both telephone and video conference interviews, it helps to practice. You can practice in the mirror or even by recording yourself. Additionally, it’s nice to send a follow-up thank you that reiterates your top selling points. Be sure to proofread, though.

Impact of Budget Cuts on In-House Counsel

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:50:38 -0600

As companies consider ways to control spending in 2009, many are choosing to reduce outside counsel costs by bringing more work in-house. Despite layoffs in virtually all areas of the economy, major corporations have found that boosting their in-house team can have long-term cost-cutting benefits.

According to a Chief Legal Officer study released late last year, 75 percent of respondents said they expected budget cuts in 2009, with most of the cuts directed at outside counsel spending. Some will find it necessary to increase law department headcount in order to manage the additional workload.

For companies that choose, however, to refrain from hiring additional lawyers, the budget cuts will likely result in expanded responsibilities and higher expectations for efficiency by in-house lawyers.

Here are some tips on how to work smarter:

Maximize the use of paralegals
Develop a strong working relationship with your HR team to minimize labor and employment issues through training and compliance
Embrace and use technology – now is the time to become an expert on software solutions, electronic invoicing or matter management
Practice preventive law through training, dispute resolution procedures, contract administration and document retention policies

Budget cuts and efforts by law departments to do more with less this year may provide an opportunity for in-house counsel to diversify areas of expertise and broaden skills, which might come in handy someday.

Hot Practice Areas for In-House Counsel

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:55:02 -0600

The economic slump has caused demand for most transactions lawyers to come to a screeching halt. Deal flow is stagnant, credit is scarce, and many attorneys who specialize in real estate and structured finance are looking for jobs.

Areas that continue to experience growth – and hiring -- include:

Renewable energy project development. Attorneys with experience in power project development, especially wind projects, are in high demand.
International trade & global compliance. FCPA violations, import/export issues and customs audits keep GCs awake at night. These are mission-critical positions within legal departments.
E-discovery managers. For many companies that experience a high volume of litigation, these positions are starting to become more prevalent. Recessions tend to increase litigation, so this position will likely play an important role on corporate legal teams.
Regulatory practices. Demand is increasing for regulatory lawyers, including those who specialize in energy, environmental, securities and now banking.

Re-Tooling Your Law Practice: Adjusting For Economic Cycles

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:47:40 -0600

The credit crisis has wreaked havoc on several practice areas, including real estate and finance. Many lawyers who specialize in these practices are seeking new positions. The problem is that there aren’t many openings for these lawyers right now. Worse, the trend for the last 5-8 years has been to hire “specialists,” those with niche areas of expertise – the round peg for the round hole.

Here are some tips on how to break into a new area, or “re-tool” your practice:

- Start building your résumé and your knowledge base. Attend CLE courses and list them. Research and write an article about a particular area. Better yet, find the experts and ask if you can assist with an article. These people are usually on the speaking circuit and are frequently publishing. They may welcome some assistance on a particular topic.

- Try to get contract work in that area. Many companies and firms need attorneys to fill in on a project basis (not just for document reviews).

- Take on some pro bono work in that area if you can find it.

- Work for a government agency. Although it may be a temporary financial setback, the hands-on experience can be fantastic.

- NETWORK. Despite the trend of hiring lawyers with a track record in a particular area, there are still employers out there who simply want hard-working individuals with bright minds. They just won’t pay a search firm to find them.

The Psychology of the Job Offer - Part II

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:11:12 -0600

Given the state of this economy, I thought this topic deserved some additional attention (See Part I). Even in an economic downturn, companies continue to hire lawyers – but they hire lawyers with different specialties than the ones who are in demand when business is good.

Corporations are trimming budgets now, and in an effort to reduce outside counsel spending, many are adding to their legal departments. At the same time, candidates are skittish about making career moves in this market. “Bonus-driven cultures” are growing more distant in the rearview mirror, and prospective in-house attorneys are now focused on base salary, job security, and corporate financial viability. Despite lay-offs, falling stock prices and general gloom and doom, recruiting top candidates is not any easier!

A strong first offer still makes a powerful impression, and will increase the odds of landing an in-house counsel that may save the company hundreds of thousands in legal fees.

Assistant General Counsel - Boston, MA or Washington, D.C.

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:44:56 -0600

We have been retained by National Grid USA to conduct a search for an Assistant General Counsel - Federal Regulatory. The position will be based either in the company's U.S. headquarters located near Boston, or in Washington D.C.

National Grid USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Grid plc. National Grid’s core U.S. business is the delivery of electricity and natural gas. National Grid is one of the ten largest utilities (by number of customers) in the U.S. and has the largest electricity transmission and distribution network in the New England/New York region. National Grid plc is an international network utility with principal activities in the regulated electricity and natural gas industries. It is one of the largest investor-owned utilities in the world. The company’s headquarters are in London, and it is listed on the London (Symbol: NG) and New York (Symbol: NGG) stock exchanges.

Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel – Regulatory, the AGC – Federal Regulatory is responsible for all federal legal matters for the company and will be the primary point of contact for the legal department to the transmission function.

Additional responsibilities:

Assumes primary responsibility for federal energy regulatory matters.
Manages and supervises a team of 4-6 in-house attorneys and outside counsel.
Provides legal advice and counsel to senior management in electric distribution and transmission functions.
Assists in the monitoring of gas pipeline filings affecting transportation capacity held by gas distribution companies in four states.

Requirements:

10-20+ years of experience on FERC matters.
Experience managing attorneys within a corporate legal department.

In addition to an outstanding career opportunity and a fantastic work environment, the company offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package that includes a pension plan.

Corporate Counsel - Dallas

csapire@sapiresearch.com (Courtney Sapire) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:39:36 -0600

Large energy company headquartered in Dallas seeks a 3+ year attorney to join its growing legal team. The position will focus on state energy regulatory work, but will secondarily include business transactions and legislative affairs. The role offers a hands-on opportunity to gain immediate experience in the energy regulatory and policy arena while under excellent mentorship.

Responsibilities include:

· Providing support in connection with PUC and FERC regulatory matters, including representing the company at hearings and proceedings

· Handling franchise agreements and other commercial transactions

· Providing support in connection with legislative affairs and public policy matters

In addition to offering access to one of the largest energy infrastructures in the world, the company offers significant internal opportunities, a competitive compensation plan and a comprehensive benefits package.