I’m very excited to be kicking off our newest feature today on Zen – the General Counsel Corner! 

Throughout my career, I’ve seen a number of in-house counsel presentations and articles, many of which continue to have the same themes with respect to the inside/outside counsel relationship. It seems that many law firms may still not understand what their clients and potential clients really need and want. To continue to draw attention to those things that matter most to GCs, I’ll be featuring in-house counsel here on the blog in our "General Counsel Corner." Periodically, I’ll be sharing with you a short interview that I’ve done with a GC, in which he or she will answer one key question. 

 

 

Today’s respondent is the General Counsel for the US arm of an international business, engaged in providing services to the marine and power industries. I asked him: 

"What is the most important factor you consider when hiring an outside law firm?"

He said: "…it is hard to focus on only a single factor. As a preliminary matter, it may seem obvious but the most important factor to me in choosing counsel is my confidence that the counsel is likely to deliver the correct answer or strategy, both from both legal and practical perspectives. That is a subjective impression based upon my consideration of the relevant experience of the attorney and takes into account items as broad as firm reputation and as narrow as specific experience with similar situations. As it is often hard to make that determination, especially when choosing counsel abroad or because there are many seemingly competent choices, it is always helpful to have the recommendation of someone you trust (like the ILN) or to start with a smaller project, if feasible, to gain first-hand experience. Other important factors include cost-effectiveness, responsiveness, industry or regional knowledge, supporting team members, prior dealings, etc. but you do not seriously consider those factors unless you have confidence that the firm (or specific attorney with whom you are speaking) is a good one to counsel you on the issue."

These are all excellent and important points – and if you’ll remember, we’ve heard something similar before. In last year’s GC panel at the LMA Conference, one of the panelists told us that: 

Another point of contention…was about expertise – while there are a lot of smart lawyers who can get up to speed on an issue, the panelists emphasized that if a lawyer really doesn’t have the expertise, they shouldn’t lie about it. Honesty means more."

Thanks so much to this installment’s GC for his response! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments below.

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Photo of Lindsay Griffiths Lindsay Griffiths

Lindsay Griffiths is the International Lawyers Network’s Executive Director. She is a dynamic, influential international executive and marketing thought leader with a passion for relationship development and authoring impactful content. Griffiths is a driven, strategic leader who implements creative initiatives to achieve the…

Lindsay Griffiths is the International Lawyers Network’s Executive Director. She is a dynamic, influential international executive and marketing thought leader with a passion for relationship development and authoring impactful content. Griffiths is a driven, strategic leader who implements creative initiatives to achieve the goals of a global professional services network. She manages all major aspects of the Network, including recruitment, member retention, and providing exceptional client service to an international membership base.

In her role as Executive Director, Griffiths manages a mix of international programs, engages a diverse global community, and develops an international membership base. She leads the development and successful implementation of major organizational initiatives, manages interpersonal relationships, and possesses executive presence with audiences of internal and external stakeholders. Griffiths excels at project management, organization, and planning, writes and speaks with influence and authority, and works independently while demonstrating flexibility in thinking, especially in challenging situations. She also adapts to diverse and dynamic environments with constant assessment and recalibration.

JD Supra Readers Choice Top Author 2019

In 2021, the ILN was honored as Global Law Firm Network of the Year by The Lawyer European Awards, and in 2016, 2017, and 2022, they were shortlisted as Global Law Firm Network of the Year. Since 2011, the Network has been listed as a Chambers & Partners Leading Law Firm Network, recently increasing this ranking to be included in the top two percent of law firm networks globally, as well as adding two regional rankings. She was awarded “Thought Leader of the Year” by the Legal Marketing Association’s New York chapter in 2014 for her substantive contributions to the industry and was included in Clio’s list of “34 People in Legal You Should Follow on Twitter.” She was also chosen for the American Bar Association Journal’s inaugural Web 100‘s Best Law Blogs, where judge Ivy Grey said “This blog is outstanding, thoughtful, and useful.” Ms. Griffiths was chosen as a Top Author by JD Supra in their 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards, for the level of engagement and visibility she attained with readers on the topic of marketing & business development. She has been the author of Zen & the Art of Legal Networking since February 2009.