Building legal teams
Building effective in-house legal teams is a common challenge, certainly in large organisations but perhaps even more so in smaller businesses. Here, legal teams often grapple with tighter budgets and need to put a new team together from the ground up.
Tim Creswick, CEO of Vorboss, the fibre network infrastructure business, shared his refreshing perspective on working with his General Counsel, showing the trust and collaboration that can make these relationships successful.
“It’s like getting therapy, isn’t it? I think our legal team is a key component of extremely talented people that I’m very, very lucky to work with. I’ve taken almost two decades to build a business. For a long time there was a very small number of people, and so I did almost everything myself. When you’re dealing with a legal firm, you’re paying them by the hour, so I would do most of the work to keep the bills smaller. I would read as much of a contract as I could. I’d do as much markup as I could before I would send it out. Now, the trust I put in Anna and her team takes away the burden of the work and I have a huge amount of time and respect.”
Looking after your team can also stretch to outside of your organisation - utilising flexible lawyers, and hybrid resource models are also valuable ways to protect your team and ensure that they are able to concentrate on the work that needs them.
Succeeding at building a strong team involves not only gathering a group of skilled professionals, but also creating a culture that promotes continuous learning, supports a healthy work-life balance and facilitates career development. These elements are essential for teams that are resilient in adapting to rapid changes and can sustain high performance over time.
Improving team dynamics with work-life balance initiatives
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is increasingly vital for the wellbeing and productivity of legal teams. High workload demands, tight deadlines and the stressful nature of legal work can lead to burnout, which leads to a hit on overall team effectiveness.
More progressive legal departments are adopting remote work options and flexible hours to help team members manage their professional and personal lives more effectively. And some are even going a step further, says Geraldine Kelm, Partner at Pinsent Masons Vario. These practices can enhance job satisfaction, retain talent, and form a more dynamic and responsive legal team.
"Incorporating flexible models, freelance lawyers and hybrid working arrangements all help to enhance efficiency and adaptability. An in-house team no longer consists of a standard 9-5 working day, sitting in the office five days a week. Instead, teams are starting to become far more varied and agile, allowing in-house counsel to maintain a healthier balance whilst still maintaining efficiency and focusing on their strategic objectives."
Geraldine Kelm, Partner at Pinsent Masons Vario.
Of all the topics discussed in the Community Hub this year, careers ranked number one. Conversations around careers ranged from moving into consulting and parental leave, to moving abroad and mentoring.
Career development opportunities for long-term growth
Career development is a cornerstone of team building in the legal sector, yet the path is often less straightforward in-house compared to private practice. Law firms set out a clear trajectory for career development, but in-house, especially in start-ups and small businesses, there can be confusion around the next step.
So, providing clear career paths and continuous professional development opportunities is crucial for motivating and retaining top talent. In-house lawyers should navigate whether to remain generalists or specialise in a niche, adding another layer of consideration to their career planning.
In-house legal departments that invest in structured training programmes, mentorship initiatives and regular performance feedback help their members grow. Not only as professionals, but also as key contributors to the department’s success. Encouraging team members to pursue their career aspirations within the business can lead to higher job satisfaction and loyalty, which are critical for building a stable team.
Embracing generational diversity through reverse mentoring
Reverse mentoring has emerged as a transformative strategy within modern legal teams. This approach, where junior team members mentor senior colleagues, particularly in areas like technology and current trends, helps bridge the knowledge gap that often exists between different generations and seniority levels.
By implementing a reverse mentoring model, legal departments can foster a culture of mutual respect and learning. It not only empowers younger staff members by giving them a voice and a sense of responsibility, but also revitalises the skill set and perspectives of more experienced lawyers, ensuring the team stays agile and informed. This method encourages collaboration, drives innovation and challenges hierarchical dynamics.
“I think it’s a great tool to bridge the gap between seniority levels. I’ve also been doing it in an informal way – less so about work and more about culture. From a diversity and inclusion perspective, I’ve been able to talk about being a first-generation immigrant and growing up in a Muslim household. These exchanges of knowledge are informative for people of all seniority levels.”
Ilayda Balci, Junior Legal Counsel at SSP Group, shared her experience on the impact of reverse mentoring with Crafty Fest attendees
