2. Abdominal control. Before you say “yes” to becoming a solo general counsel, you need to stop for an instinctive check. Is this really what you want to do with your career? It takes a special type of lawyer to be the only in-house lawyer in a company. First of all, I wouldn`t accept such a job if I didn`t have at least four years of experience (and more, it`s certainly better). Second, are you willing to give up the benefits and “comfortable” lifestyle of working in a law firm or large in-house department? In this new job, you have to be almost completely independent and willing to work long hours to make sure everything gets done. You may no longer have an office with a door or even a cubicle. More likely, you`ll be sitting at a long table with other employees and your rank as general counsel won`t mean much. Third, be prepared to walk past the seat of your pants when making legal decisions.

You must become the ultimate generalist – a legal Swiss Army knife. You usually won`t have time to consult with an outside lawyer (if that`s an option), nor will you be able to spend hours investigating the matter. Every day, you make important decisions with less-than-perfect information in areas of law where you have little or no experience. Do you feel comfortable with that? Fourth, be prepared to take more risks and familiarize yourself with them than you have ever experienced in your legal career. Their orientation becomes more “business” than “legal” most of the time. You need to learn how to quickly analyze risks and determine options for the business and ultimately live with what the company decides. This requires a strong stomach. Finally, there is a good chance that your remuneration in terms of salary and bonus will be low with a few equity advances, so if the company takes off, you will be very well rewarded. Can you make that kind of initial financial sacrifice and wait for the “if”? That makes for a good Sterling read – thanks. I worked for 8 years as the first European GC for a NASDAQ listed company (before I could recruit a team) and a lot of things ring true. I would like to add that you absolutely have to step out of the fence when you are giving legal advice – advice like a lawyer in private practice would – that is, “These are your legal options… will never be washed as the sole in-house lawyer and you must give your business opinion on what the company should do.

E-books, CDs, downloadable content, and software purchases are non-cancellable, non-refundable, or non-returnable. Click here for more information on LexisNexis eBooks. EBook versions of this title may contain links to Lexis+ ® for additional legal research options. A valid Lexis+ ® subscription is required to access this content. Hello. I came across this article and found it really useful. I was wondering if anyone had come across models or examples of interdepartmental service level agreements between legal and sales in organizations where there are only 1 (or few) lawyers. An example would be venture-backed companies in the growth phase.

Cross-department SLAs are popular between sales and marketing and seem like a natural thing to extend to legal/sales departments that could help set expectations and priorities. If anyone has a connection or thought, please share, I will look around and also ask my network! Today, in-house legal operations can differentiate between a legal team, which is a business center, and a legal team, which is a cost center. It takes a very special lawyer to be a legal department of one. If this is the path you have chosen (or are considering), I admire you very much. I don`t know if I could do that. In other words, I`m not saying that every startup or small legal department works with little money. Many do not. But for those who do, I think the key for someone embarking on this work is to fully understand what you`re getting into, turn frugality into an art form, and learn to be much more aggressive than you normally could be.

And if you`re able to get smart quickly and work at lightning speed, that could be life for you. If readers who are “departments of one” would like to comment on some of the things they`ve learned or are doing to stay healthy, please leave a comment below or post on LinkedIn. Your real experience would be very valuable. I have a similar but related question. I take on the role of CFO of a multinational non-profit organization, and with that comes the responsibility of overseeing legal “activities” (in quotation marks, as responsibility ranges from contract compliance to ???). We do not have a legal department or a lawyer on our staff, although we do have a very competent one on our board. Do you have any advice – and especially resources – for someone in my situation? 5. Get a practical law. I know I sound like a scratched record on this blog when I say that the best resource a corporate lawyer can get is practical law. [1] This is even more true if you are a single corporate lawyer or part of a small team.

Simply put, Practical Law can give you the tips, research, forms, checklists, “what`s the market,” sample guidelines, practice notes, global coverage, toolkits, and more you need. All in an incredibly “convenient” and useful way. Literally, everything you need to answer almost any legal question or request that is asked of you by the company. It`s not free, though, so you`ll have to pay for an annual subscription (but I`d fight for it to get on board). If you`re not already using it, I suggest signing up for a free trial and getting a demo. If practical law is not in your budget, all is not lost. There are several free resources that can provide a wealth of useful information for free (as well as inexpensive tools). Here are a few of them: As software evolves and hardware ages physically and in its ability to handle the new software, the latest information and recommendations about computers, servers, network devices, legal software, printers, security products, smartphones, tablets, and more are essential. The 2018 edition of the popular Legal Technology Guide for Individual and Small Firms is more condensed and focused than previous editions, focusing on the firm`s core technologies. The only book of its kind to help single lawyers and small law firms find the best technology available that fits their practice needs and budget. Written in clear, easy-to-understand language to make implementation easier when you do it yourself or in collaboration with your IT consultant. Either way, you`ll learn how to make the technology work for you.

Topics include: I received the email from Gary Maehara announcing the new issue. I liked the ability to buy individual chapters. I am volunteering for a new free legal clinic on Bainbridge Island and wanted to brush up on the basics of bankruptcy, landlord/tenant law, and family law. Their publication seemed like a good way to do this. Thanks for another great sterling article. A “legal Swiss Army knife” that is “ripe for scrap” and “makes important decisions with less than perfect information in areas of law where you have little or no experience” sums up my daily life! Estimate resource recommendations. I have a solo practice. How-to manuals are a wonderful library resource for researching questions that arise. Forms save the lawyer time and money for the client. CDs save valuable space. The premise is really very simple. Proceeds from the Washington Lawyers Practice Manual support our pro bono service programs, including the Neighborhood Legal Clinics program, and ensure that our community continues to have free access to the court system.

Since 1974, King County Bar Association neighbourhood legal clinics have provided free legal advice to King County residents. Last year, more than 1,030 lawyers and volunteer assistants served nearly 6,728 clients at 45 county clinics. We`re the legal aid program in Washington – we have 10 offices and we`re opening a new one in Walla Walla – I`m in Seattle. All our offices have the manual. Which manual do you want? (required) Copyright and Copyright MythsWhat Every Artist Should Know About the LawAppellate Counsel Selection 3. If the situation is not very unusual, becoming general counsel of a start-up or small business means that you have to be very frugal. Money will be tight and there will be tremendous pressure to limit spending.