12 minute read
In-House Careers
How to carve out a successful In-House Legal Career following Private Practice.
Charity Mafuba talks to Vicky Harris, Norstella and Patti Kachidza-General Counsel, Monex Europe Limited;Deputy Chair-InterLaw Diversity Forum about their transition from Private Practice to In-House.
Much has been made about the perks of working inhouse in contrast to the hustle and bustle of private practice. However, before making the transition, there are many factors for consideration regardless of the stage one is at in their legal career. Below are some examples that have been shared with me by several lawyers and recruiters whom I have interacted with.
Salaries-Generally, in-house remuneration is significantly less than that accorded in private practice. With an increase premised on merit. However, dependant on the legal sector you choose to work in, some sectors will pay private practice rates.
Work Life Balance-The notion of working in-house often perpetuates the “work, life, balance” mantra that is deemed to be devoid in Private practice. Whilst this may ring true, one can find oneself clocking private practice hours, depending on the nature of work.
Performance measurements, Billing Targets, Chargeable Services in Private Practice-In-House, this is measured in terms of business and targets achieved as a team and the skills each person brings to the table, as opposed to individual targets and work experience in the private practice setting, in-house, there is no time recording of the dreaded billable hours. The value of this is that it encompasses individual performance objectives and provides satisfaction of personal contribution with regard to profitability of the business.
When to transition from Private Practice to In-House According to recruiters, the most effective time to make the move in-house, is between 2-6 years PQE, as that is when the highest volume of roles are available. But, is there ever a time when it becomes too late to transition? Whilst a transition is always possible, a cautionary tale applies; some say it becomes more difficult after 6 years.
Pros of working In-House-The main pro is that teams are often smaller, which incentivises and fosters unity among colleagues, putting paid to the old adage “team work makes the dream work”
Cons-As with everything else in life, there are downsides worth mentioning. Work can be very demanding and almost reminiscent of the dreaded private practice environment.
Career Progression-In contrast to the private practice structure, in-house consists of a fairly flat structure. In essence, you have to wait until someone leaves.
The practical implications of this may mean that one is compensated with gaining new experience by getting exposure to different industry sectors, supervising and/or mentoring other colleagues -not being over determined by the quest of ‘making partner’
In light of this, I talked to Vicky Harris and Patti Kachidza about their personal experiences and viewpoints.
Vicky Harris,
General Counsel, Norstella
Can you tell us about your time working in Private practice?
I trained at Slaughter and May, where I really enjoyed four seats in different areas of the firm; Competition, Corporate, Debt Financing and Intellectual Property, before choosing to qualify into Corporate where I worked on some fascinating transactions including the Thomson Reuters merger.
When and why did you make the transition from Private Practice to In-House? Additionally, when would you say is the best time to do so for those considering the move?
I was seconded into the Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk business unit to cover a maternity leave and I never went back to private practice. I discovered a real love for the in-house life and it felt like a much better fit for me.
I don’t think there is a bad time to move from private practice to an in-house role. I was around three years qualified and I had thought I’d do another few years before making the move, but the opportunity arose and it seemed too good to miss. If you start your legal career in private practice, I think it makes sense to spend a few years gaining a strong legal basis and training before making the move. If you are able to do a secondment either as a trainee or a qualified lawyer into an in-house team I would definitely encourage it – it’s a great way to get a taster of the differences between private practice and in-house, and also helps with demonstrating that you understand the differences between the two when you apply for your first in-house role.
What would you say are the advantages of working In House in contrast with Private practice?
What I like about working in-house is that you are part of the commercial team and you are involved in discussions about what the business is trying to achieve much earlier than you tend to be in private practice, which means you can really help create the solution to the problem from the beginning. I also like being able to more freely offer an opinion on the best course of action, weighing up the risks and pros and cons of the various options available.
During my time in-house I’ve been able to advise on such a broad range of legal topics, and I enjoy being a generalist. In private practice lawyers tend to specialize pretty early on, and for me keeping that variety has been important. I’ve advised on issues like defamation and sports rights, Mergers and Acquisition (M&A), Intellectual Property, Litigation and Employment issues.
Another obvious difference between private practice and inhouse is that you no longer need to track your time – the billable hour pressure is removed. I think removing that administrative burden can be quite a relief to a lot of people – you only have one client and you learn quickly how to prioritise your workload.
Within Thomson Reuters I moved around different divisions going on to support the editorial and news teams, and then the Intellectual Property division.
I became Head of Legal at Clarivate and managed a global team of Legal and Privacy professionals, helping the company to grow through acquisitions and its listing on the New York Stock Exchange. The company saw a lot of change during my time there, and I really saw how the in-house legal team has such an important part to play in connecting the other functions and business teams together, leading the changes and implementing processes and policies to fit the needs of a growing and changing business.
As General Counsel of Norstella, the team I manage operates globally and covers all the legal needs of the business, whether that be Commercial contract support, Employment advice, Compliance and Privacy matters, Corporate Governance of M&A. And everything else besides. We try to be genuine business partners and that means understanding the business, our goals and ambitions, and providing pragmatic and
commercial advice in a timely manner. I love the fact that I never know what will arrive on my desk each day… that’s what keeps things interesting!
What would you say are the disadvantages of working InHouse in contrast with Private practice?
In private practice, there is generally a clearer career progression route in the early years – each year you become more qualified, at a certain point you become a senior associate and then ultimately if you want to, you can pursue the partnership track.
In-house is not so linear, no two in-house roles are the same, and titles and salary ranges can vary hugely between companies.
In an in-house environment, you need to find your career development through the skills you build and experiences you have, and given the very narrow pyramid at the top, people tend to move around more for career progression.
Historically, salary levels in-house have been viewed as lower than private practice, and that this was a quid pro-quo for a better work life balance. I’m not sure either view is reflective of current practice – certainly as you progress in your career there are opportunities for salary, bonus and equity incentive plans to increase too, and the demands of working in-house have also increased as companies realise the benefits they can gain from their in-house legal team.
Patti Kachidza,
General Counsel- Monex Europe Limited, Deputy Chair-InterLaw Diversity Forum
Can you tell us about your time working in Private practice?
I went into private practice straight from law school. I loved interacting with clients, learning the ropes from seasoned senior lawyers whose names I’d often seen in newspapers, and eventually having my own client base. I remember the billing targets, the late night working and falling asleep in the cinema on a very important date with my fiancé to be due to sheer exhaustion.
Although the three years I spent in this first private practice role were extremely demanding, and I had to ‘up my game,’ I would not have changed the experience for anything. It was there that I learned to draft pleadings, give advice, conduct research on real life situations, and those crucial life skills. I realised that I had a taste for all types of litigation; from the financial services and commercial law that my firm specialised in, to criminal cases which would occasionally come across my desk.
Ten years later, I took another role in private practice at a small boutique firm in Mayfair. I found that with seniority also came a wider remit as a lawyer, adviser and mentor. I no longer dealt solely with giving legal advice, but also with advising clients on strategy, averting or addressing mistakes and challenges of all kinds (both internal and external). I was also exposed to the raison d’etre of law firms. Law firms are a business whose success depends on growing the client base, creating and maintaining the brand, and raising their profile in the industry and media. This was something I would never have learned in-house.
I enjoyed this practice, specialising in Banking and Finance litigation and interacting with international clients. I learned that one approach to an identical problem for one client would not necessarily work or be appropriate for another client in the same situation. I realised the power a client had and how much the clients’ values and mission influenced their decisions and how receptive they would be to advice.
When and why did you make the transition from Private Practice to In-House? Additionally, when would you say is the best time to do so for those considering the move?
My first transition from private practice came after I won a scholarship to study for my masters at the London School of Economics. I specialised in International Finance and International Business Litigation. The day before graduation, I gave birth to my first child. It became clear to me that I could not combine motherhood with the gruelling hours of private practice. When my daughter turned one, I had my first taste of working in-house when I joined the Investment Banking legal team in a Bank.
How soon should one transition from private practice to inhouse? Well, it depends on your life circumstances at the time, and your plans for the future. Personally, I think a minimum period of 4 years post qualifying is the best time to make a move from private practice to in-house.
What would you say are the advantages of working In House in contrast with Private practice?
Working in-house is a wonderful opportunity to be ‘in the house’ of the company. You not only learn the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the company’s business, but you also learn how to effectively deal with the differing personalities and focus of those who drive the business. The legal knowledge can be applied to real life scenarios facing the company. A 360 degree view of the company will improve the quality of your advice, even when you instruct external firms and barristers.
Your working hours are fixed (at least on paper) and you have an ecosystem of teams who need advice on a far wider range of issues and legal specialisms than in private practice. You become quite protective of the company you work for, and your loyalty to the company is no longer a professional obligation, but a personal commitment. To me, that is a very good place to be in your professional life.
What would you say are the disadvantages of working InHouse in contrast with Private Practice?
There can be a sense of no longer being in a ‘legal community,’ and feeling like you are no longer at the coal face. The business just wants an answer and a solution- period.
In my case, I missed going to court, drafting pleadings and legal opinions in the way they had been done for hundreds of years, and creating my own version of the TV legal dramas I had watched as a child.
The in-house terrain is sometimes fraught with office politics which can be distracting and can muddy the waters in your aims of solving legal issues.
In-house salaries tend to be lower than private practice.
However, none of these so-called disadvantages can trump the satisfaction of being embedded and invested in the company’s success as a business, dealing with the highs and lows and feeling part of the tribe that is your company.
Charity Mafuba
Resources
Helpful resources for those considering a move in-house include: Axiom
Particularly for those who are considering a move in-house after several years of working in private practice.
https://www.axiomlaw.com/
Crafty Counsel
Is a community and media company that was founded by Benjamin White, following his transition from private practice at Clifford Chance to an in-house role at a tech company. Crafty Counsel was founded on the premise of Benjamin’s realisation that there were limited resources in the in-house legal sphere compared with private practice.
They host events such as the infamous Crafty Fest, (a summer festival for in-house legal professionals) think ‘Legal Coachella’, Fintech day and Disputes day. Crafty Counsel’s ethos is “Bringing joy, insight and connection to in-house legal professionals through content, community and context”.
It provides invaluable resources and fosters a real sense of community for in-house legal professionals.
https://craftycounsel.co.uk/
All the law societies have articles on in house careers. For those in England and Wales you can book a free career consultation by emailing Careers@lawsociety.org.uk These are suitable for:
• paralegals (including those completing qualifying work experience)
• trainee solicitors
• qualified solicitors (including those admitted overseas)
• returners and career changers considering a switch to law
There is also an In-house Network | The Law Society and committee About the In-house Network advisory committee | The Law Society Career development | The Law Society
