@in_house_lawyer

September 30th, 2010

Head of Legal at Latitude Digital Marketing Limited

Social Media Enthusiast

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Today we’re excited to be tweeting w/ @in_house_lawyer, Head of Legal at an online digital mktg co? Our 1st in-house interviewee!

@in_house_lawyer thank you so much for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is @in_house_lawyer?
Hello there Lance, thank you for the opportunity
I’m Melanie Hatton. In-house counsel for @Latitude_Group. I’m also a mum to a 5 year old son and a social media enthusiast
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Tell us about @Latitude_Group. What does it do?
@Latitude_Group is leading the digital revolution! We provide PPC SEO display and other online marketing solutions. (1/2)
We make our clients visible on the web and target their online customer base effectively. Its an exciting industry
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Sounds like interesting work. How do you describe your role at @Latitude_Group?
I wear many hats. I’m the lawyer, but I also manage the HR, training & development and office services for the company
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What are your company’s typical legal needs?
I cover the co/co, employment, and litigation; and use externals for corp finance, property, an occasional second opinion
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How many outside firms do you generally work with? Is that the right number?
Just 2 and I’d like to get that to 1! Its cost-efficient and makes for a better relationship with more value-add (1/2)
Some in-house teams operate a ‘horses for courses’ approach, but that doesn’t work for us
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Let’s talk about your selection of lawyers. What type of sales / marketing pitch do you respond well to?
One which demonstrates a quality and dynamic service, with experts who are enthusiastic about our industry
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And what type of sales talk is guaranteed to send you running? How often do you hear it?
Any pitch which doesn’t recognise need to work in a co-ordinated way with in-house team. Not seen too often , but happens
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Does social media enter into the equation when you’re evaluating outside counsel? How?
I warm to any firm/lawyer using soc med; I’d worry if the firm I’d chosen for its position in a technology industry (1/2)
.. started to fall behind the field. Like I said before, I like lawyers who are enthusiastic about my industry
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Makes perfect sense… What about fee arrangements? Hourly billing, alt fees, etc: what’s typical for your company?
Fees based on value of product/service delivered, and not the time it takes to deliver it is important. So fixed or capped
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Finally, how important are personal relationships in the hiring process? Do you hire lawyers you’ve never met?
I’ve never hired a lawyer whom I’ve never met. Personality and cultural-fit are very important factors
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What does the Legal Services Act mean for you as a client? Better service? Lower costs? Something else?
More competition in the legal market place I hope. Lawyers finding more creative ways to provide their services (1/2)
Not just creativity in terms of fee structures, but the services themselves and how they’re delivered
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Let’s talk about you. When did you become active on Twitter? What were your objectives then? Have they changed?
12 months ago. 1st obj was to obtain a daily legal know-how stream. Now, I share my own know-how, develop my niche & network
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You blog (http://bit.ly/bdXlay), are active on Twitter, etc. Where do you draw the line between public and private?
I blog/tweet law, work & my perspective of both. I’ve a separate twitter acc for personal tweets & I never tweet about what I eat!
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You were in private practice before you went in-house. What led you to make the switch?
I trained 50/50 in-house/pp. When I was in pp I was on secondment in-house most of the time. I’ve always thought it…(1/2)
…an honour for a company to put their faith in an employed team of lawyers to be their preferred legal resource.
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What’s a typical day for the Head of Legal at an online digital marketing company? How much law does it involve?
Signing off client/supplier contracts, ensuring the company has a corporate “memory”, keeping up with industry developments. 1/2
I use my legal skills 100% of the time, but my legal knowledge 50%. The other 50% is running the business support team
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What is the most significant issue currently facing lawyers in commerce and industry?
The ECJ Akzo case on #privilege is the biggie. We’re no longer afforded privilege in EU competition matters. (1/2)
The decision devalues inhouse lawyers and we work so hard to bring value to our companies. Disappointing
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And what is the most significant legal issue currently facing the digital marketing industry?
Behavioural advertising is in the spotlight for its privacy implications in a huge way, legally & ethically… (1/2)
The exchange of personal data for online advertising and information is shaping the digital landscape we live in
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Indeed. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
A journalist or magazine editor. And if I didn’t have to work at all, I’d put back into the local community/village/school
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How do you want to be remembered?
This is the toughest question! I’d just like for the people who matter to me to remember me in a positive way
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This one should be easier: what do you do when you’re not working?
I’ve recently taken up photography but mainly I keep my 5yo entertained: swimming, walks in forest, building lego star wars
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What advice can you pass along to lawyers currently under- or unemployed due to the economic crisis?
Be creative & adventurous about how you apply your knowledge & skills to keep a profile in the profession. Soc med helps
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Finally, what advice do you have for people going to law school today?
Find an entirely unrelated interest too. That & your legal wisdom will connect in future & make you stand out in the crowd