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@LegalBizzle
March 15th, 2011
In-house commercial / contracts lawyer
Author of The Bizzle blog
Relatively ordinary person with a sense of perspective and a social conscience
Today we’re v excited to be tweeting w/ @legalbizzle, in-house commercial & contracts lawyer who’s been “saving your ass since 1999”
- @legalbizzle thank you for joining us today on Twitter. Tell us: who is @legalbizzle?
I’m a commercial contracts lawyer who trained and works in-house. I’m probably not as good as I think I am
– - Can you tell us about your company. What does it do?
We do outsourced customer contact and back office processing for private and public sectors. Service, sales, collections etc
– - How do you describe your role at that company?
I negotiate contracts and provide general advice. I also manage the legal team incl contentious work, reporting to the GC.
– - Beyond the in-house services you provide, what are your company’s typical legal needs?
Specialist contract advice (e.g. public procurement) and also regulatory advice, employment and debt litigation
– - How many outside firms do you generally work with? Is that the right number?
Two each for commercial work and debt lit, one for employment, and ad hoc for specialist. We don’t send much outside, so yes
– - Let’s talk about your selection of lawyers. What type of sales / marketing pitch do you respond well to?
One that recognises our difference from other clients, in terms of the nature of our business and our legal needs
– - Makes sense…. And what sales talk is guaranteed to send you running? How often do you hear it?
One that ignores our in-house capability and assumes that we need advice on basic issues. Too often, unfortunately
– - Does social media enter into the equation when you’re selecting outside counsel? How?
(1/2) Not historically, but there’s lawyers showing expertise on Twitter that would lead me to them if I had a specific need
(2/2) We’ve done that recently, based on responses to a question that I tweeted. My boss now thinks I’m a social media guru
– - What about fee arrangements? Hourly billing, alternative fees, etc: what’s typical for your company?
We want caps or fixes on transactional work. Firms won’t ditch hourly billing for contentious work – this needs to change
– - Couldn’t be more clear…. How important are perso relationships in hiring process? Do you hire lawyers you never met?
Essential for core work (see my blog). For specialist work expertise has more weight but there’s still a personal dimension
– - What does the Legal Services Act mean for you as a client? Better service? Lower costs? Something else?
Very little so far. But the nature of our business means that there might be conflicts that stop us instructing some ABSs
– - When did you become active on Twitter? What were your objectives then? Have they changed?
(1/2) In May 2010. My aim was and is to have fun, but it’s been amazing for news, expertise, support, friends and much more
(2/2) It has so many facets, why rule any of them out? So I’m happy to let it take me wherever it leads
– - Great approach…. You blog (http://bit.ly/flEYxg) and tweet anonymously. Why the secrecy? Is it a burden or a relief?
I prefer anonymity because I’m self-conscious about my writing, so it gives freedom in that sense. I try not to abuse that
– - But in spite of your anonymity, your writing is often very personal. Is there a line between public & private? Where?
(1/2) I don’t have much to say about actual law that others can’t say far better, so I blog about my work and my experiences
(2/2) But there is a balance between being interesting and being responsible. I don’t know if I always get that right
– - It certainly seems you do. You give out a lot of advice in your blog. Who is it for? Do you know if they’re reading it?
I write for myself but I appreciate it a lot when people read or share a post. It’s exciting to contribute to a conversation
– - We’re glad that you do….. What would you say is the most significant issue currently facing the legal profession?
It seems there’s pressure on revenue, from legal aid cuts to ABSs. But the in-house sector is somewhat insulated from these
– - What are the biggest legal issues facing in-house lawyers & how do they affect their employers’ ability to do business?
In my work, the rise of coercive procurement practices, which leads to an imbalance of risk between buyers and sellers
– - What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
I studied philosophy at university, so if I wasn’t a lawyer I’d probably be sitting at home in my pants watching daytime TV
– - 🙂 How do you want to be remembered?
As a good lawyer, and someone who made a contribution to the success of the business that employs me. And as a good husband
– - What do you do when you’re not working?
Sorry, I don’t understand the question… But sometimes I’m allowed out to see bands and spend time with my amazing wife
– - What advice can you pass along to lawyers currently under- or unemployed due to the economic crisis?
Look in-house – we may hire more as we look to cut our external spend. But you need to show the right skills
– - And our final question for you: What advice do you have for people going to law school today?
Read my blog? More seriously, knowing the law is standard, so develop your non-legal skills to differentiate yourself
Solid advice and yes, your blog is very instructive re real life as a lawyer. Thanks so much for the great interview!
Much thanks to @22twts and @LanceGodard for great interview – really enjoyed doing that.
