In this section we have collated all the previously published articles and blogs written by Paul Gilbert, Jonathan Smith and guests.
This is a resource for you to browse and is free to view. The first articles were published in the early 2000’s, but retain a relevance that is still valid and informative today. The later pieces reflect the changing face of the legal profession and the threat/opportunity for the role of lawyers in business and in our society.
We hope you will find that their opinions add to the debates of the day and inform, challenge and occasionally provoke. Please also join them in that debate on Twitter and follow Jonathan @jdsofislip and Paul @LBCWiseCounsel.
A new role and a sinking feeling…
I speak to a lot of people who have recently moved into new roles. It is a tough period and after three months there is often a striking contrast between their negative emotional response to their new role then, compared to the anticipation and excitement they felt on joining their new company. Very often they… More
…turning the lights out. A guest post by Ian White
Will the last in-house lawyer turn the lights out please? Oh not another depressing missive you ask? Well not really just some practical advice. Part of the advice I often give to business lawyers is to read about…business. One of my favourite business writers is Charles Handy. I like Handy because he trained as a… More
In-house lawyers it is your crisis, you must sort it out.
In my recent report on a crisis of well-being for in-house lawyers (see: http://www.lbcwisecounsel.com/downloads/LBC-Well-Being-Report-web.pdf) I am scathing of the efforts some General Counsel have made to look after the mental health of a great many in-house lawyers. In this article I won’t repeat those concerns, but instead I will identify the root causes of the… More
Let’s not walk on by
There is an apocryphal story of a father walking along a shoreline hand-in-hand with his 4 year-old daughter. He is walking briskly to get back to where the rest of the family are waiting for them. His daughter however is tugging him back pointing at hundreds and hundreds of baby starfish washed-up on the beach… More
Can we trust the GC?
“What’s your ambition son?” “Well dad, I’d like to be a plausible advisor” “Good boy. And then one day you might even be a trusted advisor too.” Please excuse my language, but WTF is a “trusted advisor”? And how the hell did it ever become something to strive for? I have an old fashioned view… More