Let’s get personal
In this the second article in a series on the role and development of in-house lawyers in a changing professional and market landscape, Paul Gilbert takes an in-depth look at personal development. The first article “The trouble with in-house lawyers” which introduces the imperative for change – can be read via this link. Continuous professional… More
All change
I had to make a presentation on change …I started with a nice simple request: “Please put a hand up if you are comfortable with change” …Fifty people in several rows in front of me and about half the people looked around anxiously and shuffled on their seats; the other half with varying degrees of… More
The trouble with in-house lawyers
The in-house lawyer has become a mainstay of the head office support infrastructure. Alongside Finance, Marketing, HR, Audit and Facilities Management, the in-house legal team is part of the predictable fabric of corporate and public sector overhead. Their value is understood and appreciated in the context of risk management (contracts, deals, terms and conditions) and… More
Leadership is the best of you, visible and heard…
There will be nothing new here, read quickly and move on. At least that is what I think whenever I see the word “leadership” in the title to an article or book. How could there be anything new, it must be the most hacked about, cliché riddled and platitudinous subject ever written about – the… More
Legal services – a perfectly designed system…
I am regularly asked to speak at partner conferences and in workshops on the theme of “what do clients really want?”…But faced with such a theme it is hard not to dive straight into the deep end of platitudes and banality. A few years ago I attended two seminars given by an American consultant, Aubrey… More
An Olympic hope and dream fulfilled
There will be so much written in the days, weeks and months to come about the impact of the London Olympics. Very clever people will write about legacy, a moment in history and the impact from a socio-economic perspective. Soon politicians will justify every decision and policy on the basis of its alignment with Olympic… More
A brilliant new initiative in dispute resolution in the United Kingdom: “RPS Solutions” is launched
I am seeking support for a brand new and I consider absolutely brilliant dispute resolution initiative. The initiative will be launched shortly and will be known as: “RPS Solutions”. Note the name – it will be game changing. We have researched the market extensively and RPS Solutions seeks to address the fundamental concerns of consumers… More
Shall we comply with the law?
The Compliance team is often seen as the poor relation to the in-house legal team in a business; but I suspect this is all about to change. Imagine asking any Board director “Would you please specify the laws and regulations that apply to your business that you will be choosing not to comply with in… More
Fed up of the free training farago…
I’may seem a bit ranty on this, but frankly this is a subject long overdue for a good kicking. Law firms offer free training to clients and contacts. The way this works is that typically clients rock up for a breakfast or an evening session for a croissant or a canapé and an hour or… More
“I’m no judge…”
In the summer of 1981 I worked on a building site. It was the summer of Botham’s Ashes and Lady Di’s wedding; of bad hair, big shoulders and terrible music. But the weather was wonderful and in my small corner of the world there was some great lads, great banter, huge mugs of tea, the… More