IN-HOUSE TOM: INDEX

I’m writing a book with the working title: IN-HOUSE TOM: a new model for the law department, law firm and C-Suite relationship – initially as a series of blogs.

You can follow the index as it builds here:

INTRODUCTION

SECTION 1.1 What is an IN-HOUSE TOM?

SECTION 1.2 Cinderellas of the boardroom & denial

SECTION 1.3 In-house independence is a contradiction in terms

SECTION 1.4 Ethical pressure, chilling fear & breathtaking acquiescence

SECTION 1.5 Litigators at heart, omertàesque silence & no #lawyersbacks

SECTION 1.6 Legal business leadership is not billable by the hour; ergo it’s not rated & not taught at law school

SECTION 1.7 More for less, ten things for seven dollars & the diving catch

SECTION 1.8 Mind the gaps between law firms, law departments and the “C-Suite”

SECTION 2.1 Step 1 – Agree the current purpose, strategy and behaviour (PSB) of “the business”

SECTION 2.2 Step 2 – Decide, don’t ask, what “the business” needs from Legal

SECTION 2.3 Step 3 Set up a Legal Operating Board to run Legal as a business, not like one

SECTION 2.4 Step 4 Sell to your Board the purpose of Legal; be ready to walk away en masse & don’t bluff

SECTION 2.5 Step 5 Invest cash in innovative providers to help close the C-Suite gap & end the in/out myth

SECTION 2.6 Step 6 Negotiate a business plan which meets business needs but honours Legal’s purpose

SECTION 2.7 Step 7 Defy law school training; use the F-word; accept the GC as CEO of Legal

SECTION 3.1 Trend 1 #ESG: Lawyers will be required to enable the relaunch of capitalism, whether they like it or not

SECTION 3.2 Trend 2 Law firm hubris: no incentives to change; gleeful at the disruption desert but “airline-type” big bang looms

SECTION 3.3 Trend 3 #Legaltech “disruption” hopes fading; “Ryanair” moment rising; state intervention hovering; purpose of law needs fixing, first

SECTION 3.4 Trend 4 Regulation: pressure for change is growing, albeit slowly

SECTION 3.5 Trend 5 The “turf war” between Compliance and Legal is escalating, especially in rapid growth businesses

SECTION 3.6 Trend 6 The well-being of lawyers remains a low priority; society pays a high price

SECTION 3.7 Trend 7 #lawyersbacks: a growing minority of lawyers are starting to, counter-intuitively, “have each others backs”

Ciarán Fenton