Voice of the Client: How I Made General Counsel
It’s not unusual for lawyers to make the move from law firms to in-house legal departments. ALM has expanded its How I Made It series (How I Made Partner, How I Made Practice Group Chair, How I Made Law Firm CEO) to include How I Made General Counsel.
Each participant was asked the same questions, two of which relate to our topic this week: “What made you leave private practice?,” “What would you want from your outside counsel to help you improve your value to the C-suite?,” and “What advice would you give to a lawyer who wants to go in-house?” Here are some of the answers:
What made you leave private practice?
“A challenging and exciting opportunity arose to head a high-risk, bet-the-farm effort.” — Steven Zelinger, GC of Qolo, a fintech solutions provider in Menlo Park, California
“I loved my work at the firm as a senior M&A attorney. But in that role, I worked with a number of clients and went from deal to deal — and never got to see other aspects of what companies do. I found that, through an in-house role, I could immerse myself much more in a particular business or industry. I jumped at the general counsel role at Cigna primarily for two reasons: to work in a dynamic industry (health care) and to be part of a company that can have a positive impact on people’s lives.” Nicole Jones, executive vice president and general counsel, Cigna Corp.
“The path to becoming GC at Nelson Mullins arose when the firm asked me to do a strategic study of its GC office function. The thinking was that a fresh set of eyes from my corporate GC experience would be interesting. At the conclusion of the study, the firm asked me to take on the position and build a legal department for the future while also continuing my private practice.” — Daniel S. Sanders Jr., Partner and general counsel, Nelson Mullins, Atlanta
What would you want from your outside counsel to help you improve your value to the C-suite?
“I like an outside counsel who asks lots of questions and wants to understand the issue at hand, including the personalities involved. I want a robust dialogue with my outside counsel so issues can be brought to the forefront.” — Seslee Smith, General counsel and commercial litigation partner, Morris, Manning & Martin, Atlanta
“Willingness and ability to identify and ameliorate risks, improve upon products, services and efficiency, substantive expertise, fairness and guidance aligned with experience.” — Steven Zelinger
“Judgment and trust. In my experience it is easy to find an outside lawyer who has the technical skills to deal with a lawsuit or corporate deal, but what we prefer is someone who also understands our business, is practical and is oriented to anticipate and resolve problems, including business problems. We also prefer someone who is oriented to a ‘yes’ answer with the appropriate adjustments and guardrails.” — Daniel S. Sanders Jr.
“Like many in-house legal teams, we rely on outside counsel to supplement the expertise and services that we provide internally. I expect them to have a deep knowledge of our health care business, to be proactive and to be able to fluidly toggle back and forth between both tactical and strategic support.” — Nicole Jones
And what advice would you give to a lawyer who wants to go in-house?
“The best piece of advice that I’ve received is, ‘Don’t crucify yourself every day.’ You don’t need to be perfect. Just try to be the most fearless self you can be and not let self-doubt hold you back.” — Seslee Smith
“Going in-house is not necessarily the karmic or palliative experience often assumed; examine each opportunity on its own merits, and assess your personal fit for the role.” — Steven Zelinger
“Give in-house practice a try! At the very least, it’s a great way to round out your experience and grow your career. And be prepared to spend whatever time it takes to learn about your employer’s business. Your in-house clients will look to you not just for your legal expertise but also for your business acumen.” — Nicole Jones
Read more in the How I Made It series by subscribing to Corporate Counsel Advance to access weekly lessons read by General Counsel on Lean Adviser GC.