According to Mahlab's New South Wales managing director Lisa Gazib, the growing regulatory environment is one of the key reasons why many companies are choosing to bring in a sole legal counsel. 'I think it's getting people who have the knowledge of the business who can provide on tap legal advice and help the business navigate the regulatory environment,' Ms Gazib commented of the trend.
Unique Challenges
According to the report, sole legal counsel face a unique set of challenges in their work, not least the limited resources on offer to them as a one-person department. They must also have a wide range of knowledge and expertise in order to service the diverse legal needs of companies. Going it alone requires a creative flair for making more from less, as well as the skills and knowledge necessary to change hats as situations arise—no small order for a single lawyer.
'All sole legal counsel said that their role was very hands on and that it was very broad in scope, unlike larger legal teams where you might have lawyers who specialise in a particular type of work,' Ms Gazib said of the report's findings. 'Legal counsel were faced with a challenge when it comes to managing expectations, they have been very innovative.'
Seeking Support
Running a legal department of one can be a lonely business. There's a tendency for sole legal counsel to feel isolated from the rest of the business, and those who go it alone often must look outside the company for extra legal support. According to Mahlab's roundtable, dedicated networking and maintaining strong working relationships with outside legal providers are common tactics used by lone legal counsel to maintain links with other legal professionals. They also reported a preference for working with boutiques rather than larger legal service providers, while firms with flexible billing options and capped rates were also seen as a plus.
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