Page 34 - CCCA 247020 Magazine Spring 2016

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tAble For one:

liFe As A solo in-house Counsel

By Catherine Chow

Over a quarter of Canadian law departments are made up of
only one in-house counsel, who is typically supported by one,
maybe two legal assistants. as this trend continues to grow,
the management of solo departments has taken on a more
professional approach, with solo practitioners sharing their
experiences and advice with each other.

he experience of being a solo is di- business strategies. Therefore, it is im-
verse because of the vast differences perative that solos organize and lead their
tin the types of industries and sizes of generalist practice effciently to safeguard
companies in which we work. However, time for the new, often more interesting
a few key commonalities emerge: we all business work with the executive team.
face the same challenges of defning our When I started as a solo, I needed to
roles within the company, fguring out set co-workers’ expectations as well as the
ways to engage external counsel (prefer- department’s budget to align with a sub-
ably cheaply) and maintaining order by stantial reliance on external counsel. Any
ourselves. After 10 years as The Keg’s solo inclination to keep as much work as pos-
in-house counsel, I have learned a few sible in-house to save money or add value
strategic lessons in managing the com- needs to be curbed at the outset. Other-
pany’s legal and business needs effectively. wise, the very opposite results: interesting
First, it is essential to set expectations and complex legal work is outsourced to
for what a solo can do. The sheer volume senior partners at a high cost because the
of routine paperwork coupled with spe- solo is trounced under routine compli-
cial projects can be crushing. Most solos ance matters that could have been done
have a comprehensive generalist practice: economically by junior lawyers or parale-
they draft and negotiate all types of con- gals at external frms. Solos are not hired
tracts; manage litigation and regulatory to do all the legal work; rather, solos are
compliance; and handle employment/ expected to manage all the internal and
HR, insurance and risk management for external legal services the company re-
the entire company. And if that weren’t quires. As The Keg’s solo, if I am not do-
enough, a signifcant portion of time is ing the work myself, my primary role is
spent with the company’s executive team to frame assignments effectively to obtain
planning, analyzing and implementing the best results.

34 CCCa MaGazInE | SPRInG 2016 PRInTEMPS