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The ministry`s strategy will ultimately provide the legal department with a clear understanding of short- and long-term objectives, as well as a clearly defined path to achieve these objectives. Depending on the wishes, new technologies and management tools can be used so that the department can easily adapt to the „predictable surprises“ of a changing business. We would work closely with your team to develop a legal strategy outlined in a strategic plan that includes specific priorities and follow-up with metrics and timelines to measure progress. This process would include: The most efficient and effective legal departments have formal strategic plans – and support the objectives of the legal department – that are consistent and strongly aligned with their respective business organizations. The strategy is about making decisions about „where to play“, how to operate best and „how to win“. The aim is for the legal department to exploit its full organisational and functional potential. The strategic planning of the legal department has shifted from the „nice to have“ to the „must have“ of the powerful in-house legal organization. In fact, departments that use the excuse „we are too busy with day-to-day life to find time to plan“ will only fall behind „peer“ departments and competitors who have a conscious plan to focus resources and efforts. To address these many management, legal, financial and organizational challenges – and clarify the objectives of the in-house legal department – in-house legal leaders must establish a role that goes beyond simply overseeing legal matters, overseeing operations, and allocating resources. Without a governance framework aligned with the company`s business strategy, legal departments can underinvest in areas that are very important to the business. Legal departments are subject to the same forces of change that have led companies to transform structures and processes into product development, operations, sales and more. Changes in the legal ecosystem include unprecedented technological advances, a new wave of corporate disputes, and the changing career expectations of their fellow lawyers. To attract and retain talent, operate effectively, and support the organization`s mission, legal counsel should take a fresh look at their organization`s structure.

Bjarne Tellmann: Focus on business. The first step in alignment is to understand the company`s strategy. Most high-performing companies have a multi-level strategic planning process that starts at the macro level and identifies significant trends that are likely to impact the business over 10 years. Then, they translate how these trends are likely to affect the next three years and then the next 12 months. So, to be aligned with the business, the legal leadership team must be deeply familiar with how their organization develops its strategy and how it defines success at each level. Bjarne Tellmann: It depends on the experience and skills of the person in the position. Our Chief Legal Officer is part of my leadership team and is the Chief Strategy Officer, so he plays an important role in the entire process. There is a lot of information and feedback that needs to be gathered and organized before we meet to develop our strategy. He leads the day-to-day efforts to ensure that all the basic work is done well and on time. Once the strategic plan has gone through several iterations, the strategy team should meet with external partners, including external counsel and alternative legal service providers. I must emphasize how important it is to have these suppliers at the table.

As partners, they need to have a clear picture of our vision, priorities and how we measure our success. We also need to learn what they need from us. Bjarne Tellmann: The overall goal of a strategy is to articulate how the department creates added value for the company. The process by which the plan is developed is the most disciplined and data-driven exercise to align the legal department`s goals with the company`s strategic goals. Without a legal roadmap, your in-house legal team is trapped in „busy work“ and unable to make significant or meaningful improvements. However, some companies are making positions more attractive by opening up career paths and upskilling opportunities. Careers in a corporate legal department typically begin three to five years after graduation and training at a law firm. Any strategic plan for corporate legal services is a tailor-made process that is customized to the needs of your legal department and, if desired, can be easily integrated into your department and team retreat. Mountaintop takes care of researching, analyzing, planning and moderating your strategic plan.

We need your team`s input on important background information and to attend working sessions to evaluate solutions. After presenting your final written roadmap, we will conclude this ascent with a presentation from our Getting a Trusted Business Advisor Training Ascent to support team execution and the continued success of your strategic planning efforts. This interactive training takes place in a 90-120 minute format and includes a formal presentation, group discussion and interactive group exercises. We train lawyers to go beyond the big legal practice by adopting a business mindset and thinking like strategic, solution-oriented business consultants, giving your team the skills and confidence they need to become effective team members and improve performance. This training climb can also be exchanged or adapted to the needs of your team. Legal plan aligned with corporate strategy and other key stakeholders of the organization (horizontal and vertical alignment) General Counsel can use several metrics to measure lawyers` performance. Among the most important are the number of cases opened and closed, the amount spent on external legal services and the cycle time per case. You can articulate the functional purpose and value of your service by defining corresponding objectives and key results that align with the company`s objectives. It can also help set benchmarks for the department and show how it compares to other departments in the company.

In particular, you need to track internal expenses on legal affairs, external expenses on legal affairs, and total combined expenses as a percentage of the company`s revenue. When it comes to hiring, developing and retaining top talent, corporate legal departments must compete with law firms and the public sector, even though many law graduates do not consider in-house positions to be their first choice (Figure 5). Many rightly believe that promotions within a legal department can be rare. Increasingly, mid- and senior-level positions are now filled by lawyers in private practice. This mostly one-sided traffic from private practice to industry means that many qualified individuals can compete for an open position, making it increasingly difficult for in-house lawyers to climb the ladder. Similarly, you need to consider the effectiveness of contract management, eDiscovery projects processed, the number of documents reviewed, or legal issues considered for legal operations employees. Bjarne Tellmann: They are codependent. A department anchored by a clear purpose and strategy has specific cultural traits, including a commitment to the business, a deep understanding of the business, and a willingness to learn, experiment, change, and adapt.