Secondments are valuable for law firms and corporations alike. But they represent a significant investment of time, money and effort, at a time when all three are in short supply. So it is important to make secondments as successful as possible for firms, clients and the individual seconded lawyer. Welcome to the first of two blogs on how to maximize the value of secondments.
First Things First, Why Second?
For Clients
Secondments are useful for clients for a variety of reasons. In these days of corporate cost-cutting and expectations that more will be done with less, secondments are a good way for clients to:
- manage temporary leaves of absence (parental leaves);
- get access to a specialist skillset in-house, without having to make a permanent hire;
- obtain extra resources needed to complete a special project (eg. assistance on a large transaction);
For Law Firms
Secondments are also very valuable for law firms. They present a unique opportunity to learn more about a client (eg. its business, priorities, culture) and to build deeper relationships with the legal group and other business leaders. Secondments also:
- build client loyalty (which is at a premium these days)
- allow the firm to learn more about the client’s key legal challenges and thereby gain insight into how the firm might expand the scope of legal services it provides; and
- Distinguish the firm from others in terms of its experience and expertise (which is valuable for pitches and RFPs).
For Seconded Lawyer
The individual lawyer can also reap significant benefits from a secondment. It can be a terrific learning experience because:
- you get to see the lawyer/client relationship from the client’s perspective – you develop a strong understanding about the challenges in-house counsel face and what they want from external counsel;
- you can hone a different set of legal skills. Typically, secondees get more experience than associates do on the front line advising clients. Because of the proximity to the client, you are more likely to learn the importance of providing business-friendly legal advice (ie advice that is practical, solution-oriented, clear and concise). Also, because the questions you face tend to be more broad, you become better able to deal with questions that are outside your expertise;
- you gain an appreciation that legal issues are just one small part of larger business problems;
- after the secondment, with the benefit of your experience and relationships, you are an obvious choice for external counsel. You know the business, the key stakeholders, the client’s risk tolerance and will have earned the client’s confidence;
- you get to experience an alternative to a law firm career and may even receive an offer to join the corporation. Even if you do not want or get a job offer, your experience will help you attract an in-house opportunity, if you want it, in the future.
Stay tuned for my next blog on the challenges of secondments and tips on how to make them a success.
If you’d like more information about maximizing the value of secondments, please contact us at hilary.clarke@potentiacoaching.ca.