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Thanks To Our Houston Event Attendees And To Recommind

Thanks to our Houston panelists and guests for a successful ATL event in Houston, and some tips from in-house counsel.

By Above the Law on August 09, 2013 4:35 pm

On July 31, Above the Law hosted a well-attended panel discussion and networking reception in Houston at the St. Regis Hotel.

Katie Slater, founder of Career Infusion Coaching LLC, moderated a lively and thought-provoking discussion about what it takes to be a successful in-house attorney. Joining Katie:

  • Beth Walker, VP Business Development at Newhouse + Noblin
  • Michol Ecklund, Assistant General Counsel – International at Marathon Oil
  • Bruce Tatten, former General Counsel at Eaton Corporation
  • Michelle Grace, Associate General Counsel at Invesco Ltd.

This event, sponsored by Recommind, was a great opportunity for attendees to hear from legal leaders sharing their insights on legal success. Among the evening’s top takeaways:

Generally, to be more marketable, don’t sniff at or overlook expertise in business basics. Understand the “non-sexy” things that a business runs on legally. Understand how the business makes money.

Have an appreciation for risk. At firms, attorneys are super conservative and look at all the things that can go wrong. In-house, be aware of these risks, but take action.

Visit with colleagues to hear what they are doing/working on. Keep a conversation going with your boss – make sure they are aware of ongoing issues so there are never any surprises.

We are seeing a fundamental shift from the board to shareholders, so it’s important to understand what they want. There will be increased need for lawyers to be involved in corporate governance and securities law matters.

Lawyers have a tendency to be argumentative, so be a problem solver to gain trust. Understand the more formal reporting structure. Success means that you are valued as a true business partner and an integral part of the team.

Thanks so much to Katie, all our panelists and guests, and our sponsor, Recommind. Next up, we’ll be in Toronto on September 10. Toronto-area readers, we hope to see you there! Please RSVP here.