‘In-House Lowdown’ is a series of blog posts designed to help lawyers navigate the in-house world. Its observations are based on my 20+ years as a General Counsel, spent managing legal teams and herding assorted breeds of corporate cats.

Law firm life got you miserable?  Plan on moving in-house to elevate your mood?

That might be the perfect remedy.  Or it might bring you equal levels of misery (just in new and different ways).  You’ll have a better shot at predicting the likely outcome if — before making your move — you understand the fundamental differences between in-house life and private practice.

To be good at their jobs, in-house lawyers need to develop a new set of muscles:  Some of the skills and behaviors that have earned them rich rewards in their law firm are going to be irrelevant –- or even destructive –- inside a company’s legal team. Continue reading →