Resource planning effectively with your law firm

It all begins with planning

It may not be the most thrilling or glamorous word, but arguably nothing determines the success or failure of any venture more than planning. From small boutique specialists to global giants, all law firms only have limited additional capacity – just like their counterparts in-house. As a result, the first thing that can get in the way of this symbiotic arrangement between law firms and GCs is a lack of planning or foresight that leads to repeated last-minute and ad-hoc requests that the law firm – which like any commercial organisation is invariably managing its own limited resources – might struggle to meet.

Communicate early and often

Keeping your firm up to date on movements in your team can help to ensure that the resource you need is there when you need it. This is easy to achieve. Simply have a rolling agenda item about it at every relationship review or plan a specific resource planning meeting to look at the months or year ahead. Whatever way you choose to do so, the important thing is to maintain an open two-way dialogue so that you can share news about maternity or paternity cover, departures from your team or internal promotions, and your external law firm can also share their resource availability for secondments or offer other solutions.

GCs should also consider their own availability

If you’re a GC, head of legal affairs or other decision-maker in the legal team, think also about planning and processes in the event that you are away from the office for a period of time – particularly if it’s unexpected. Who will your team go to for support and supervision in your absence? This is another instance where forming a good relationship with your law firm can pay real dividends.

Think outside the box when it comes to how your resource need is met

Much like their in-house peers, law firms also have to balance their own resources. While it may be impossible for a firm to provide exactly what the internal team would like – such as a full-time cover at the touch of a button — creativity and flexibility on both sides often leads to a solution. Could a secondee be onboarded in a job share capacity for 3 days a week? Once again, the better your firm understands about your team, the better the solutions they’ll be able to offer.

Don’t overlook practicalities and logistics

Often forgotten, especially when the pressure is on, are the mundane but not unimportant questions such as “where will the secondee work – remotely or on site?”, “will they need a laptop and email address, an access pass, anything else?” and “how long does IT need to arrange everything?”. Avoid delays on urgent projects by thinking ahead and taking care of all practicalities and logistics.

Ensure there is a shared understanding

Both parties should always have a clear shared understanding of what’s expected of the secondee. If the work, for example, is set to involve complex and high-pressure situations then a newly qualified secondee is evidently not an ideal choice. Also consider the working conditions they’ll experience. If the secondee is a parent to a young child, then bringing them in on a project that requires multiple late- or all-nighters is unlikely to be a practical choice.

The flip side is that the opportunity to be seconded to work in-house is a highly attractive one for many lawyers. Indeed, at Walker Morris our approach is to always examine how we can make it a win-win-win situation: for our client, for our firm and for the individual in question. This way they can develop in their own career, build a deeper and broader understanding of our clients and the profession.

Word will get around

In our experience, nearly all secondees have an overwhelmingly positive experience while working in-house. And they soon share their experiences with their peers at our firm and beyond. So, the more you can support and create a good experience for secondees, the more likely it is that you will have an abundance of lawyers who’ll be excited to come and work with you – making it that bit easier for you to have the right resources when required.