ARTICLE
28 October 2024

Professional Growth In In-House Departments

RV
Russin & Vecchi

Contributor

Russin & Vecchi was founded in Asia over 60 years ago. We have offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. We work with global clients and with international law firms. From entry strategy to operations, we help clients navigate the complex and changing Vietnamese regulatory framework. We deliver creative, compliant, and practical solutions.
The opportunities for in-house law departments to grow in awareness, to share skills, to learn from others, and to prepare for the future are endless and the rewards are large.
Vietnam Strategy

The opportunities for in-house law departments to grow in awareness, to share skills, to learn from others, and to prepare for the future are endless and the rewards are large.

  • Outside counsel are enthusiastic about having positive offline access to their client. Invite them to do informal briefings of the in-house team--and other teams--on topics of interest to the in-house departments: rules on hiring foreigners, privacy, legally mandated safety rules for manufacturers, tax obligations on cross border sales and more. Give them plenty of time, cross examine them. In addition to learning, it creates trust and makes communications easier.
  • There is often limited internal cross-training among company departments whether formal or informal. Informal communications areoften quite effective. It's an opportunity for in-house legal teams to learn more about operational issues. In-house legal teams can be the catalyst.
  • People with a certain skill set can be persuaded to share their skills. For example, people skilled in the technical development of new products can loop in persons from, say, marketing or transportation. This helps people move out of their silo and broadens their view of the business.
  • Continuous learning can go beyond immediate needs. Lawyers in law departments can take initiatives not yet considered by the corporation itself. They can be agents of change. For example, whistleblowing systems are used but not broadly for midsized companies. They help protect the entity and there is much information available on how to institute and manage them. In-house counsel can step up and present new options. Sometimes new options need a champion.
  • Temporary internal secondment continues to grow. An in-house lawyer can serve for a time in other departments--say, manufacturing, sales, personnelto broaden skills and awareness. The experience will add an important dimension to the legal team.
  • There are many teaching programs aimed at in-house counsel to enhance skills—financial analysis, presenting to a group, research skills, new technology, managing contacts and the like.

The opportunities are wide and broad. The larger challenge is often to take the first step outside of a comfort zone.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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