64 LEXPERT MAGAZINE
|
JANUARY 2013
IN-HOUSE ADVISOR
Lawyers go in-house to be part of the business.
How do you ensure the rest of the business sees the
legal department that way? BY BEV CLINE
UILDING A CULTURE FOR EFFECTIVE use of the legal department
by his organization was top of mind for Steven Trumper in 2011 when
he signed on as the first general counsel at Build Toronto Inc.
To his way of thinking, "a critical part of the success of the in-house
counsel position is facilitating the exchange of information," says
Trumper. So he set out to build a culture that supports that exchange
"through a critical suite of tools: an open door policy that encourages people to drop
in, a comfortable physical environment, and an organizational culture where internal
business units view Legal as a business partner and perceive it as adding value."
First step, to build a culture where the business people want to come to talk to in-
house counsel. "I think Legal has to earn respect from the business team. I don't think
you can demand respect or put into place some kind of protocol that requires people to
come to talk to you," says Trumper.
e number one way to earn respect, he says, is by providing business-friendly legal
advice, speaking to the business in terms they understand, but at the same time always
recognizing that your job is to manage legal risk. So it's more a matter of "'let's go and
talk to Steve, because he might have a good idea,' as opposed to 'let's go talk to Steve
because there's some policy that says Legal has to check a box before we can sign off.'"
B
ILLUSTRATION
BY
DANIEL
STOLLE
BUSINESS CULTURE
Building Legal's
