In this piece from Ross Booher and Tim Haley of Latitude, which provides talent to law firms and legal departments for interim roles such as secondments, despite the generally favorable view of secondments, the reality often is quite different. “Law firm secondment arrangements are symbiotic when the goals of firm and client are aligned,” Booher and Haley write. “But there are many instances—most of the time, actually—where the disadvantages of secondments outweigh the benefits.” For example, for clients, many secondees are junior lawyers or more senior lawyers with zero in-house experience. Rather, they are trained in the no-stone-unturned approach of Big Law, which takes time. “Law departments, on the other hand, are required to work at the speed of business,” they write. “In-house counsel need to provide actionable answers, often immediately, consistent with the business objectives and risk tolerance of the company. The shift between the law firm style of practice and in-house practice often takes time and training – yet legal departments often turn to secondments because they need an attorney who can begin taking work off others’ plates immediately.” Read more about the “secondment trap” here.
Published July 26, 2021.
