Aligning Legal Services With Client Priorities

I’ve seen lawyers win cases and lose clients in the same week. The result was in their favor, the silence wasn’t. Because here’s the truth: clients rarely walk away over a lost argument. They walk when they feel unheard, uninformed, or blindsided on fees. So, I started asking one simple question at the beginning of every deal: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴?” And then, 2 things shifted: - My every advice landed, because it was tied to their interests, not just their legal positions. - Expectations stayed grounded, even when emotions ran high. It is like waiting for an online order. The package might arrive safely, but without tracking updates, every day feels uncertain. Seeing “out for delivery” gives peace of mind. The same goes for your client communication. Here’s a 7-step rhythm you can steal and repeat monthly on long matters: 1. 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: “Here’s where we are compared to the outcome you defined.” It keeps emotions tied to agreed goals, not assumptions. 2. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁: 3 quick bullets - what’s done, what’s in motion, what risks we see ahead. 3. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: Fees-to-date vs. the estimate. Simple and transparent - so no shocks down the line. 4. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Lay out Options A, B, C and give your recommendation. Clients value choice, but they hire you for judgment. 5. 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: “What helped? Anything to change?” This real-time adjustment avoids silent frustration. 6. 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀: Who owns what, and by when. Confidence rises when responsibilities are crystal clear. Tiny touches send a huge signal: note their format preferences, cadence, pet topics. Add thoughtful “think-of-you” pings - like a relevant case, regulation update, or even that classical concert they mentioned. Clients forget memos. They remember how you made them feel: clear, in control, and cared for. What’s one simple rhythm you’ve used to build client trust without needing more time?

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗚𝗖𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖-𝗦𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 They're wrong. This is what they actually expect… For years, I’ve asked my C-suite peers this question: "𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿?" The answers surprised me. They didn’t want more memos. They didn’t want more case law. Here’s what I’ve learned they wanted me to do: 1/ 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 ⤷ Align advice with vision and growth goals ⤷ Turn complexity into clarity under pressure ⤷ Tell hard truths, even when they sting ⤷ Spot risks before they hit the business ⤷ Command respect in the boardroom 2/ 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 ⤷ Eliminate financial surprises from litigation or fines ⤷ Impose fiscal discipline on the legal budget ⤷ Tie legal risk to cost, revenue, valuation ⤷ Control outside counsel spend with predictability ⤷ Support deals, M&A, and capital readiness 3/ 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 ⤷ Keep operations moving with pragmatic solutions ⤷ Strip friction from contracts and approvals ⤷ Spot supply chain and delivery risks early ⤷ Escalate only what truly needs attention ⤷ Be a partner in execution, not a bottleneck 4/ 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 ⤷ Accelerate deals while managing legal risk ⤷ Flag contract and regulatory landmines early ⤷ Build flexible contracts and sales playbooks ⤷ Align legal with go-to-market strategy ⤷ Safeguard trust with customers and partners 5/ 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 ⤷ Speak fluently on IP, data, AI, cybersecurity ⤷ Clear legal paths that enable innovation ⤷ Keep tech roadmaps regulatory-ready ⤷ Move fast on digital transformation contracts ⤷ Lead crisis playbooks for breaches or disputes 6/ 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 ⤷ Design people-first compliance policies ⤷ Show judgment in sensitive HR matters ⤷ Balance risk while enabling initiatives ⤷ Reinforce ethics and company values ⤷ Guide the board on succession and compensation The lesson? GCs who only give advice stay invisible. GCs who remove barriers become indispensable. Too many stay in the “advice bubble.” The few who break out? They amplify the entire C-suite. Here’s my challenge to you: Ask your execs what they really need. Then deliver. That’s how legal stops being “support”… …and starts being 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰. 𝗣.𝗦. This is what I have derived from my conversations. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁? ♻️ Like and Repost to help other lawyers grow. 🔔 Follow Adrian Moffatt for more in-house insights. #Leadership #GeneralCounsel #CSuite #inhousecounsel

I recently had lunch with the CHRO of a Fortune 100 company. They were direct. “We are frustrated. The business is frustrated with our new hires in legal.” They had recruited aggressively. AmLaw 50 partners. Former Department of Justice lawyers. Impeccable credentials. But a year in, the feedback was the same. Too cautious. Too many issues. Not enough answers. They could not understand why these exceptional lawyers were not excelling at their company. I told them it is simple. Legal is different. Not special. Different. In most functions, the job translates. A finance leader leaves a Big Four firm for corporate finance. Same job. Different client. A marketing executive moves from an agency to an in house team. Same core craft. A communications leader leaves a public relations firm for corporate. Same mandate. Legal does not work that way. When a lawyer moves from private practice or government into a corporate legal department, the technical foundation transfers. The definition of success changes dramatically. Outside the company, excellence means spotting every issue, identifying every possible risk, caveating advice, vigorously advocating for a position. Precision and protection are rewarded. Inside the company, excellence means judgment. Prioritizing the risks that matter. Giving clear guidance. Aligning with commercial goals. Moving the business forward. You are no longer paid to win the legal argument. You are paid to help the company win. That requires a significant behavioral and mindset shift. They paused. “No one has ever framed it that way for me,” they said. That was the turning point. This was not a hiring failure. It was a transition failure. So we focused on solutions. Leading companies do not assume great outside lawyers will automatically become great in house lawyers. They build structured transitions. They create onboarding that teaches how the company makes money, how risk is evaluated at the enterprise level, and how decisions actually get made. They train lawyers to calibrate risk instead of catalog it. They coach them to replace long memos with clear recommendations. They equip legal leaders to give feedback on judgment, influence, and business alignment, not just technical accuracy. They make the behavioral and mindset shift explicit. When companies do this, something changes. The same lawyers who once sounded cautious begin to sound strategic. The business stops viewing legal as an obstacle and starts seeing it as a partner. Legal is not special. It is different. And when companies develop lawyers for the role they actually play in house, legal becomes a competitive advantage.

Here’s my favourite question to ask GCs: “How do you ensure your legal function aligns with the priorities of the business?” I asked it recently to the GC at a high-growth fintech. She responded: “I spend half my time with the exec team or sitting in on sales huddles and product meetings. Because, if I don’t understand where we’re going, how can legal help us get there?” It was a sharp answer, because alignment starts with knowledge. But it also comes down to action. What do you do with that knowledge? For me, it’s this: Treat legal like a business unit. Run the legal team as an efficient extension of the business, driving it toward the outcomes that matter. Easier said than done, I know. Law school didn’t teach us this. But things start to shift when legal begins asking the right questions: How can we move faster? Operate leaner? Support better? Scale smarter? That kind of thinking changes how legal shows up in the business. Processes get streamlined. Legal support becomes embedded in the teams where decisions are being made. And you get the right lawyer, at the right price, doing the right work. Because alignment isn’t measured by having a seat at the table. It’s about whether you’re driving outcomes that the business cares about. So here’s another tough question: Does your legal function operate like a business?

I recently had the privilege of moderating and contributing my thoughts before a dynamic panel discussion on “𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬”, bringing together leaders who are reshaping the traditional view of legal, from being a cost centre to a value driver. A survey of 50 multi-national companies revealed that 97 % believe the legal function should align its success metrics with business goals. Approximately 74% respondents consider it important for legal to actively contribute to revenue generation and new market opportunities. This indicates a strong perception among major global companies that legal functions can add significant value beyond traditional risk management. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝟓 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬: · 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬: No business can survive without superior customer service and experience so invest time in understanding each stakeholder’s world. Speak to the audience in a language they best understand. Provide bespoke solutions and be seen as an approachable partner who is known for embedding themselves in early-stage planning and offering pragmatic, solution-oriented counsel. Client trust comes through investing in the relationships, emotional insight, expectation management and reassurance in times of crisis. ·   𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 : Invest significant time and energy in understanding the founder and company’s journey, the core business product, its key features, profit & loss statement and balance sheet. It enables legal teams to swiftly visualise the big picture, understand the immediate impact on business and identify and solve for risks ahead of time. ·   𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 : Businesses operate across jurisdictions which means operating between diverse sectoral laws. Legal teams today therefore, serve not just as risk mitigators, but proactive consultants anticipating regulatory shifts, legislative changes and geopolitical movements thereby spotting new business opportunities, and guiding leadership in strategic decisions. ·   𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 : AI and Tech are enablers allowing faster transition from reactive, manual work to high value work enhancing efficiency, foresight, and strategic impact across the functions. Tools accelerate work flows, improve speed & accuracy, monitor regulatory behaviour and trends and flag inconsistencies in documentations. The result is high quality advise, better client experience, resource optimisation and cost efficiency. ·   𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐔𝐩𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: Investing in mentorship, training, knowledge management, upskilling and succession planning empowers business to leverage talent in times of operational disruption, stalled strategic initiatives, or decision paralysis. It helps retain institutional knowledge and ensure that qualified, prepared individuals are ready to step in, preserving momentum and stability. Law Ninjas #thoughtleadership #generalcounsels #leadership

During periods of economic uncertainty and market turmoil, double-down on your existing client relationships. This is not to say you should stop pursuing new client relationships, but certainly don't fall victim to "shiny new client syndrome" and fail to take care of what you already have. - Do great work for your existing clients. - Make sure you're providing excellent client service/experience. - Invest off-the-clock time to learn about the client's business strategy. - Proactively reach out to understand how economic challenges are specifically impacting your client's industry or business model. - Create targeted value-adds like customized legal updates or briefings that address your clients' emerging concerns. - Consider flexible fee arrangements for long-standing clients facing budget constraints - Schedule periodic strategic reviews with key clients to realign your services with their evolving needs - Continue to look for opportunities to introduce your clients to colleagues with different skill sets. Your existing client relationships represent your greatest asset during market turbulence. Over-invest in these relationships. The personal connections you nurture during difficult times often yield loyalty that outlasts any economic cycle.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 The best in-house legal teams don't try to do everything. They focus on what truly moves the needle. After two decades of working with legal departments, here's what I've learned drives real impact: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 • Create frameworks for recurring issues • Build practical playbooks teams will actually use • Save time and energy for the big, strategic challenges 2️⃣ 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 • Tie legal work to company priorities • Balance risk against business impact • Support growth, not just compliance 3️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 • Work with external counsel who understand your business • Look for practical solutions, not just legal analysis • Build partnerships that add real value 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝗻: Map your team's work against business priorities. What's eating up time but adding little strategic value? Focusing on what matters most—not doing it all—is how great legal teams make their mark. What's one way your team prioritizes high-value work? I'd love to hear your approach. --- 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯-𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮? 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘊𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵. 𝘓𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴.