Masterclass recognises in-house lawyers at DLA Piper
Jun 17 2009 by Tom Scotney, Birmingham Post
A masterclass for in-house lawyers on how to improve their work by increasing visibility, credibility and influence within their businesses, was hosted by international law firm DLA Piper in Birmingham.
The event explored strategies for individuals to raise their profile, enhance their influence with colleagues and gain recognition for their contribution. It also looked at performing better in meetings, collaborating more with key players and sharing ideas and good practice.
The session was aimed at recognising that in-house lawyers provide very valuable contributions to business but sometimes the contribution is not as visible as it might be.
The event was run by the Midlands region of the Commerce & Industry group, with the presentation – entitled ‘Increasing the Internal Influence of In-house Counsel’ – given by Kate Fleming, of consultants Huthwaite Fleming, who specialise in the personal development of lawyers.
She said: “In the current economic climate, organisations are scrutinising every area of cost and it is important that every department or division can demonstrate value.”
The event, which was held at DLA Piper’s Birmingham office on Victoria Square, was hosted as part of the firm’s WIN (What In-House Lawyers Need) initiative, which is an ongoing project aimed at providing support, assistance and education for in-house lawyers.
Neil Bowker, DLA Piper’s Birmingham office head of Litigation and Regulatory, said: “Our aim is to create a masterclass environment for in-house lawyers, with a programme of educational and networking events with a series of targeted, informative material. This event was very informative and provided a great opportunity for in-house lawyers to exchange views on an important aspect of career development.”
The event also marked the arrival of the new Midlands region commerce and industry group chair, Florian Mattinson of Müller Dairy, who takes over from Jo Morgan of IMI.
He said: “I am delighted to be involved with the C&I Group in the Midlands. We will endeavour to organise more successful events of this nature, since in-house lawyers are often not able to find the time to invest whilst at work in these ‘soft skills’.”
DLA Piper is the largest law firm to have a presence in Birmingham.
