The corporate jungle is not for the shy. Reticent general counsel, who believe that steady but unheralded good work by the legal team will win the hearts and minds of internal clients, may be disappointed. The benefits brought about by solid legal service over time may go unnoticed and unrewarded.
Jasveer Singh, head of legal at Man Group, points out the cultural hurdles some general counsel face with his remark in the European Lawyer, Issue 91, Nov./Dec. 2009 at 40. Singh said “Lawyers are generally conservative … and they don’t like to be seen as salesman, which is sometimes how they view suggestions that they should more actively promote their contributions to the overall business.”
Don’t hide your candle under a bushel. Hold the torch aloft to shine clearly when you have added value (See my post of Jan. 30, 2008: publicity by law departments with 12 references; and June 11, 2007: publicity with 12 references.).