September 21, 2016

general counsel legal services project management in-house lawyers

In this insightful interview, Pearson’s GC Bjarne Tellmen highlights the need for legal project management (LPM) within in-house legal teams.  LPM is generally discussed with reference to traditional law firms, who are looking to increase operational and cost efficiency for clients through project managing major transactions.  However, LPM has many different guises when it comes to in-house legal teams; from creating operational and organizational efficiency, to creating work flows and risk management channels between in-house and external legal providers at the operational level.  LPM also involves  mapping out and managing all aspects of a project in terms of goals and objectives, resources, costs, risks and timescale management from the definition and planning stages through to formal closure.

For in-house legal teams, LPM should be part of your future planning and cost allocation. How you manage your team and how you manage your transactions is what will create long term efficiencies and ensure you manage risk effectively.  It is what will make your in-house team more effective, sustainable and valuable to the business for the long-term.