Page 2 - Sheppard Mullin Alumni News Newsletter_Winter 2021

• ALUMNI NEWS • WINTER 2021
CLIENT SERVICE TIPS FROM WOMEN ALUMNI IN-HOUSE COUNSEL
Sheppard Mullin’s Women Lawyers Group held a virtual panel for all women lawyers on the “Do’s and Don’ts of Client Service with SMRH Alumni In-House Counsel “ on December 15. The in-house counsel alumni shared their advice on best practices for client service, including how to build and maintain client relationships, why clients keep coming back and how to gain the trust of clients.
The panel was moderated by Del Mar partner Marisa Miller and included Sheppard Mullin women alumni from our Southern California offices who are now in-house counsel at leading corporations including:
Jacqueline (“Jaxy”) Luther
Assistant General Counsel, ABM Industries (formerly Litigation Partner,
Orange County Office, 2011-2021)
Rachel Miller
Senior Counsel, Sempra Energy (formerly Employment Associate, San Diego Office, 2008-2013)
Ashley Roberts
Senior Legal Counsel M&A, Qualcomm (formerly Corporate Associate, Del Mar Office, 2012-2017)
Dina Segal
Assistant General Counsel, Intuit (formerly Corporate Associate, Del Mar Office, 2012-2015)
Here are some tips they shared which may be helpful to lawyers working with in-house counsel.
Most Important Qualities of Outside Counsel
Quality legal services are the table stakes to working for global companies, but other attributes are also very important. Great customer service, including responsiveness, is key.
Jaxy Luther of ABM noted, “It’s really about client service. I liken it to if you go to a great restaurant and the food is wonderful, but if the service is terrible, you’ll leave dissatisfied. That’s where the difference is: you want great customer service, so you want responsiveness and attentiveness to your matters.”
Jaxy commented that at Sheppard Mullin, the “Clients First” program where lawyers were asked to step into their client’s shoes to understand the big picture, was spot on.
Collaboration is also crucial. The panelists recommended taking a practical business approach – including recommending smart risks and benchmarking how other companies are thinking about the same issues. Being clear on deliverables up front is also very important, whether it be a quick call or getting something in writing. Real relationships are built through working together in the trenches and learning the preferences of each individual client.
Gaining Trust of In-House Counsel
Building trust is giving actionable recommendations. Clients may not agree on the advice, but to offer what you think makes sense in the situation goes a long way to helping the in-house counsel be successful.
Making the in-house counsel look good also helps to gain their trust, such as offering to be the “bad cop” to break disappointing news to management. Or consider having one person take ownership in a deal, as that can prove to be extremely helpful, especially when it involves multiple practices (IP, corporate, tax, antitrust, etc.).
Matter Update Frequency
When asked how often outside counsel should update their clients, it really depends on the matter and the in-house counsel preferences. For example, Jaxy is a litigator so she wants see all the briefs, the tentative rulings, wants to be involved with the litigation strategy and the dynamics going forward of each matter. For her, real time communications are preferred and she is never upset that outside counsel communicate too much.
If related to a product launch, communication is key to keeping the project on schedule to move the business forward because it feeds into the broader work scheme.
Associates can start establishing trust by asking how often in- house counsel need project updates. By asking how often in- house counsel need to report to management, outside counsel can better gauge how often they should be updating case assessments.
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