Overview:

A disruptive, scaling Telecoms company operating in the highly competitive home broadband market was seeking to bring in a new Head of Legal to transform how the legal function operated within the business, change the company’s perception of Legal, and play a business critical role in navigating a turbulent next 12 months. The direct approach and other agencies had failed to bring the right candidates in to the process.

Challenges:

There were numerous challenges to the brief:

1. The external optics of the company. Everyone within the business was extremely positive about their direction of travel, but the press had created a clear narrative of a struggling/failing business in need of rescue.
2. The incumbent would be inheriting a function that did not have the impact that a legal team should. Key work was outsourced, internal relationships had not been built. This would need a senior lawyer capable of winning hearts and minds, improving reputation and materially changing working patterns.
3. A rather unique skill set would be required. A broad combination of Commercial and Corporate work as well as a practice background in Restructuring matters.
4. The position was heavily location dependent. The scale of change, the need for a close working relationship with an ambitious, commercial FD who championed the importance of a good legal function, combined with the company having a junior Counsel they had identified as having great potential that they wanted to nurture, meant that the candidate would need to be fairly local.

Approach:

The critical nature of the hire, combined with time pressures and key senior stakeholder involvement necessitated an in-person brief at their office so that I could get a feel for where the search had been stalling. The FD wanted what they described as a “commercial sparring partner” who could support on company strategy whilst also revamping the day-to-day legal function. It was clear that the FD and HRD had an impressive understanding of what they were looking for, so a first port of call was to discuss candidates they had seen, liked and hadn’t quite got over the line to see where there may be a disconnect.

It became apparent that they had been approaching a certain profile of lawyer: a strong restructuring background in impressive London firms, typically around the Senior Associate Level who may be looking for a step up. My view was different – rather than a hungry, ambitious lawyer looking to step up and into in-house, I felt they needed a more experienced head who already had the experience in tough environments, within a regulated sector (ideally Telco), and who could bring a level of reassurance to the position.

Their initial profile presented problems: convincing a younger lawyer in central London to move to a company which outwardly was in choppy waters, likely for a pay cut based on top firms’ salaries, I felt was a big ask. Even if they did manage it, I communicated, it would be a major risk for a company which needed to get this hire right.

Outcome:

Initially they were still focused on a more junior PQE who had that “hunger to step up.” I agreed to keep things open to this, but also stated that I would share more senior profiles who I felt were spot on, and that I expected them to at least meet with them to compare.

A very targeted approach was made to identify candidates who fit the skill set and who had the appetite for a role within a company that was as a turnaround project : 2 candidates were presented at their preferred PQE, whilst 3 seasoned lawyers with direct Telco experience, broad Corporate/Commercial/varied levels of Restructuring experience and time spent as GC/HOL were also provided.

The client met all 5, as requested. They also agreed that the more senior options were a stronger match for their needs, and an offer was made and accepted. The successful candidate was a former GC from within Telecoms, who had been trained and retained in Restructuring before switching in-house into more general commercial work.

Thoughts:

Every search, particularly at the senior end, requires a tailored approach depending on a multitude of factors. This one was no different, and we had to take into account the company’s public image, the key areas that would need addressing in the first 6 months, and how to really “sell” the unique challenges of the role.

This was a typical example of a search with a highly engaged client, with a clear idea of what they wanted, but who required a consultative approach to show them the potential pitfalls in their initial approach/desired candidate and expert guidance on what would be a better fit. The HRD and FD were comfortable taking on board the feedback, and receptive to our approach to the search. Once they felt we had the right person, they wasted no time in producing a suitable offer in line with what we had discussed initially.

If you’re hiring for a senior in-house role and want a search partner who’ll challenge the brief rather than just fill it, get in touch with Tom Shaw to discuss how Jameson Legal can help you find the right person for what your business actually needs.