Corporate legal departments are increasingly expected to deliver strategic value while staying efficient, compliant, and cost-conscious. Achieving this often depends not only on legal expertise but also on the quality of relationships—with internal stakeholders and with outside counsel.
During a recent webinar hosted by Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions and In-House Connect, legal operations leaders from both sides of the client-firm relationship offered a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build and sustain strong partnerships. I had the opportunity to moderate a thoughtful conversation between Seth Spitzer, global head of outside counsel and third-party legal at Citi, and Alex Guajardo, global director of commercial strategy at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.
Here are some of my takeaways from the session for legal professionals aiming to move their external relationships from transactional to truly transformational.
Building credibility starts inside the organization
Whether you're working inside a corporation or at a law firm, credibility and influence start with strong internal relationships. It’s important to build rapport and trust with colleagues across departments, from paralegals and pricing to finance and IT. For legal operations professionals, this means investing time talking to people who don’t yet understand what you bring to the table. Everyone should be treated like a key part of the larger puzzle.
Partnership stems from empathy and understanding
Successful relationships don’t happen by chance. They require intentional listening, empathy, and commitment to understanding your counterpart’s goals.
For in-house teams, this means recognizing that law firms are businesses with their own operational models. For law firms, it means going beyond the traditional attorney-to-attorney dynamic to connect with legal operations professionals, billing teams, and other stakeholders at client companies.
The best relationships aren’t just about getting the work done. They’re about showing that the firm understands the client’s bigger picture and adapting their approach accordingly.
Collaboration is possible, even in difficult relationships
Not every partnership is easy. Some relationships come with personality clashes or differing priorities, but these situations can be opportunities for growth. Sometimes the toughest relationships are the ones that can teach the most. While you may not be able to change someone’s behavior, you can adjust your own approach and meet them where they are. Asking “What would be your preference in an ideal world?” can shift the dynamic from resistance to collaboration.
Align expectations across teams
In many organizations, the relationship between legal departments and law firms isn’t centralized. In-house attorneys might interact directly with law firm attorneys, while legal operations teams coordinate with pricing or billing professionals, but there may be overlap in some organizations.
It’s important to look at the relationship holistically and align your teams accordingly. Tools like outside counsel guidelines and structured communication channels can help clarify expectations and minimize misunderstandings.
How to define a strong relationship
A strong legal department/law firm relationship isn’t defined by the absence of challenges. Rather, it’s about how those challenges are addressed. The ability to raise issues, course-correct, and maintain open communication is what differentiates strong partnerships from surface-level ones. Success may be the ability to pick up the phone and say, “This isn’t working.” If the relationship is strong, you can have those conversations without anyone going into crisis mode.
And when it comes to long-term value? If a client spends money with a firm year after year, and they’re able to evolve together, that’s success.
Technology plays a role in maintaining relationships
Technology can be a powerful enabler of collaboration, but only when used with care. Consistently, it’s emphasized that automation and digital tools should support human connection, not replace it.
For example, a collaboration portal to facilitate communication with outside counsel may theoretically increase efficiency and the collection of data, but practically may also create friction or distance stakeholders if it is used in a way that reduces personal contact. Even auto-generated emails or impersonal scheduling links can backfire if they come across as mechanical.
Technology should always serve the relationship, not the other way around. People, process, and technology need to work together.
Practical habits make a lasting difference
Strong relationships don’t come from grand gestures. They come from consistent, intentional actions over time. Some great suggestions include encouraging your team to make two new internal and one external connection each week, whether through lunch, a coffee chat, or a quick check-in, and simply “being human.” Don’t underestimate the power of showing up as yourself. Authenticity builds trust faster than strategy alone.
In-house legal departments and law firms are navigating complex challenges, but when they partner effectively, they unlock greater value on both sides. Building trust, aligning expectations, and showing empathy are the cornerstones of a successful legal partnership.
No matter your role, the message is clear: Invest in the relationship first, and the results will follow.
To hear more about achieving success from both the legal department and law firm perspectives, listen to the episode on Bringing efficiencies to outside counsel collaboration and the adoption of AFAs of our Legal Leaders Exchange podcast.
