In the legal service industry, a new model is emerging, one where traditional practice is being reshaped by innovative approaches to addressing the evolving needs of in-house legal teams worldwide. At the forefront of this transformation is a pioneering initiative marked by a commitment to empower legal departments with strategic insights and operational excellence. This shift is epitomized by the innovative work of a visionary leader who saw the potential to revolutionize legal operations consultancy.
Meet Stephanie Hamon, who is leading this initiative. She is a seasoned professional whose expertise and vision have propelled Norton Rose Fulbright to the forefront of legal innovation. With a wealth of experience spanning private practice and in-house roles, Stephanie brings a unique perspective to the table. Her journey as a visionary consultant underscores a commitment to excellence and a relentless pursuit to evolve legal operations.
Stephanie’s innovative leadership approach finds its anchor in Norton Rose Fulbright, a renowned legal entity synonymous with excellence in the legal sphere. Within its ranks, an advanced force emerged in the form of a specialized consulting practice aimed at revolutionizing the operational sector of legal departments worldwide.
As Head of Legal Operations Consulting at Norton Rose Fulbright, her leadership is shaped by a dedication to empowering legal teams, fostering strategic partnerships, and driving organizational success through a holistic approach to legal operations.
Throughout her career, Stephanie has driven meaningful change and never wavered from her commitment to excellence within the legal industry. Her dedication to the task at hand and her team’s growth serve as a testament to the transformative power of visionary leadership.
Learn more about how Stephanie’s leadership is reshaping the future of legal operations by meeting the changing demands of the legal sector:
Establishing a New Practice
Stephanie established this new practice four years ago to strengthen her offering for clients and now leads the team as Head of Legal Operations Consulting at Norton Rose Fulbright. The idea came to her after spending 15 years working in private practice organizations across the world and four years in-house for a large financial institution, always on the business of law side of things; she wanted to try the “entrepreneur” route.
It became clear to Stephanie that irrespective of jurisdiction, industry, or size of the department, nearly every legal team was facing similar challenges (doing more for less, adopting tech, defining the lawyer of the future, etc.). Not all of them could afford to have a dedicated legal operations headcount. So, she decided to develop a consulting offering that was tailored to the legal industry, rooted in a deep and first-hand experience of what it is like to work in-house. Aiming to bolster in-house teams to be the best they can be and position them as strategic business partners by applying business management principles and financial discipline to the running of their functions.
One of her career highlights was leading the Barclays team, which was named “Legal Operations Team of the Year” at the 2019 UK Legal 500 Awards. This was in recognition of the development of a new model for Barclays’ law firm panel and relationship model, including the development of customized legal project management and pricing approaches.
Embracing In-House Experience
As a leader in legal services, Stephanie utilizes her own in-house experience to apply business management principles and financial discipline to the running of a legal department. She emphasizes how her team assists clients with the following:
Ÿ Strategic Legal Consulting – They advise in-house legal teams on how they can support the wider.
Objectives of the business and help to set priorities and a practical vision for programs and initiatives that would support this.
Ÿ Legal Operations Advisory – They provide advice on the management of legal operations functions, including best practice legal project management.
Ÿ Legal Operations Delivery – They assist in the delivery of specific projects or mandates made up of work likely to be delivered with the involvement of, or at the request of, a legal operations team.
Valuing Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
She strives to instill an inclusive culture. Her team values collaboration and knowledge sharing, and whilst the team operates in a flexible, hybrid working model, they have regular in-person team learning sessions and socials, where the team is given a high degree of support and guidance.
They have an ‘open door’ policy and foster an environment where all team members feel they can contribute to not only the growth of the team but the growth of the firm, bring their whole selves to the role, and have fun while learning new skills.
Emergence of Key Trends
Stephanie believes that going forward, more and more General Counsels and in-house teams will rebalance their priorities between being risk managers and strategic business partners. Therefore, she sees the demand for legal operations increasing. Two key trends that have emerged in the last five years and that Stephanie says will become even more relevant are the use of data as well as the critical role of change management and of course, generative AI.
Running a Consulting Practice
Stephanie’s consulting practice is driven by client demand. Being a team that benefits from flexible working arrangements allows for more agile working; however, it is critical to ringfence time in calendars so that individuals can switch off, relax, and perform at their best during working hours.
For herself, Stephanie makes sure she leaves some time in her day to have gaps between meetings, which enables her to leave the house and stretch her legs with her dog if she is working from home.
Applying Business Principles to Legal Teams
Stephanie has been fortunate to work in the legal industry for nearly 25 years without being a lawyer. This has allowed her to work with some truly brilliant minds and to be able to help others shine.
Her business school background has very much allowed her to bring complementary skills to the table and is the basis of her business today., where she helps legal teams apply business management principles and financial discipline to the running of their function.
Integrity and Self-Reflection
“Be comfortable with the uncomfortable!” and “Always ask questions!” are two principles she strongly believes in. She acknowledges that the legal industry is evolving rapidly. This can be daunting but also exhilarating as teams across the industry brace for change and expand on their skill sets.
As for leadership, she advocates treating others the way one would want to be treated. She emphasizes the importance of staying true to one’s values and ensuring that when all is said and done, you can look at yourself in the mirror with integrity.
