It includes, the provider said, an “extensive bank of resources which support in-house lawyers as they navigate a huge variety of challenges — from contract negotiation to crisis management — that are sometimes outside their area of direct expertise, and acts as a gateway into other modules of Practical Guidance through the Frequent Tasks Tools, helping lawyers provide trusted and timely advice”.

It also offers practical tips on how best to manage a corporate legal department and its operations, recognising the dual role that in-house lawyers have as both legal counsel and strategic business partners.

As such, LexisNexis posited, the platform arms in-house lawyers with key business skills and the tools to demonstrate the commercial importance of their function, when it is often viewed as a cost centre, particularly by leaders of revenue-generating business units.

For example, the provider went on, “it will be easier for an in-house legal department to demonstrate that it makes financial and prudential sense to maintain in-house legal capacity, if it is clearly structured with a defined strategy and system; carefully manages its relationships with the non-legal functions of the business; and is able to accurately report both on its performance and the value it contributes to the organisation”.

Speaking about the new platform, LexisNexis Practical Guidance executive director Katherine Llewellyn said that in-house lawyers are expected to be a one-stop shop for any legal issue, while general counsel are often expected to manage teams without any training for the role.

“Practical Guidance In-House Advisor helps overcome those challenges and is an essential tool for in-house lawyers,” she proclaimed.

“It makes their life easier by providing immediate support and information, so they can fulfill their legal, operational and risk management roles.”

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Unisys APAC general counsel Alex Mitchell, who is an adviser to LexisNexis Practical Guidance, added: “In-house legal teams have a varied and complex role that presents different challenges each day.”

“It is critical they demonstrate value, run efficiently, take a proactive approach, are closely aligned with the business strategy, and can enjoy learning and development opportunities. The Practical Guidance In-House Advisor will help in-house lawyers deliver value for their businesses.”

With ongoing learning and development being a critical role of any legal team, LexisNexis said, the module gives access to various white label training materials, such as data privacy and modern slavery. This allows team members to upskill, offer better advice and provide training to colleagues across the business.

The In-house Advisor module is part of LexisNexis’ series of Practical Guidance. It is available here.