In-House Counsel News

News

Freshfields Eyes Billion-Dollar AI Spin-Off; Whole Firm Finds Out

October 21, 2026

A leaked email shows Freshfields leaders weighing a spin-off of its legal tech arm that could be worth billions, and the whole firm saw it.

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Close-up of US dollar bills: legal departments sending less outside counsel spend to law firms

Survey: 54% Of Legal Departments Already Send Less To Law Firms

October 21, 2026

Outside counsel are losing work: 54% of in-house teams in a new Everlaw survey say AI already cut what they send out, and 81% see the billable hour fading.

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Phone with a low battery: lawyer wellbeing study, lawyers quitting over their health

Study: 70% Of Lawyers Have Quit A Job Over Their Health

October 20, 2026

Lawyer wellbeing study: 70% of 6,700 Illinois lawyers surveyed have quit a job over their health, and young lawyers report the most stress. What it means.

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Empty office doorway after GC turnover at a company

GC Turnover Is Up; Compliance Gets Stuck Holding The Bag

October 20, 2026

GC turnover is up: 43% of Fortune 500 GCs who left in 2025 served under five years. A former GC explains what compliance loses and how to prepare.

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Vintage microphone: Microsoft's top lawyer takes charge of communications

Microsoft Puts Its Top Lawyer In Charge Of Comms

October 19, 2026

Microsoft communications now report to Brad Smith, whose group runs legal and policy work. An org chart move that could change how employees post online.

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News

Netflix Trims 1,000 Jobs And Legal Feels It

October 19, 2026

The Netflix layoffs will cut about 1,000 jobs, or 6% of the workforce, with legal among the teams hit. What in-house lawyers should take from it.

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Managing outside counsel illustration: legal invoices and a balance scale on a desk, with a law firm building beyond

Managing Outside Counsel: A Guide for In-House Lawyers

October 18, 2026

Managing outside counsel: how in-house lawyers decide what to send out, choose firms, run an RFP, set guidelines, control fees and know when to move on.

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Illustration of a courthouse, a gavel bouncing on a spring and a rubber duck in a tie, for weird, wacky and funny lawyer stories

The Weird, Wacky and Funny

October 17, 2026

Funny lawyer stories and weird legal news, newest first: the 29-hour billing day, the napping trial lawyer, AI fake cites and more.

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Padlock on chains: lawyers plead the Fifth over AI fake citations

Caught With AI Fake Cites? Lawyers May Plead The Fifth

October 16, 2026

When a judge asks a lawyer whether AI drafted a filing with fake cases, the Fifth Amendment may come into play, says a Harvard lecturer.

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Robot typing at a laptop, a nod to AI training now counted toward billable hours

AI Tinkering Now Counts Toward Biglaw Billable Hours

October 16, 2026

Ropes & Gray now lets lawyers credit 100 hours of AI training toward their billable hours. For in-house teams, the question is who pays for the learning curve.

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InhouseBlog

In-house Counsel Jobs & News Since 2005

News

Freshfields Eyes Billion-Dollar AI Spin-Off; Whole Firm Finds Out

Survey: 54% Of Legal Departments Already Send Less To Law Firms

Study: 70% Of Lawyers Have Quit A Job Over Their Health

GC Turnover Is Up; Compliance Gets Stuck Holding The Bag

Microsoft Puts Its Top Lawyer In Charge Of Comms

Netflix Trims 1,000 Jobs And Legal Feels It

Managing Outside Counsel: A Guide for In-House Lawyers

The Weird, Wacky and Funny

Caught With AI Fake Cites? Lawyers May Plead The Fifth

AI Tinkering Now Counts Toward Biglaw Billable Hours