Legal Departments Not Viewed As Good Business Partners

Legal Departments

Legal departments are not viewed as good business partners according to recent reporting. This view is not shared by the departments themselves, so there appears to be quite a disconnect brewing. Perhaps more effort needs to be made to break the reactive cycle that often exists and that can prevent the law department from being viewed as a cost-effective member of the business team. And further efforts may be needed to change the perception that law departments cannot get things done timely and in sync with the organization’s greater efforts. In-housers are becoming more pragmatic and practical, so perhaps this trend will help change hearts and minds in the future.

“Nearly three out of four enterprise employees (73%) across several major countries, including the U.S., do not see legal departments as good business partners, according to a report from enterprise workflow solution provider Onit. Instead, in-house legal departments are more commonly viewed as authority figures and protectors of the business, with 22% of respondents considering legal the “No Police.” Meanwhile, corporate legal teams tend to view their engagement with other business units far more favorably than their colleagues, with 91% reporting exemplary interactions with internal clients, according to the Onit report based on research conducted by Provoke Insights.”

Read: Enterprise employees don’t view legal departments as good business partners at Legal Dive