tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4145484424615689122024-03-12T04:13:17.318-07:00In-House LawyerCommentary from an in-house lawyer who's experimenting with how lawyers can use social media for best effectMelanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-88154634280657913722011-04-06T13:13:00.000-07:002011-04-06T13:13:10.220-07:005 Reflections A round-up of my Reflections from a Contracts Lawyer posts:<br />
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<a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-1.html">Part 1: They're not as prickly as they look</a><br />
<a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-2.html">Part 2: Contracts are like the sea, best when they're crystal clear</a><br />
<a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-3.html">Part 3: Define your own terms</a><br />
<a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/02/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-4.html">Part 4: They're alive!</a><br />
<a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/04/reflections-of-contract-law-part-5.html">Part 5: There's karma in them contracts</a>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-69733867968213431742011-04-06T13:08:00.000-07:002011-04-07T03:51:46.742-07:00Reflections of a Contracts Lawyer: Part 5Reflection No 5: There's karma in them contracts<br />
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As a lawyer in private practice I was instructed by a tour operator in relation to a contract put forward by one of their suppliers who provided a service which my client could advertise its holidays on. The contract was the supplier's standard form contract and one of those contracts which just didn't make any sense at all just because it was rubbish. You know the type of thing: <br />
<br />
"<i>This contract shall not be binding, sign here if you agree"</i>....and....<br />
<br />
"<i>The contract can be terminated at any time for any reason by anyone, but termination of the contract under this clause will not affect the standing of the contract</i>"<br />
<br />
Eh? Exactly.<br />
<br />
So I spent a fair amount of time tidying up the rubbish, not just making it all work for my client, but also for the supplier such was the nonsense that was in this standard contract.<br />
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Its quite annoying when you have to improve someone else's contract, as <a href="http://www.twitter.com/bretttechlawyer">@BrettTechLawyer</a> will testify:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVuR_ZgDDjGuRcZJnGNblzXcCRbLBrmSP8a5PMtJo08CCJ0BWsJZAkrWQlfiKwv5IkKIH1EqhZdHkQkIYcSJyrvspZFYJTq9YluyDRWhq-eZzYytm2r8I5ckwiG8vxsd4TN-R4SA_l0O7/s1600/supcon1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVuR_ZgDDjGuRcZJnGNblzXcCRbLBrmSP8a5PMtJo08CCJ0BWsJZAkrWQlfiKwv5IkKIH1EqhZdHkQkIYcSJyrvspZFYJTq9YluyDRWhq-eZzYytm2r8I5ckwiG8vxsd4TN-R4SA_l0O7/s320/supcon1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Fast forward to when I myself was working in-house at a completely different tour operator, but who just happened to use the same supplier's service.<br />
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Enter the contract.<br />
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And the memories.<br />
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And what a pleasant surprise. There was all my corrective drafting, as I had written it, word for word in my previous life in private practice a good couple of years before. Customer-friendly.<br />
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Smug lawyer. Karmic contract.<br />
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For the rest of my Reflections post, please see: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-1.html" style="color: #ce8e3b; text-decoration: none;">Part 1: They're not as prickly as they look</a>, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-2.html" style="color: #ce8e3b; text-decoration: none;">Part 2: Contracts are like the sea, best when they're crystal clear</a>, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-3.html" style="color: #ce8e3b; text-decoration: none;">Part 3: Define your own terms</a> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/02/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-4.html" style="color: #ce8e3b; text-decoration: none;">Part 4: They're alive!</a></span>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-30024309181888084322011-03-24T05:26:00.000-07:002011-03-24T05:27:06.657-07:00Panel TimeLast week I had the pleasure of sitting on a panel at an event hosted by <a href="http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/">Cancer Research UK</a>, discussing Social Media & The Law. <br />
<br />
The panel included myself, Matthew Eltringham the Assistant Editor, Interactive Social Media & Development at the BBC, Robert Blamires an Associate Solicitor at Field Fisher Waterhouse and Yvette Deerness, the host of the event, and Senior Legal Advisor at Cancer Research UK. The event was attended by the Cancer Research staff who man the front line of the charity's social media work.<br />
<br />
This charity takes social media seriously! Just take a look at <a href="http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/social_networks/">some of the ways you can follow Cancer Research through social media</a>. Key goals are to promote campaigns, support fundraising activity and to provide support to those suffering from cancer. I've said before that the most important aspect of social media is the community which it can create, and so it was no surprise that managing, moderating and supporting that community without falling foul of the law was top of the agenda at the event.<br />
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A healthy debate ensued covering social media activity on own sites and third party sites, how to strike the right balance between the benefits and insight which user generated content can offer against managing the risk of liability for defamation or infringement of intellectual property rights, the practicalities of using content obtained through the creative commons system, enforcing acceptable use policies in a fair and consistent manner, managing complaints, and the range of legal issues affecting promotion mechanics.<br />
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A fantastic charity with fantastic people behind it who really have their finger on the pulse of social media. If you'd like to donate to the charity or find our more about the wonderful work which Cancer Research carries out, please visit <a href="http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/">Cancer Research UK</a>.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-42562698531530776532011-02-10T15:47:00.000-08:002011-02-17T12:27:21.677-08:00Speaking EventI'm pleased to announce that I'll be speaking at the in-house lawyer breakfast seminar at <a href="http://www.pannone.com/">Pannone LLP</a>, Manchester on Thursday 31 March 2011.<br />
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I'll be discussing how in-house lawyers can use social media to its best effect. Other items on the agenda (which I won't be speaking on!) include:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Competition law compliance</li>
<li>Review of recent breach of contract cases</li>
<li>Data Protection Act compliance and update</li>
<li>Bribery Act Part 2</li>
<li>Running a successful due diligence process</li>
<li>Phasing out the default retirement age</li>
</ul><br />
Contact law@pannone.com for more information about the seminar.<br />
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POST SCRIPT - Due to popular demand, the event will now also be running for a second time on 6 April. Hope to see you there.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-67009044115092004552011-02-08T13:43:00.000-08:002011-02-11T05:09:11.692-08:00Reflections of a Contracts Lawyer: Part 4<b>Reflection </b>Number 4: They're alive!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnfVWtJrWjikpZz_00ymHO5n50IJI_koxxxmtbyGKt2_7biwaqct3HAM8ybQsdKPBAV3Se8ksiNb9JTpYhrR0FYAw7qx-NCqU__u0Z_t0FNAqdRfoNcKsSmypPCthyv-wUQ7g3HoTGsim/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnfVWtJrWjikpZz_00ymHO5n50IJI_koxxxmtbyGKt2_7biwaqct3HAM8ybQsdKPBAV3Se8ksiNb9JTpYhrR0FYAw7qx-NCqU__u0Z_t0FNAqdRfoNcKsSmypPCthyv-wUQ7g3HoTGsim/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Image is of a Tasmanian Devil. In common with contracts, Tasmanian Devils give a nasty bite if not treated correctly. Unlike Tasmanian Devils, contracts are not best kept locked away in drawers in the furthest flung corners of the earth.</span><br />
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In my younger days, I would often encounter a Project or Contracts Manager who would sigh heavily at the time which it had taken to review a contract, negotiate the detail and baton down a signature, and then triumphantly observe that there was another pile of paperwork which, with a bit of luck and a following wind, wouldn't need to see the light of day again. Instantly belittling the need for the amount of (my hard) work which had just gone into that paperwork.<br />
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I've heard it from well-meaning and less-arrogant colleagues before as well, pleased with the work which has been achieved in the contract negotiation "Good job" they say as they file it away the copy document in their bottom drawer (never give away the original document when in-house), along with the contract guide I'd crafted for them to make their life easier and the contract user-friendly , "now we can let that gather some dust while we get on with the proper job". As though the job done (by me) is not proper.<br />
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I've never subscribed to that theory. The best Projects and Contracts Managers which I've worked with keep their contracts close at hand and use them as a daily weapon against their suppliers to ensure deliveries are made on time, service levels are met, software performs as it should and (you'll be surprised how much this next one is overlooked) invoices are accurate, so that we're not charged a penny too much for the privilege.<br />
<br />
And, as the project which it manages evolves, so the contract should evolve too. A contract is a living thing. And indeed, the Project or Contracts Manager managing that project is best served by keeping up to speed with this evolution.<br />
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A case in point:<br />
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A perplexed manager once came to visit me, in one hand a hat and in the other a material sample. Let's call the sample, Material A, and lets call the material which the hat is made out of, Material B. Let's call this whole event, The Hat Saga*.<br />
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The Hat Saga essentially involved the following (albeit in a much longer, more drawn-out, microscopic and draining way over the course of about 6 months):<br />
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"Melanie, the hats delivered are made out of Material B. I wanted them to be made out of Material A."<br />
"Oh no. Do you have a copy of the Contract with you please?"<br />
"Er, no, (for I am only the person responsible for it) have you got a copy?"<br />
I dip into my Contracts Register.<br />
"Yes I have. Lets see, oh yes Schedule 2, "The Matrerial". It says "TBC". What did you eventually agree was the correct material?"<br />
"Material A"<br />
"OK, well lets put a call into the supplier then."<br />
Call to the supplier revealed that, unsurprisingly, they were under the impression that they agreed it was Material B.<br />
<br />
The following discussion was had every which way possible consistently over many days and weeks. Me: "Are you absolutely 100% certain you've never agreed Material B?"<br />
"Absolutely. Never"<br />
"Any documents say otherwise?<br />
"None"<br />
"Are you sure?<br />
"Absolutely. Yes"<br />
"Absolutely? Our hats are very precious to us, they are very expensive. I'm about to commence proceedings as we have spent so much money on these entirely incorrect hats. That's serious and expensive stuff. It will be embarrasing if we're wrong."<br />
"Absolutely. Yes."<br />
<br />
Some cost, time, effort and energy later:<br />
<br />
Manager approaches my desk "Erm, Melanie, could this be relevant?"<br />
"I don't know, let me see. Oh look its a document with Material B attached to a letter from the supplier asking if Material B would be a suitable alternative and which you've counter-signed. Yes. I'd say that's relevant."<br />
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The error in this particular instance was that this correspondence which changed the contract was never logged and associated with the contract by the manager. Ironically, clearly the hat supplier hadn't saved a copy of the relevant correspondence either. Frustrating to say the least (I do remember collapsing on my desk with my head in my hands for quite some time afterwards).<br />
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So, what was the point of this post? Oh yes, contracts are alive, please check in on them once in a while.<br />
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*subject matter altered to protect the innocent.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">For more of my reflections check out</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-1.html" style="color: #3366cc; font-weight: bold;">Reflections of a Contracts Lawyer: Part 1</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-2.html" style="color: #3366cc; font-weight: bold;">Reflections of a Contracts Lawyer: Part 2</a> and <a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-3.html">Reflections of a Contracts lawyer: Part3</a></span>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-45671666788829590652011-02-08T12:48:00.000-08:002011-02-08T12:48:28.910-08:00Say what?I've recently been reminded of how individual companies and organisations not only carry their own individual corporate image and corporate culture, but also their own corporate parlance and turn of phrase. But can this choice of parlance also be a reflection of the corporation which utters it?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3sesZfKRvd2YSfj9SwO45X94b8leBjoaWkk-TV0YbCg5gZpTaqzg3Cis9v31pX3Qf-POwkmxmBs0xyy5aOnBPDBbqNbgWjfDmDmskoe6TT3NtBzbQCaV1DJ9rbF8kzFx1u7dBDj2Jc7Q/s1600/chickenjargon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3sesZfKRvd2YSfj9SwO45X94b8leBjoaWkk-TV0YbCg5gZpTaqzg3Cis9v31pX3Qf-POwkmxmBs0xyy5aOnBPDBbqNbgWjfDmDmskoe6TT3NtBzbQCaV1DJ9rbF8kzFx1u7dBDj2Jc7Q/s320/chickenjargon2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Image copyright of <a href="http://www.savagechickens.com/">www.savagechickens.com</a></span><br />
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When I joined my current employer, I was very quickly introduced to the concept of "bandwidth". No, I wasn't just a late starter when it came to getting online, my colleagues would be commenting on their capacity to carry out a project within a particular timescale. It's still used a lot today and I love this expression! It's completely digital. Which is good because Latitude is of course a digital company, and the company name is Latitude, and latitude is a bit like bandwith. Sort of. You get the idea.<br />
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Back when I worked in one private practice firm, I wasn't doing my job if I didn't have "shedloads" to do at any one moment in time. A sub-conscious reflection of the name of the firm, Eversheds, I wonder?<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Working in-house at a tour operator, colleagues were always polite enough to check if I was "snowed under" before asking me to do any work for them. Actually, I was never snowed under, I always opted for MyTravel's winter sun holidays instead. </div><div><br />
</div><br />
At a different firm, not a day went by when I wasn't invited to a "catch-up". No link between the company and the phrase here, just genuinely nice colleagues who had a lot to catch up on after a day spent "picking all of that low hanging fruit".<br />
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So, why have I recently been reminded of this link between parlance and organisation? Well, my current employer is now part of a larger group. It has been for a couple of weeks. Within that same time I've been asked a question which I've never been asked before. On 3 separate occasions by 3 separate people. "So, if we cut you down the middle, what would we find?"<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Gulp.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I'll continue to watch the link between companies and their choice of phrase more carefully, but for now I'm just relieved that my new colleagues want to get to know me so well! </div>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-69590346339058930202011-02-01T13:28:00.000-08:002011-02-01T13:28:33.005-08:00The In-House Lawyer Meets The LawyerLast Wednesday I received a call from <a href="http://www.thelawyer.com/">The Lawyer</a> magazine asking me for some time for an interview to appear in their in-house lawyer profile section. I was over the moon to be asked to feature in this prestigious publication, and even more excited that they sent a photographer round to Latitude HQ for a photoshoot the very next day. All very showbiz indeed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvt6pu3p6mgeiiv_-b2VwSnkmFTjSl3oF6l6HOk4z60kubjMrsydM4w_tpPncQ7eO1L15IacTVt2SpqP-yuifu4jwN__ghztnk2JJ3oCizeq670hq3tcn4-CIBvB32EJxfJcZ83DReip6/s1600/250px-The_Lawyer_magazine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvt6pu3p6mgeiiv_-b2VwSnkmFTjSl3oF6l6HOk4z60kubjMrsydM4w_tpPncQ7eO1L15IacTVt2SpqP-yuifu4jwN__ghztnk2JJ3oCizeq670hq3tcn4-CIBvB32EJxfJcZ83DReip6/s200/250px-The_Lawyer_magazine.JPG" width="146" /></a></div><br />
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The photoshoot co-incided with 1. stage 1 of a completion meeting at Latitude and 2. much more stressful than any completion meeting as I'm sure you'll all agree, a bad hair day, making it completely and utterly impossible to gaze into the distance with an air of nonchalance.<br />
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So huge thanks to The Lawyer magazine, and in particular Joanne Harris, for the write-up quirkily entitled <a href="http://bit.ly/hsurtc">Tweet Shop</a> which appeared online just a few days later.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-16160909721805587752011-01-27T13:10:00.000-08:002011-01-27T13:18:16.092-08:00What LinkedIn Maps tells us about LawyersLinkedIn has introduced a quirky new tool for users to visualise their connections and professional network, its called <a href="http://inmaps.linkedinlabs.com/">LinkedIn Maps</a>. I've created my own LinkedIn map here:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxtxy_JJUl1fSx9MXvlsX-t3FjQ3z8CkgVxxboTMtAQ9CwYO7mKnL7DFUY2pAcBAAXfExUVh1nYxwYrTvVMERmaxqL_D7IkPs-BxsTqJERMbXnNozp2iBfKlicYMbSb73AJCTFsBWePEy/s1600/linked+in+maps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxtxy_JJUl1fSx9MXvlsX-t3FjQ3z8CkgVxxboTMtAQ9CwYO7mKnL7DFUY2pAcBAAXfExUVh1nYxwYrTvVMERmaxqL_D7IkPs-BxsTqJERMbXnNozp2iBfKlicYMbSb73AJCTFsBWePEy/s400/linked+in+maps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
So what does my LinkedIn Map tell me:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Well, firstly that the LinkedIn Maps gadget is pretty intelligent! Within seconds it created this map for me and categorised my networks efficiently and...erm...categorically.</li>
<li>The 2 main hubs of my network (the orange hub and the dark blue hub) are connections I've met through industries I've worked in as an in-house lawyer, those being digital media and travel respectively. These hubs are full of people I've met in business, in industry, non-lawyer contacts. These people use LinkedIn big time. </li>
<li>Despite being a lawyer myself, knowing lots of lawyers and working in private practice for a good proportion of my career, my lawyer connections from private practice using LinkedIn only account for a sprinkling of my LinkedIn contacts, the pink hub and the yellow hub (spot them if you can). Now, on LinkedIn, I hunt for colleagues and business acquaintances I've met in all walks of life in equal measure, so this tells me that, as a breed, the legal industry is significantly under-representing itself on LinkedIn.</li>
<li>Lawyers I've met solely through the power of social media over the last year, based in both the UK (the green hub) and overseas (the purple hub), and who I've connected with on LinkedIn now out-number my "in the flesh" private practice lawyer connections from over many years who've connected on LinkedIn. </li>
<li>As a rule, I used to only connect on LinkedIn with individuals I'd physically met or done business with, but social media threw that rule out of the window for me. I'll now connect with individuals I know only through social media channels even if I haven't met them in the real world, where I know there's a beneficial professional relationship, or even if I just like them. However, I still won't connect with individuals who I haven't met with, if I don't know them through a social media channel. Lawyers, if you're not using social media and your competitors are, they have the opportunity to up-turn your established client relationships.</li>
</ol><div>So, in summary: Lots of people use LinkedIn. Not many lawyers do. Lawyers who do use social media are rapidly stealing a march on their counterparts who don't. In terms of making connections and cementing professional relationships, social media works. </div>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-12818938498034402992011-01-24T13:26:00.000-08:002011-01-24T13:31:42.232-08:00Legal VillageA quick mention and thank you to <a href="http://www.legalweek.com/">Legal Week</a> who are picking up some of my selected blog posts to feature in their <a href="http://www.legalweek.com/type/blog-post/category/legal-village">Legal Village</a>, an online community of blawgers sharing their random, and sometimes even serious, points of view for the entertainment of lawyers on coffee breaks across the nation.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo9xxcTvXIBhJAMIMB9QwCzua9w34aIE7xmOPN_MtXPqG1XC03VKj794E22RnMZqIeZKV4lt29H3w6mOEoBghP_PbzdN31Z8OEGxAfrVI3leijcc7XO5BaVegiueGSTDoRHBgq4ffs8oj/s1600/coffee+and+counsel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo9xxcTvXIBhJAMIMB9QwCzua9w34aIE7xmOPN_MtXPqG1XC03VKj794E22RnMZqIeZKV4lt29H3w6mOEoBghP_PbzdN31Z8OEGxAfrVI3leijcc7XO5BaVegiueGSTDoRHBgq4ffs8oj/s320/coffee+and+counsel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image copyright of brewbooks on Flickr, and which features Legal Grind Coffee in Santa Monica.</span>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-59269439862023506812011-01-24T13:17:00.000-08:002011-01-24T13:17:02.039-08:00Twitteratigate:The tide has turnedFollowing on from my post below, it seems that Twitter is causing a stir amongst lawyers in more ways than one. <br />
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It was only October of last year when Legal Week brought social media use amongst lawyers into the mainstream. For more on that, see <a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2010/10/next-big-thing-is-social-media-tide.html">The next big thing: is the social media tide turning?</a> If you look at the comments against those original Legal Week articles you'll see there was discussion brewing early-doors about who should feature in reviews of the legal social media scene and for what reason.<br />
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Fast forward from October to the present day, and a relative social media scandal has exploded. A scandal so deep it's even worthy of the accolade of a gate. Twitteratigate. <a href="http://thetimeblawg.com/2011/01/23/law-firm-twitteratigate-the-whole-story/">The whole story</a> of which can be told no better than Brian Inkster in The Time Blawg.<br />
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Finally lawyers are getting it. This is what makes social media work: the ability to make it personal, share your perspective, explore what works and what doesn't, mould the message and the media which carries it. <br />
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I do indeed believe that the tide has turned.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-10170455741610826872011-01-24T12:44:00.000-08:002011-01-24T12:44:10.880-08:00The Times Law Top 10 Legal Tweeter<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm proud to be included in The Times Law Top 10 of legal tweeters! What an honour.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The article is behind a paywall, so I had to pay a small fee to see my name in lights. <a href="http://www.timesplus.co.uk/tto/news/?login=false&url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/law/article2864944.ece">Why its time to open a corporate Twitter account</a> celebrates the rise of Twitter amongst the legal profession and The Times has chosen to describe me as "a social media evangelist". This headline characteristic is a reflection of how rapidly the emphasis of this very blog stepped away from a log of legal events affecting my industry to that of a lawyer experimenting with how lawyers can use social media to its best effect. A year ago, very few people had heard of the in-house lawyer at Latitude, but now I receive a regular flow of professional opportunities which wouldn't have come my way previously and I'm routinely asked for comment on my new niche. I like to think I'm proof of what social media can do for you as a lawyer, so I'll continue to encourage you all to <a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2010/04/play-advantage.html">Play the Advantage</a> it has to offer! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The Times Law Top 10 roll of honour comprises:</span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: #2d4563;"><a href="http://twitter.com/Inner_Temple">@Inner_Temple</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Provides the latest resolutions plus links to selected legal headlines from across the press</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #2d4563;"><a href="http://twitter.com/Charonqc">@Charonqc</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">The very funny alter ego of Mike Semple Piggot, polymath legal blogger, writer and artist.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: #2d4563;"><a href="http://twitter.com/richardsusskind">@richardsusskind</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Renowned legal IT specialist, academic, writer and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Times</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>columnist</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #2d4563;"><a href="http://twitter.com/davidallengreen">@davidallengreen</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Insightful media lawyer, blogger and legal correspondent for the<i>New Statesman</i></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: #2d4563;"><a href="http://twitter.com/richardmoorhead">@RichardMoorhead</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">A legal academic and blogger specialising in writing about legal services and access to justice</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #2d4563;"><a href="http://twitter.com/in_house_lawyer">@in_house_lawyer</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Social media evangelist who also tweets regularly on issues around commercial and digital law</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: #2d4563;"><a href="http://twitter.com/copyrightgirl">@copyrightgirl</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Often responds directly to inquiries from followers on issues around copyright law and intellectual property</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: #2d4563;"><a href="http://twitter.com/legalfutures">@legalfutures</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Very good on matters of compliance and competence for lawyers</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: #2d4563;"><a href="http://twitter.com/LegalBizzle">@LegalBizzle</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">The irreverent and personal thoughts of a lawyer, although on professional matters</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: #2d4563;"><a href="http://twitter.com/TheNakedLawyer">@TheNakedLawyer</a>: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">Solicitor-turned marketer often tweeting on how lawyers can get the most out of social media</span></span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Well done everyone who features.</span></div>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-51807841076911095552011-01-06T05:53:00.000-08:002011-01-06T05:53:40.244-08:00Reflections of a Contracts Lawyer: Part 3<b>Reflection Number 3: Define your own terms</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpsY1hA_C42fIMYkHIkUxV3ljAhOaHc6sfOB8gPYqaohgGjjZG3DYtZ88PIH_j_udaQ0DJYDThgZ1mGtc8iZtPvrX5FZbXBNf9rpEk8T2U1J4_Vg-a0RZbeyHG3R9FvlSWQX6hODLZ1LX/s1600/my+way.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpsY1hA_C42fIMYkHIkUxV3ljAhOaHc6sfOB8gPYqaohgGjjZG3DYtZ88PIH_j_udaQ0DJYDThgZ1mGtc8iZtPvrX5FZbXBNf9rpEk8T2U1J4_Vg-a0RZbeyHG3R9FvlSWQX6hODLZ1LX/s200/my+way.png" width="183" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image is a snapshot courtesy of Wikipedia.com</span></div><br />
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<div style="margin: 0px;">Back in the world of a corporate trainee, I sit in the partner's office. Alas, the office is devoid of cacti, and the building has no lake outside of it to speak of, but the odour of OCD does permeate the air. I've produced a mighty fine piece of written advice. The partner has other ideas and sees fit to draw lots of red patterns on it. An hour long lesson in "consistent style" is endured: the basics on use of defined terms are drummed in to me, the benefits of tables and schedules are shared and more peculiar preferences are revealed such as line-up your paperclips symmetrically, and methodology for the production of Bible spine labels....</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">Later that week, same firm different partner, I produce a mighty fine contract (demonstrating the previous lesson in consistency). The partner has other ideas and sees fit to draw lots of red patterns on it. An hour long lesson in "this way" is endured: put your defined terms in a schedule this way, separate out the term and termination clause this way, do it "this way".....</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">Out of traineeship, and as a fully-fledged solicitor I'm asked to review a supply contract for a senior associate with a rep for pickiness. This solicitor was not for quitting. Or being picked on. And certainly wasn't enduring any more red patterns or hour long lessons. An all-nighter resulted in a philosophy of a review and a mighty fine resulting letter to client. Picky senior associate looked.....impressed. That day has been recorded in my memory as a VC day (victory in contracts), no contract or piece of written advice has ever flummuxed me since. </div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">But looking back on these lessons: yes, I'm hot at defining terms but the rebel in me never lines up my paperclips symmetrically; my contracts hang together just fine but I never put my (hotly) defined terms in a schedule and my terms and termination clauses can usually be found in the same place; and although my contracts contain a lot of clever quirky drafting, I've never needed to provide, or be provided with such a granular piece of written advice as I did on VC day. <br />
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I've developed some deft drafting tricks of my own over the years but I also own the right to "take a view" when what is really needed with a contract is to get the deal done. Yes, I've learned from some great teachers (and I make sure that the lessons I've learned have been passed on to those I've trained too), but my contracts are my style: I live with them, advise on them and chew over them, I need to know them inside out, and I can only do that if they've been created my way. </div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">You see, contracts aren't just a reflection of the deal which has been struck, they're also a reflection of the lawyer who creates them.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">For more of my reflections check out <a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-1.html">Reflections of a Contracts Lawyer: Part 1</a> and <a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-2.html">Reflections of a Contract Lawyer: Part 2</a>.</div>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-81980840159200773182011-01-05T02:51:00.000-08:002011-01-05T02:52:44.676-08:00Reflections of a Contracts Lawyer: Part 2<strong>Reflection number 2: Contracts are like the sea, best when they're crystal clear.</strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLggjPPEoAoNJIc8_WUPD_RmuJi2EzyiC56OtPdWr0sbLZSv3SeKfzryu7znh7HltjheZJpXLonY6tXLBiykQtFWHckoX_Z50iTgX2lu-4sQdfPbASUPtut45l6XLmRpM0sxgKh1pMAjRc/s1600/Maldives_00155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLggjPPEoAoNJIc8_WUPD_RmuJi2EzyiC56OtPdWr0sbLZSv3SeKfzryu7znh7HltjheZJpXLonY6tXLBiykQtFWHckoX_Z50iTgX2lu-4sQdfPbASUPtut45l6XLmRpM0sxgKh1pMAjRc/s320/Maldives_00155.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image courtesy of Nevit Dilmen under the terms of theGNU Free Documentation Licence Version 1.2</span><br />
Fast forward to 2002. Location: an open-plan office of one of the Big 4 tour operators in the UK in the North West. Upon the approach, one stumbles upon a lake filled with Canadian geese, and when entering the magnificance which is the office, one is greeted by statues of Noah and modern artwork.<br />
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OK, OK, I'm in the old Co-op building in Rochdale. Noone said being in-house was glam (but the lake bit is true).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR54AcPZZboC0zr8rRFs7gWpG3Geb5j3Wwt2gTrBYpmmaFWxfDLChcEDviKyfZhNy6_7C0G9QCLkrRzYJgEuwhlZ-8njpqi0Fg__mlVKR0BmMMwj-vK7io_6Phs5hLcgEB0mpIZ8zuD0f9/s1600/sandbrook+park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR54AcPZZboC0zr8rRFs7gWpG3Geb5j3Wwt2gTrBYpmmaFWxfDLChcEDviKyfZhNy6_7C0G9QCLkrRzYJgEuwhlZ-8njpqi0Fg__mlVKR0BmMMwj-vK7io_6Phs5hLcgEB0mpIZ8zuD0f9/s1600/sandbrook+park.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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However, the tour operator which I worked for clearly did a lot of business abroad where the majority of its suppliers were based. Everyday I would see contracts land upon my desk for review which were governed by the laws of the US, Switzerland, Greece, the Maldives, Jamaica, Cuba, France, the Balearics or India. You get the sunny picture.<br />
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But I'm an English law lawyer, and haven't been provided with a budget for a second opinion on these contracts from a lawyer conversant with the laws governing them or the jurisdiction to which we might be summoned in the event of dispute.<br />
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Hmmmm....how to save one's backside? My risk-management technique: If you don't know about the law which will govern the dispute, best not let a dispute arise in the first place. The only way to do that with a fair degree of confidence is to make sure that the commercials within the contract are absolutely crystal clear, so that there can be as little opportunity for a dispute as possible.<br />
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To be wholly accurate, this risk-management technique should be par for the course for all contract reviews regardless of the governing law, but I always find there's nothing quite like the threat of the jurisdiction of Vietnam to focus the mind on not letting a dispute arise in the first place (although one can be forgiven for being less risk-averse with those threatening jurisdiction in Barbados for example, just my own little rule that one, not right for every one).<br />
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I'm not saying anything new when I share the general rule that the process of dicussing expectations at a pedestrian level does in most situations elicit gaps or areas in need of further discussion with the other party. This of course is generally helpful all around and a good thing to do before any contract is signed, as it goes towards the resulting project running much more smoothly and any obstacles seen well in advance.<br />
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Of course, the process which you need to go through with your fellow colleagues to achieve crystal clear clarity on their expectations of contract performance can very greatly depending on who you're dealing with - but more on <em>mind-reading</em> another day.<br />
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For more reflections, see <a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflections-of-contracts-lawyer-part-1.html">Reflections of a Contracts Lawyer: Part 1</a>.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-17315453401083321932011-01-04T02:12:00.000-08:002011-01-04T02:12:50.822-08:00Reflections of a Contracts Lawyer: Part 1My number one rule is when it comes to dealing with contracts is that they must reflect the deal which has been agreed. Pretty simple really, but its a guiding principle which has seen me well over the years of drafting and reviewing, what must now be well over a thousand, contracts. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsfNtwrBuyacw5VFEiOrV-MfvW5eh_zH70nyWOpgsA3SXZ44rF96M9rrMCCtfmhjd98etBinzklj-PrjIYU_UUGl7w-haU2mySfKByHDPSXmm9Wt5PcG6bfTB4y2h70tewjeC4f1s5Zsk/s1600/mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsfNtwrBuyacw5VFEiOrV-MfvW5eh_zH70nyWOpgsA3SXZ44rF96M9rrMCCtfmhjd98etBinzklj-PrjIYU_UUGl7w-haU2mySfKByHDPSXmm9Wt5PcG6bfTB4y2h70tewjeC4f1s5Zsk/s200/mirror.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
To start the year, I present to you a mini-series of blog posts of my reflections on being a contracts lawyer.<br />
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<strong>Reflection Number 1. They're not as prickly as they look</strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.soil-net.com/album/Plants/Greenhouse/slides/Cactus%20Mamillaria%2002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="http://www.soil-net.com/album/Plants/Greenhouse/slides/Cactus%20Mamillaria%2002.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><br />
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The year: 1996. Location: a cacti-filled office in an electronic and manufacturing engineering establishment in Leicester. <br />
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A colleague hands an intrepid trainee her first contract for review. For the avoidance of doubt, and in case he's reading, said colleague is not her boss of the time, nor the owner of the cacti office for that matter. <br />
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Said colleague is a non-lawyer lawyer. A non-lawyer lawyer is not to be confused with a wannabe lawyer.<br />
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A <em>non-lawyer lawyer</em> is an individual who has no legal training but is involved in legal activities usually because their original function in the company somehow creates an opportunity for said non-lawyer to get familiar with some legal concepts and become relatively proficient in them. Thus they are accepted into the lawyering fraternity as they talk our language. Non-lawyer lawyers often have, but are not limited to having, insurance, contract manager, or accounting style backgrounds.<br />
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A <em>wannabe lawyer</em> however usually has some tenuous connection with the law, for example a friend of a friend of theirs studied law at university, they walk past a law firm on their way to work, they're in the process of selling their house and therefore dealing with a solicitor presently. Nothing wrong with all of that of course, except when that link is regarded as a legal qualification. Similar to the same legal qualification which took 3 years of University study, a further year LPC, a couple of additional years of traineeship. Oh yes, and all the PQE too. For the avoidance of doubt, that link is not a legal qualification. I digress. Much, much more on wannabe lawyers another day.<br />
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But for now said non-lawyer lawyer colleague, provides said trainee with a set of MF1 Rev. x standard terms and conditions with the cryptic message, "<em>see what ya' make of them then</em>". I'm sure there was a haughty laugh afterwards, but I could be embellishing for the sake of a dramatic post.<br />
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Anyway, MF1. Lets just say that its not so much a contract but a way of life, nay, a philosophy within the engineering world.<br />
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It really was a novel of a contract. As I sat in my B&B that evening (I recall it has western-style saloon doors to the en suite, but did a mean scrambled eggs for breakfast), tears actually rolled down my face as I pondered the document which lay before me. None of it made any sense whatsoever. And looking back, no wonder. A contract document on its own, without a scenario to which it must be applied, without a deal which it must reflect, and regardless of the complexity of the drafting it contains, does indeed make no sense. I was right.<br />
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After a tortuous weekend of tearing out my hair at this anonymous document (which I felt I had to have a view on as I'd just come out of law school and it was "expected"), my boss (the owner of the cacti, not the one who gave me MF1) kindly introduced me to the company's "Standard Responses to Standard MF1 Contracts". <br />
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Epiphany.<br />
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No matter how prickly their first impressions, there's rarely anything in a contract which someone hasn't come up against before and a suitable response is always waiting in the wings.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-23264179592552122362010-12-21T02:42:00.000-08:002010-12-21T02:42:51.041-08:00I am Still HereI am still here.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxDLh-GxrI40G0tizbPcf8wF0LmCXOdSiBnZd952oJl2Z9LqeGk2YlEBMtD4CRRW2TwN_evhF2xNyRBSHxzxiB4SRmV0LSQVUG_6By2uZPOZs7IVpvzvA81CXBCg9fQG7as_BWJD6Bai2/s1600/clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxDLh-GxrI40G0tizbPcf8wF0LmCXOdSiBnZd952oJl2Z9LqeGk2YlEBMtD4CRRW2TwN_evhF2xNyRBSHxzxiB4SRmV0LSQVUG_6By2uZPOZs7IVpvzvA81CXBCg9fQG7as_BWJD6Bai2/s320/clock.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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It's just that there are only 24 hours in a day, and while that's enough hours (just) most of the year to work, run a family and engage in social media experiments, in the run-up to Christmas with the prospect of 4 families around 1 table and a demanding 5 (nearly 6) year old to satisfy on the present-front as well as the usual year-end activities and projects on the work-front, well, I am only human (and a <a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2010/06/im-specialist-pant.html">specialist plant</a> of course) and things slip.<br />
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Fear not, the in-house lawyer remains committed to (a) being an in-house lawyer (b) social media and (c) fusing the two together in pursuance of this blog.<br />
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A Merry Little Christmas post will be with you before the Big Day itself, and normal blogging service will be resumed once the festivities and stress are over.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-42213971127036160202010-11-17T13:16:00.000-08:002010-11-17T13:32:48.859-08:00Karma CommunitiesNo, I haven't gone all hippy-chick.<br />
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I've been reading Twitter Power by Joel Comm lately. In fact, thats incorrect. I'm a 2.0 reader, so I've been listening to the audiobook.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolybjjYtDx9rkNKM57U-DKopQCf7NnyHY_loB5nElw62q365vnujktZaE0tsDlKMqVe9gSvukzykok7WJ9BpfEMMeC_E-mPzJxDMV-wHaBOoAasOElu4f0bRhMUX-DDc4fzJ9Zo2HIJz4/s1600/twitterpower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolybjjYtDx9rkNKM57U-DKopQCf7NnyHY_loB5nElw62q365vnujktZaE0tsDlKMqVe9gSvukzykok7WJ9BpfEMMeC_E-mPzJxDMV-wHaBOoAasOElu4f0bRhMUX-DDc4fzJ9Zo2HIJz4/s200/twitterpower.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Image is Twitter Power 2.0: How to Dominate your Market One Tweet at a Time by Joel Comm, Gildan Media Corp, presented by Audible.co.uk</span></i><br />
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Joel Comm gets to the nubb of social media in the first chapter of his book where he describes traditional media publishers as the few who broadcast their news to the many, as against the new social media phenomenon where the many have the power to communicate the news, views and experiences to each other, resulting in the creation of communities with a common interest.<br />
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To me, the community is the most important aspect of social media. And because there are little, if any, barriers to entry into the social media world, its much simpler to become part of your chosen community and influence that community than it is to become part of a community in the offline world, such as, say, falling in with the cool kids at high school, the mums at the school gate or the clique of personnel who might have your CEO's attention. Social media is a great leveller.<br />
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But for a community to operate it needs to communicate. Communicating means listening as well as speaking, it means building relationships. You'll read a lot about social media being all about communication and relationship building, but once you truly understand that it actually is, it is an epiphany moment.<br />
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And so I was surprised today to come across a tweeting lawyer who followed zero people. Why would you join a social media community and not be part of the conversation? Even if it your goal is to promote yourself as a lawyer or a firm, how can you achieve that goal effectively without monitoring the conversation around you and understanding the impact which your broadcasting/marketing is having?<br />
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As an in-house lawyer, through social media you have the ability to become part of a number of communities which feed into your world: the community of the industry which your employing company operates in, or those of your company's suppliers or clients, the legal community, your specialism within the legal community, other in-house lawyers, legal service providers. Communities are being built, and the members of these communities are being generous with their information and advice. In-house lawyers can benefit from this: pop a question into your Twitter status such as "Does anyone know whether there are unfair dismissal rights in Germany?", and you'll receive several tweets in reply from practising employment lawyers pointing you in the right direction. The more you give back to the community, the more you'll receive from it too. There's a lot of good karma in circulation on social media sites.<br />
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</div>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-60152736786672043092010-11-16T10:49:00.000-08:002010-11-16T10:49:09.113-08:00Beware the Digital TrailblazerOn the <a href="http://www.inforrm.wordpress.com/">Inforrm Blog</a>, today's post, <a href="http://inforrm.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/privacy-and-the-right-to-oblivion/">Privacy and the Right to Oblivion</a>, was extremely thought-provoking. <br />
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I've left a comment against that post, but what I wanted to say here was that I really do like the imagery which Jeffrey Rosen conjures of a digital trail. We live in an era where our trails are recorded digitally and my view of that is that we're fortunate to do so. We have the ability to leave our mark. We are digital trailblazers! <br />
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Yes, we have the right to manage those trails carefully, but not necessarily retrospectively. Online or offline, not all mistakes can be erased. So, choose the trail which you wish to leave carefully, before you make it.<br />
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Social media gives us all the opportunity to create, manage and promote our own trail but, as they say, with power comes responsibility...to yourself. With many things in life, over-regulating tends to hinder not help; common-sense is usually the only rule required.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-87339255468280443752010-10-31T16:49:00.000-07:002010-11-01T02:56:04.215-07:00A Halloween Hoot<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Welcome to the 31 October 2010 edition of ukblawgroundup, and the fourth in the series of round-ups initiated by <b><a href="http://michaelscutt.co.uk/">Michael Scutt</a></b> to promote blogging lawyers in the <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">UK</place></country-region>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The theme of this edition is, spookily enough, what with the date and everything, Halloween; t</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial;">he origins of which date back to the </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Celtic festival of Samhain which celebrates the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half", where the border between this world and the other becomes thin enough to let the spirits pass through, and when we wear costumes and masks to ward off evil.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">But I live in the countryside, and what this time of year means to our family is the harvest from the local farmers. And at Halloween, of course, we take great delight in carving up some of that harvest. I was most proud of my local farm in Little Budworth, Cheshire, which this October has just harvested over 3,000 pumpkins:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPyPA3znGmXm9HVVReL-MLHM4yddCw0ZCAPROG3jhWDc5c6IIDW739i9wFqtituC4TmOCA2_h22CNzed56u0erovqDH8OgjTjvYKM36P3LsBins2XojeSrFr02n-9JR6evzavL6rBXNx4/s1600/Hollies+Pumpkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPyPA3znGmXm9HVVReL-MLHM4yddCw0ZCAPROG3jhWDc5c6IIDW739i9wFqtituC4TmOCA2_h22CNzed56u0erovqDH8OgjTjvYKM36P3LsBins2XojeSrFr02n-9JR6evzavL6rBXNx4/s1600/Hollies+Pumpkins.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image copyright of The Hollies Farm Shop</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Halloween festivities are embraced with much more vigour on the other side of the Atlantic, and when Michael started this UK blawg review at the beginning of 2010 he observed that </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial;">lawyers in the UK hadn’t embraced social media nearly as much as their American counterparts either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what a difference (not even) a year makes, because I’m now writing this edition against the backdrop of <b><a href="http://www.legalweek.co.uk/">Legal Week</a></b>’s recent analysis of the <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">UK</place></country-region> blogging scene. It’s article, <b><a href="http://www.legalweek.com/legal-week/analysis/1799966/ideas-law-geek-inherit">The Geek Shall Inherit</a></b>, introduced the audience of the mainstream legal press to the lawyers who operate in the online world, looking back at history of the <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">UK</place></country-region> legal blogging scene and presenting both some established bloggers and recent entrants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">As insightful as the article was, and that one piece of journalism probably succeeded in bringing forward the legal digital mind-set by approximately 5 years, what it was unable to do was mention every credible <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">UK</place></country-region> blawgger, and there are few. Some additional players are mentioned in the commentary against the article, so do take a read of both the article and the commentary if you’re looking to increase the number of blawggers on your watch list or your RSS stream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the omissions do tell me though is that blawg round-ups such as this one are extremely important to spread the word and to promote the profiles of all of the great blawggers in the field, because by giving each other a pat on the back from time to time, we can help this community grow. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The <b><a href="http://www.lawactually.blogspot.com/">Law Actually Blog</a></b> knows a thing or two about patting its fellow blawggers on the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Penned by The (mysterious) Michael (whom we only know as an LLM and LLB student working in-house for a telco company)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this quarter it successfully ran its annual "Blawggies", the awards for, well you guessed it, blawgs. As well as the </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <a href="http://lawactually.blogspot.com/2010/09/blawggies-2010the-results.html" style="font-weight: bold;">Blawggies Results</a><b>, </b>you can get to know the blawgeratti by reading the</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> regular “A Law Actually Interview with…” series of posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a look at the most recent, <b><a href="http://lawactually.blogspot.com/2010/10/law-actually-interview-with-charon-qc.html">Law Actually Interview with Charon QC</a></b> for the type of thing which you can expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You'll also become very familiar very quickly with tech law developments and generalist legal observations too such as <b><a href="http://lawactually.blogspot.com/2010/10/council-goes-bonkers-over-conkers.html">Council Goes Bonkers over Conkers</a>, </b>a scenario observed with the observational dis-belief that a fellow in-houser can truly appreciate. Speaking of which, have you had the good fortune to stumble upon <a href="http://legalbizzle.wordpress.com/"><b>Legal Bizzle</b></a>? An anonymous in-houser The Biz, who in his own words has been "saving your ass since 1999", just tells it like it is. Check out <a href="http://legalbizzle.wordpress.com/2010/09/22/five-words-that-i-hate-to-hear/"><b>5 Words I Hate to Hear</b></a>, and <a href="http://legalbizzle.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/what-does-success-look-like/"><b>What does Success Look Like?</b></a> to see why.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another round-up we saw this quarter was the </span><a href="http://www.ft.com/il10"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FT’s Annual Survey of Innovative Lawyers</span></b></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, but I was disappointed that it didn't feature lawyers who are taking strides into social media as part of their practice strategy, however, to rectify the position, we also saw the <b><a href="http://www.360legalgroup.co.uk/">360 Awards</a>, </b>at which <b><a href="http://www.cluttoncox.co.uk/site/whoweare/">Paul Hajek</a></b> received the award for most effective social networker. Paul is a regular on the UK legal blogging and Twitter scene, and the </span><a href="http://www.cluttoncox.co.uk/site/library/blog/"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clutton Clox Blog</span></b></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span">succeeds where a lot of law firm blogs fail: it's kept bang</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> up to date and presents a well-rounded perspective of what the firm is about, its work and its people.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px 0px 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reviews kept on coming this quarter, and one which caught my eye was from </span><a href="http://www.connectegrity.com/about/"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linda Cheung</span></b></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, CEO of Connectegrity. In September, Linda reviewed the <b><a href="http://www.connectegrity.com/2010/09/top-100-law-firm-websites-in-pictures/">Top 100 Law Firm Websites in Pictures</a>. </b>No spoilers here, you'll have to check out her blog for the winner. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8qKVHe4vnUclSCTPCkyjs8GuTsR_ow7J8h-iTd41UkxOxBYh4S1ZMdqZNxcN9QUu8XBsSZJXUljT82G_QMBzcrLgKD2o_VhkAQICBuHcRUR3zgzDI74T84ee-tb6EMoJgG3vcGi_Ksur/s1600/fence+ghosts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8qKVHe4vnUclSCTPCkyjs8GuTsR_ow7J8h-iTd41UkxOxBYh4S1ZMdqZNxcN9QUu8XBsSZJXUljT82G_QMBzcrLgKD2o_VhkAQICBuHcRUR3zgzDI74T84ee-tb6EMoJgG3vcGi_Ksur/s320/fence+ghosts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; margin: 0px 0px 10pt;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px 0px 10pt;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image copyright of Tyson Moore, via Flickr, depicting some spooky fence ghosts </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px 0px 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">The telling of ghost stories and viewing of horror films are common at Halloween. </span><span class="apple-style-span">This quarter has seen its fair share of legal horror stories and frightening tales too. Most of which, it has to be said, have emanated from the demise of Halliwells. So may I take this opportunity to present </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Peter Blair</b>, Director of Mar-aon Consulting which specialises in Risk, Operations, Strategy & Communications in Law Firms, and his eminently sensible <b><a href="http://mar-aon.blogspot.com/">Pitch for Common Sense</a>, </b>dealing with issues ranging from <span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://mar-aon.blogspot.com/2010/07/is-law-firm-business.html"><b>Responsibilty and Leadership</b></a> to </span><b><a href="http://mar-aon.blogspot.com/2010/09/keeping-up-to-date.html">Keeping Up to Date</a>.</b> Whatever your profession or specialism there is a multitude of "makes sense" opinion and information on Peter's blog.</span></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More gremlins in the machine this quarter, but thankfully with much less consequence.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><b>Brian Inkster</b> summarises his encounters on the Inksters Solicitors blog in </span><a href="http://www.inksters.com/itproblemsattraineesummerschool.aspx" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IT Problems at Trainee Summer School</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">.<b> </b>Inksters are officially<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://www.inksters.com/coollawyers.aspx">Cool Lawyers</a> </b>recognised for the example which they set in social media, and I'd agree, like the Clutton Clox blog, Inksters keeps a refreshing balance of posts about the firm's work and it's people.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMOm6e8_69xljJOZ3IS89UyGB-6UlXpd-8F-mjUqa4EWJdpGLc8uxXaY7x9VkEupTNdgCW0_LMo4fSiE1kgY1RLe4LSyTN0O3_WBVs5KMwCKD5WTVn2AS8rsl1WDsQ01Lfjmg6qZijJ5r/s1600/dogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMOm6e8_69xljJOZ3IS89UyGB-6UlXpd-8F-mjUqa4EWJdpGLc8uxXaY7x9VkEupTNdgCW0_LMo4fSiE1kgY1RLe4LSyTN0O3_WBVs5KMwCKD5WTVn2AS8rsl1WDsQ01Lfjmg6qZijJ5r/s320/dogs.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The above image is of Vice President Dick Cheney's Labrador retrievers Jackson, left, and Dave, right, prepare for Halloween, as they sit for a photograph at the Vice President's Residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. Jackson is dressed as Darth Vader, Dave is dressed as Superman. (<i>Random legal copyright fact: </i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 8px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 8px; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>This image is a work of an employee of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, taken or made during the course of the person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain</i>.)</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays dates back to the Middle Ages. ‘Guising’ as it became known, was prevalent in <country-region w:st="on">Scotland</country-region> and <country-region w:st="on">Ireland</country-region> in the 19<sup>th</sup> Century, and became extremely popular in the <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">US</country-region></place> in the 20<sup>th</sup> Century. Rather aptly, blogging also allows lawyers to take on a disguise where their be-devilled alter-ego can roam free.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Guising with expertise is the <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">UK</country-region></place>’s very own <b><a href="http://www.babybarista.com/">Baby Barista</a></b> who provides us with a fictional "worm's eye view of the English Bar" with unparalleled eloquence and wit which has been observed and applauded for some time, however hot on his heels is a the new and superb <span class="apple-style-span"><b><a href="http://magiccircleminx.com/">Magic Circle Minx</a></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"> providing readers with a fictional account of the life of a trainee solicitor at a London Magic Circle Law Firm, her blog is now a regular on my RSS list. Another esteemed blawgger who makes no bones about his devil-may-care blogging style is the wonderful <b><a href="http://charonqc.wordpress.com/">Charon QC</a></b> who this quarter has had me hooked on his (fictional?) <a href="http://charonqc.wordpress.com/category/muttley-dastardly-llp/"><b>Muttley Dastardly LLP</b></a> series.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Taking on a guise, but not one so scary, is <b><a href="http://ipadlawyer.co.uk/">iPad Lawyer</a> </b>documenting his journey as a lawyer with THE piece of kit of the quarter. The iPad Lawyer explains step by step how to use the apps and software for a lawyer's best effect and productivity, and his excellent commentary in</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://ipadlawyer.co.uk/ipad-workflow-some-thoughts" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">iPad workflow - some thoughts</span></span></span></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">is a great example of his hands-on, explanatory approach</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">. </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> The man behind the mask</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> is <b>Jon Bloor</b> of <b><a href="http://www.peninsulawyer.com/">Peninsulawyer</a></b> fame who this quarter has </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">also taken a look at <a href="http://www.peninsulawyer.com/blog/2010/8/19/go-compare-the-money-supermeerkat-or-why-i-dont-buy-wigster.html"><strong>Go Compare the Money SuperMeerKat (or why I don't buy Wigster)</strong></a> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">providing his views</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> on the recent announcements by Wigster and others of the launch of price comparison sites for solicitors.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8nbbOKL08YBPuOVf-9Ij6tUQIIdyomkQnseNcDpIN2lGcZPfzXKNqojPAGPZw-IJB5TbCiVzxTxnivmJVVkeHI-9mUHZroSHhB550odTv-xvRXJcfDRGZUWOgv2zlI-Yt3MN2vpIBJVC/s1600/haunted+house2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8nbbOKL08YBPuOVf-9Ij6tUQIIdyomkQnseNcDpIN2lGcZPfzXKNqojPAGPZw-IJB5TbCiVzxTxnivmJVVkeHI-9mUHZroSHhB550odTv-xvRXJcfDRGZUWOgv2zlI-Yt3MN2vpIBJVC/s320/haunted+house2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #535353;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Image copyright of Shane Gorski, via Flickr "no one knows who lives here but there is proof of life at this property"</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a tradition of decorating a haunted house at Halloween, filling it with eerie music, cobwebs, spiders, zombies, mummies, jack o' lanterns, devils, witches and of course the witch's cat. One of my favourite cats is </span><a href="http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IPKat</span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, aka Jeremy Phillips, home-grown but internationally recognised for his passion of all things IP. Jeremy and his team provide regular consistent and credible work and I've personally read Jeremy's blog since I discovered it back in 2003, immediately capturing my attention for its valuable insight in my practice area. In September, I was impressed further by the excellent live-blogging series, </span><a href="http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2010/09/handbags-at-dawn-live-report-1.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Handbags at Dawn</span> <span style="color: #e69138;">1</span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>, </b></span><a href="http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2010/09/handbags-at-dawn-live-report-2.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2</span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>, </b></span><a href="http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2010/09/handbags-at-dawn-live-report-3_21.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3</span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2010/09/handbags-at-dawn-live-report-4.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4</span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e69138;">,</span> reviewing an IP & Fashion conference - yes, live blawgging, as it happened, brilliant. The team really do live, breathe and eat IP; see </span></span></span><a href="http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2010/10/advertising-wars-of-kelloggs-corn.html"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Advertising Wars of Kelloggs Cornflakes</b></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for evidence of this assertion.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other animals featuring in this blawg round-up, but not seen so much at Halloween, include:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><a href="http://cyberpanda-cyberpanda.blogspot.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CyberPanda</span></span></b></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">, <span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">aka Asma Vranaki, who is a Doctor of Philosophy of Law at Oxford University. Asma's blog posts and tweets are brimming over with information and considered opinion tackling issues such as <a href="http://cyberpanda-cyberpanda.blogspot.com/2010/05/facebook-privacy-backlash.html#links"><b>Facebook: the Privacy Backlash</b></a> and <a href="http://cyberpanda-cyberpanda.blogspot.com/2010/09/mot-du-jour-pan-european-copyright-laws.html"><b>Pan-European Copyright Laws</b></a> all helpfully summed up in a <b><a href="http://paper.li/Cyber_Panda_">Cyber-Law News Daily</a>; </b></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b></b><b><a href="http://www.technollama.co.uk/"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Technollama</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> aka Andres Guadamuz, a lecturer at the Edinburgh School of Law. This month I enjoyed reading his discussion on cyber-regulation in the well-penned post </span><a href="http://www.technollama.co.uk/is-it-time-to-take-anonymous-seriously" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it time to take Anonymous Seriously?</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b> </b>Readers of Andres' blog are always guaranteed an enlightening read.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Staying true to her identity, and founder of another technology blog, is <b><a href="http://ip-brands.com/blog/index.php/about/">Shireen Smith</a></b> at Azrights Solicitors. Shireen's posts are bang on the money for her target audience and I always benefit from a legal brain refresher when reading her posts. She has a knack of making her specialism a subject which everyone should take an interest in: </span></span><a href="http://ip-brands.com/blog/index.php/2010/09/17/facebook-places-privacy-and-implied-consent/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook Places, Privacy and Implied Consent</span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://ip-brands.com/blog/index.php/2010/10/18/rejecting-anonymity-making-authors-accountable/"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rejecting Anonymity, Making Authors Accountable</span></b></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> are both good reads whatever your specialist practice area.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Stepping away from technology blogs, and back full-circle to the founder of the UK blawg round-up now. Michael Scutt's passion for blogging is evident as he</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> wears two blawgging hats, one for <a href="http://michaelscutt.co.uk/" style="font-weight: bold;">Jobsworth</a>, Employment Law Explained, and the other for <a href="http://troubleahead.co.uk/"><b>There May Be Trouble Ahead</b></a>, Legal Services De-regulation. Jobsworth is an essential blawgging read for anyone in practice remotely affected by employment law (and, lets face it, who isn't?). His analysis of the Equality Act in </span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://michaelscutt.co.uk/2010/10/01/the-equality-act-here-at-last-worth-the-wait/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Equality Act: Here at Last ? Worth the Wait?</span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (and the earlier posts referred to therein) really get to the nub of the issues underlying why and how the legislation has come about to provide a much fuller and contextual picture, but he also does the practical stuff too, see </span><a href="http://michaelscutt.co.uk/2010/09/07/why-employers-shouldnt-ask-pre-employment-health-questions-equality-act-2010-2/"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why Employers Shouldn't Ask Pre-Employment Health Questions: Equality Act 2010 #2</span></b></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for the answers to the "ok but what does it mean I actually have to do" questions. In There May be Trouble Ahead, Michael has himself well-positioned as a thought-leader amongst the profession challenging views of what de-regulation will mean for it. His September post,</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://troubleahead.co.uk/2010/09/28/more-on-branding/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">More on Branding</span></span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span">, questions how much a law firm is prepared to invest in a franchised brand.</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I couldn't let the opportunity of this blawg round-up go by without mentioning <b>Mark Gould</b>, with a background as an academic and lecturer in Competition Law, Mark is currently Head of Knowledge Management at a leading law-firm. His blog, </span><a href="http://blog.tarn.org/" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enlightened Tradition</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b> </b>explores a rational approach to organisational learning and knowledge management. He draws inspiration from many sources and his blog posts pay homage to his academic background being clearly well-researched; a shining example is his recent post </span></span><a href="http://blog.tarn.org/2010/05/05/the-corporate-professional-spectrum-law-firms-km-and-the-future/"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Corporate Professional Spectrum: Law Firms, KM and the Future</span></b></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">And last but not least,<b> J</b></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>ennie Law, </b>a law librarian in <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Edinburgh</place></city>. I've had Jennie's feed on my RSS stream for a while now, and her light-hearted "say what you see" approach is perfectly summed up in <b><a href="http://jennielaw.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-make-librarian-happy.html"><span style="color: #e69138;">How to Make a Librarian Happy</span></a>.</b></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pdKwJ12Zs09fJ-a8UKd0bq76hnp2g_9pq5uE-zl2HItMkFJr9yO6cQhqOV_pLlOfItNMgJTEbim6ZVs2Nv_xKpIKbvrJkydr2tFJIT_vj1CZqJLxMpkZMEAl5B81Gq1s526Y07evBesg/s1600/witch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pdKwJ12Zs09fJ-a8UKd0bq76hnp2g_9pq5uE-zl2HItMkFJr9yO6cQhqOV_pLlOfItNMgJTEbim6ZVs2Nv_xKpIKbvrJkydr2tFJIT_vj1CZqJLxMpkZMEAl5B81Gq1s526Y07evBesg/s320/witch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Image copyright of Anon, via Flickr</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #535353; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><span style="color: black;">And now, the witching hour really is upon me, I have work to do! </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Halloween readers!</span></div>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-22224076902723625632010-10-29T04:00:00.000-07:002010-10-29T04:00:38.354-07:005 More Reasons for In-House Counsel to Use TwitterI attanded a law firm seminar yesterday evening discussing social media for in-house lawyers. It was an informative and very well-received event, yet I was amazed to find that save for myself and the presenters, nobody else around the table had ever used Twitter. <br />
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Twitter is so ingrained into my working day, I thought everyone else was using it too, but it appears not, and more evangalising is required by the rest of us! So following on from my previous <a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2010/02/5-reasons-for-in-house-counsel-to-use.html">5 Reasons for In House Counsel to Use Twitter</a> and <a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/2010/03/5-twitter-best-practice-tips-for-in.html">5 Twitter Best Practice Tips for In-House Counsel</a>, here are 5 more reasons for in-house counsel to use Twitter:<br />
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1. Community: Twitter is highly effective at creating communities. There's a growing legal community on there, and we're already starting to see sections of that community specialise, in particular lawyers focussing on technology, IP, IT cloud computing, and, of course, social media are growing and prospering by creating communities within the larger legal circle. <br />
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Being an in-house lawyer can be a lonely experience professionally, especially if you're sole in-house counsel in, say, a firm full of engineers or scientists. So, lets face-it, some daily legal banter wouldn't go amiss. Twitter allows you to become part of a community very easily, and the more you put into that community, the more you'll get out of it.<br />
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2. Easily incorporated into your day: One of the reasons I've heard for lawyers not getting involved in social media or twitter activities is because they can't find the time. Well, that's no excuse in my book. With Twitter clients such as Tweetdeck and Hootsuite , its so simple to have Twitter running unobtrusively on your desktop as you're completing other tasks; and very quickly you'll become accustomed to spotting the avatars or hashtags of your favourite follows as your tweetfeed pops up in the corner of your screen.<br />
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3. The Next Generation: Social media is already the communication choice of the next generation. Your business is going to have to prepare itself to accommodate this sea-change in communication preference, and if you want to communicate with the next generation of lawyers, its a tool you'll have to get to grips with pretty quickly too.<br />
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4.140 characters only: Twitter helps you to hone your writing skills. You need to get your point across in 140 characters or less. As an in-house lawyer in commerce and industry, this skill is particularly valuable where you're dealing with individuals not interested in the legal niceties, but who just want to get to the point.<br />
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5. Fun: As my good tweeting companion and fellow in-house lawyer <a href="http://www.twitter.com/junecasalmir">@junecasalmir</a> quite rightly points out, tweeting is actually quite good fun, its enjoyable to meet, network with and read tweets from some great people who you wouldn't have the opportunity to meet in the real world.<br />
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Have I convinced you yet?<br />
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The event I attended yesterday evening was hosted by the wonderful <a href="http://www.twitter.com/stevekunkewicz">@stevekunkewicz</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/paulcarruthers">@paulcarruthers</a> (to whom I thank for the insight into my point 3 above).Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-25108136452696466062010-10-21T14:26:00.000-07:002010-10-21T14:26:16.228-07:00The Next Big Thing: Is the social media tide turning?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Today's Legal Week has focussed on the use of social media tools by the legal profession. It ran two pieces today:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.legalweek.com/legal-week/analysis/1799966/ideas-law-geek-inherit">New ideas in Law: The geek shall inherit... </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">a wonderfully well researched piece of journalism by Alex Aldridge summarising the history of the legal blogging scene at home and abroad and introducing the new, rising talent in the UK blawgosphere. I was thrilled and honoured for this very blog to be included in the article, quote:</span><br />
<blockquote>"Then there's <a href="http://in-house-lawyer.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">In-House Lawyer</span></a>, a more serious, non-fictional, yet still distinctly irreverent insider account of life as an in-house lawyer, authored by Melanie Hatton, a former Mayer Brown lawyer who is now head of legal and company secretary at Latitude Digital Marketing. In it, Hatton reflects candidly on issues facing in-house counsel, with recent posts including a piece drawing attention to the friction between in-house legal departments and sales teams in companies and an admission that she always leaves anything litigious to a Friday, the day of the week when "opposing counsel seem much more inclined to strike a deal with less antagonism".</blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">rreverent and candid. Heck, I hadn't realised! But I can roll with that. </span></span></span>Alex's article is a suberb blawg round-up, culminating in his blawger roll of honour list. It makes my job of hosting this quarter's ukblawg round-up next week quite a challenge!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.legalweek.com/legal-week/analysis/1799953/tweet-disposition-tech-savvy-lawyers-social-media">Tweet Disposition: the tech-savvy lawyers making social media work for them</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> is </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">written by Sofia Lind and introduces a selection of in-house and private practice tweeting lawyers. I was over the moon to be mentioned in this article along with other tweeting companions I know, and some which I didn't but I no doubt soon will. Sofia's article also takes a look at blogging and Linked-in and interestingly identifies what the Top 10 law firms are doing (or not doing) about social media, confirming what I suspected, i.e. that its the individuals, independents and smaller firms in the UK which are getting to grips with social media a lot more quickly and effectively than the larger firms.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;">These two articles have brought the UK's legal social media scene to the fore, their angle very much that social media is here to be embraced and not policed, and I predict we'll now see the tide changing with more of our profession surfing the social media waves. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWO71Pn80Rdzt0VG7c2hYwFD1tCmv5rL_9eOJJTvVhbVDKRJALny6EulBfghEeCngVTFEIGoUPmeAd948v-IwtxZasOZlhHoB6-n3KQ2bm8kH5HGnOwnRfS6YTEE-ADm3plVpeHOD5rxPE/s1600/2010-10-21_22.13.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWO71Pn80Rdzt0VG7c2hYwFD1tCmv5rL_9eOJJTvVhbVDKRJALny6EulBfghEeCngVTFEIGoUPmeAd948v-IwtxZasOZlhHoB6-n3KQ2bm8kH5HGnOwnRfS6YTEE-ADm3plVpeHOD5rxPE/s320/2010-10-21_22.13.01.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><i>Cartoon courtesy of </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><a href="http://www.geekandpoke.com/"><i>Geek & Poke</i></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><i> </i></span>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-46033844682626718092010-10-20T12:51:00.000-07:002010-10-20T12:51:24.889-07:00SAD StoryYesterday on Twitter I was amused to read this exchange:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8Wei_bZgPS0AwYNuQLJg6-Pvdg4Flxq2c25iVuryl2N_MoE5nNZApUkwEMEnSJpzNsJzp2xOc4hv5mgMyotPEC8xPcvEEZwPlVjcIPTozJ164ak0loK1wobcSpENYWnwnlXOmaVDEagZ/s1600/sad+lamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8Wei_bZgPS0AwYNuQLJg6-Pvdg4Flxq2c25iVuryl2N_MoE5nNZApUkwEMEnSJpzNsJzp2xOc4hv5mgMyotPEC8xPcvEEZwPlVjcIPTozJ164ak0loK1wobcSpENYWnwnlXOmaVDEagZ/s320/sad+lamp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The discussion was with reference to the latest blog post by <a href="http://www.magiccircleminx.com/">Magic Circle Minx</a>.<br />
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It conjured up imagery of tribes of albino trainees working underground digging for gold. Personally, I'd opt to take a day or two holiday rather than rely on my standard-issue SAD lamp, but needs must in the magic circle it seems.<br />
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It also reminded me that when I was a trainee, all I was issued with for working late was the code to set the alarm and free access to the kitchen goodie drawer.<br />
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</div>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-10477467675982585132010-10-19T13:51:00.000-07:002010-10-19T13:51:21.141-07:00Dotted and SpottedI just discovered that my previous "join the dots" blog post has been spotted by Law.com's Legal Blog Watch! Their take on my earlier post is called: <a href="http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/legal_blog_watch/2010/10/pursuing-unrelated-interests-can-help-lawyers-connect-the-dots-in-legal-careers-too.html">Pursuing Unrelated Interests Can Help Lawyers Connect the Dots in their Legal Careers too</a>.<br />
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Couldn't have put it better myself.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-42865764396424035032010-10-11T13:29:00.000-07:002010-10-11T13:37:27.596-07:00In the Mix. Creative Law?In my recent 22twts interview I was asked:<br />
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My advice was inspired by a quote attributed to Steve Jobs who, speaking at the Stanford University 2005 graduation ceremony, said "You can't join the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future".<br />
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You can find his full <a href="http://www.facebook.com/notes/gurbaksh-chahal/steve-jobs-commencement-address/175326535986">address</a> here, but the point which fascinated me in this speech was that when Mr Jobs was at college, he actually dropped-out of the course allocated to him and instead chose to follow his intuition and curiosity and take up a calligraphy course of study, the learning of which bore no practical application in his life at all. 10 years later when working on the design of the first Macintosh computer, he recalled his calligraphy learnings and fed them into the creative design process which resulted in the development of the Apple Mac with its signature typefaces, typography and fonts. An example of magnificent creativity.<br />
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Simply put, the more broad your experience and interests, the more opportunities there are in your life to connect the dots and bring a fresh and creative perspective to the table. <br />
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Law is no different, and some would argue more in need of creative energy: the best patent attorneys usually have a background in science and chemistry and a passion for photography might fuel a leading copyright lawyer's quest to represent image right-holders.<br />
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For me personally, a 'mumpreneur' moment during my maternity leave back in 2005 led me to develop and optimise a website for pregnant women. What is this to do with your legal blog, I hear you ask?<br />
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Well, 3 years later I found myself interviewing for the position of in-house lawyer at a digital marketing company quietly confident that I knew, more than any other candidate, my SEO from my PPC, and my back-links from my HTML. What's more, my experience during an 'off-track' year as a PSL responsible for training lawyers in a commercial law firm, rather than practicing law with them, continues to feed into that element of my present job responsible for managing the Training & Development at my company. It all adds up.<br />
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In my view, its easy for lawyers to pigeon-hole themselves as specialists, one trick legal ponies; but I'd like to challenge your specialism and encourage you to take your legal wisdom, add a pinch of a personal interest and pour out a creative contribution to your workplace.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-71145236496347593152010-10-04T15:27:00.000-07:002010-10-04T15:27:41.420-07:00Branded Part 5: Take a Look at Facebook<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">A tweet caught my eye today, "What's the next big thing in social media for lawyers?". Samantha Collier's blog, <a href="http://ht.ly/19hrGd">Social Media for Law Firms</a>, claims the answer is now Facebook because ultimately "everyone under the sun now finds you on Facebook".</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">I know some professionals will balk at the idea but I'm inclined to agree with Samantha, not least because of Facebook's powerful search-engine like presence, although my view is that she is way ahead of the curve here; a lot of lawyers I know aren't even on Facebook personally yet and a few more have just the one solitary connection on Linked In. </span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">However, a quick search on Facebook will reveal that there are already a modest number of "solicitors" and "law firms" with a professional Facebook presence and, indeed, a fan base.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">But this blog isn't about law firms, its about in-house lawyers. A quick Facebook search against "in house lawyer" revealed:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUVe3L1aep9AjlNQp6lta5cjhkBmZM3ZJb0bDcpJCE_64mKCnZxeGYbv0Sm2CA9meDB2TZYEZHZgATi_0venmH4o6vcw-zLGeggg6N6fXWNwi3e_fAj4qLoJwiCecozSldapXlMZxN9SB/s1600/fake+in-house+lawyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUVe3L1aep9AjlNQp6lta5cjhkBmZM3ZJb0bDcpJCE_64mKCnZxeGYbv0Sm2CA9meDB2TZYEZHZgATi_0venmH4o6vcw-zLGeggg6N6fXWNwi3e_fAj4qLoJwiCecozSldapXlMZxN9SB/s320/fake+in-house+lawyer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">For the avoidance of doubt, this is not me.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">Sensing competition, I have upped my social media strategy game. This is <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-House-Lawyer/123121604408793?ref=sgm">me</a> (note the all important capitalised 'H' in 'House'):</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jb4LpIxtaJixOAtl_qVqocaa6KsNGKOKeVT603F0ZcuVTESYbgnD9KCIQ4oDs7b5HAR21xQwVcGiO_UTLb8BhhHuDxb03tEZht7goCoTgTGDa3ovIv51asJ2YvVTNLp-88va9D6yI_Bx/s1600/real+in-house+lawyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jb4LpIxtaJixOAtl_qVqocaa6KsNGKOKeVT603F0ZcuVTESYbgnD9KCIQ4oDs7b5HAR21xQwVcGiO_UTLb8BhhHuDxb03tEZht7goCoTgTGDa3ovIv51asJ2YvVTNLp-88va9D6yI_Bx/s320/real+in-house+lawyer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">So there it is, the start of what will no doubt be the blog-post, "5 Reasons In-house Lawyers should use Facebook". Until then.</span></span></div>Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-414548442461568912.post-45815422094863872762010-10-02T01:16:00.000-07:002010-10-02T01:16:15.135-07:00Turn On, Tune In, Tweet Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamG0B9BeXG0_nV4CWEmo2iv-e3H6WDzC_X5qf07NaQVrLE56wps9wlE3rbEaXgQYE44cmXbhRMfq7yY4ZzAsCEeTZlRpTXa_7_lfFNH8rdVDEheq84lvXvY3enDHgkg82uCYUoxhrJ4cp/s1600/turn+on+tune+in+tweet+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamG0B9BeXG0_nV4CWEmo2iv-e3H6WDzC_X5qf07NaQVrLE56wps9wlE3rbEaXgQYE44cmXbhRMfq7yY4ZzAsCEeTZlRpTXa_7_lfFNH8rdVDEheq84lvXvY3enDHgkg82uCYUoxhrJ4cp/s320/turn+on+tune+in+tweet+out.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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If you turned on Twitter on Thursday evening, and tuned into the #22twts hashtag, you'll have seen me tweet out.<br />
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#22twts is the inspiration of Lance Godard (of the The Godard Group) and comprises a weekly live Twitter interview of tweeting lawyers "helping them to tell their stories one tweet at a time".<br />
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I was Lance's first in-house interviewee, and I was slightly nervous to begin, but the experience was great fun and I'd thoroughly recommend that any lawyer using Twitter contacts Lance if they'd like to feature on #22twts.<br />
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The transcript of my interview appears on <a href="http://22tweets.com/index.php/2010/09/30/in_house_lawyer/">www.22tweets.com</a>.Melanie Hattonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14517309883593165818noreply@blogger.com2