This short Q&A was featured in our summer edition of the DisruptiveTech newsletter. If you would like to receive our newsletter regularly, please click here.
Kolvin Stone, partner and head of technology, Fox Williams, spoke with Mark Sun, fractional Head of Legal at Astrada.
Q1: What are biggest challenges you’ve faced and how did you over-come them?
I’m not sure if I can name a biggest challenge, but there are certainly some significant ones in the bet-the-company projects I’ve worked on in-house.
You can’t be everywhere at once, so I’ve had to distil nuanced advice into actionable takeaways that can be used in a detailed negotiation without my live assistance. It’s always hard to delegate control in this context, so it’s essential to communicate clearly in a framework that empowers my delegate to push things forward while I stay focused on the strategic imperatives without losing time or negotiating ground.
Q2: What’s the most helpful piece of advice you have received as Head of Legal?
Be a lawyer, and be a problem solver. Always push it forward.
Q3: How do you see the role of the in-house lawyer evolving with the ever increasing use of legal technology and process management tools?
Legal functions, and the in-house lawyer, will become less of a black box to the business. It will accelerate a trend where lawyers are asked to do more, and with less friction for the business. In those contexts, it’ll be critical for in-house lawyers to (a) develop relevant KPIs so as to attach numbers to help describe the vast value they’re adding to the business; and (b) become better communicators and promoters of their team so that hard work (even if the tech makes it seem invisible/seamless) isn’t taken for granted.
Q4: What keeps you up at night?
My twins. Also, version control and Google Docs.
Q5: What advice do you have for lawyers who want to succeed in this industry?
Be practical. Understand the business, thoroughly – the product, the industry, the business model, your stakeholders, and your stakeholders’ stakeholders.
Q6: What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received, and who gave it to you?
A supervising partner told me that a good lawyer never stops growing. If you’re not always feeling a bit out of your depth, you’re not doing it right. Lean into the challenges, and don’t let your comfort zone hold you back.
