Author: Amber Spong

Brandsmiths+ hosted their second event for in-house lawyers in their London offices in Aldgate.

Brandsmiths+ recently hosted their second event for in-house lawyers in their London offices in Aldgate. 

Bianca Wilson, Senior Associate at Brandsmiths, interviewed Natalie Salunke, a distinguished General Counsel, Non-Executive Director, Lecturer, and Mentor with an impressive track record in the legal industry. Throughout her career, she has navigated from Trainee to General Counsel, and thus has some excellent advice for ‘Moving Into Management’.

The event took place on Thursday 18th April 2024, and provided attendees with a unique opportunity to gain first-hand insights from Natalie's extensive experience.

Natalie's impressive journey to becoming General Counsel was a central focus of the evening. She shared both her personal and professional insights, and inspired guests in her path to leadership. Natalie discussed essential skills for a successful transition into management, drawing from her own experiences in leading in-house legal teams for over 12 years. Her advice was both practical and relatable for aspiring legal professionals.

"Never underestimate the importance of open conversations with your line manager to understand the progression prospects."

Throughout the event, Natalie also shared five expert tips for effective leadership. Attendees left the session equipped with strategies to enhance their leadership capabilities and drive success in their own team.

A highlight of the evening was Natalie’s explanation of the importance of being open minded, being a self-starter, and also self-regulation and accountability. She is passionate about lawyers retaining their communication and empathy skills, and utilising these as an advantage. Natalie is also reknowned for 'putting the human in law,' and reflected on the importance of this in professional practice:

“I think the narrative 10 years ago, especially with technology and AI was that lawyers are going to become defunct. I think ultimately we’re going to have to leverage our human skills more, rather than just being scared. That actually, technology solutions are going to make our lives easier and what we do more interesting.”

About Brandsmiths+

Brandsmiths+ is a legal network connecting elite lawyers in a thriving community. Our quarterly events give lawyers the opportunity to develop skills suited to their legal ability, as well as learn about trends which are relevant to their roles and industries.

Our events are held in London and Manchester and provide an opportunity for general networking to take place following the knowledge-based part of the session.

If you missed out, stay informed about future Brandsmiths+ gatherings and to be the first to hear about opportunities to continue your professional development journey by signing up for our mailing list here https://brandsmiths.co.uk/sign-up/ 

Check out #BrandsmithsPlus on LinkedIn.