Team Insights – Chris Emery

In the second of our Team Insights series, we feature Chris Emery, our newest addition to our team delivering our External Legal Team Solution.  Chris is a highly experienced and versatile in-house Legal Counsel and Associate In-House Solicitor at IHLS who deals with a variety of commercial contract, IP and data protection matters for multiple clients.

Whilst not only adding to the breadth of direct in-house experience in the IHLS team, his background is key to enabling him to be an effective mentor in hands-on in-house practice to the junior team.

My Role at IHLS

As one of the senior solicitors in the team, I am on hand to draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements ranging from standard T&Cs to more complicated, project-driven contracts for listed companies, in addition to providing general advice. I am jointly responsible for the External Legal Team Solution that IHLS offers. Other parts of my role include supervising and training the more junior members of the team on commercial matters to enhance their learning and development.

What is your prior experience and why did you choose to pursue a career as an in-House solicitor?

I have worked in the legal sector since the age of 16; firstly, as an office admin and then a paralegal dealing with insurance fraud, all alongside studying a Law degree. I qualified as a solicitor in 2018 and have acquired a wealth of commercial experience working in both private practice and in-house roles. I chose to move in-house from private practice because I enjoy immersing myself in the businesses that I work for. I find it infinitely interesting to learn how a business operates behind the scenes, and this deeper understanding not only engages me but also makes me a more effective lawyer by allowing me to connect with my clients on a deeper level.

Tell us about your previous roles in-house

In my first in-house role, I worked for a global, medical devices manufacturer called Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS). I worked closely with regulatory teams (given the highly regulated nature of the products they manufactured and sold) and was exposed to a real mix of commercial work such as global supply and distribution agreements, NDAs, software agreements and joint venture agreements. I was jointly responsible for managing the intellectual property portfolio with the external trade mark and patent attorneys as well as being the commercial lead for AMS’ group company in Germany, Resorba.

I then worked at Esken plc, which had two operating subsidiaries in London Southend Airport and Esken Renewables, which processed waste wood into renewable energy (wood fuel). This developed my expertise in managing a wide variety of projects, agreements and providing general advice in a large, multi-faceted, publicly listed company. I worked closely with the General Counsel and would regularly advise on asset finance agreements, fuel supply agreements, location hire agreements, complicated software and other supply/service agreements. I was jointly responsible for managing the intellectual property portfolio in this role too and was a key member of the intra-group project teams dealing with the refinancing of the whole group and the overall privacy policy/notices updates. 

Throughout my law career I’ve been a part of many large-scale projects across a variety of sectors, showcasing the variety of opportunities in-house work can lead to and demonstrating my ability to handle major commercial projects.

What is the key to managing In-house stakeholders effectively?

For me it’s about being personable, having a commercial head on your shoulders and providing swift solutions rather than a bottleneck. You’re there to help the business run smoothly whilst protecting its interests and as long as you’re doing that then you should be on good ground to build strong relationships with stakeholders.

What do you like about your role?

I like the variety of the work that comes across my desk from clients operating in such different sectors. It keeps what I do interesting and certainly keeps me on my toes. Beyond my legal acumen, I enjoy being a vital part in IHLS business development efforts. As a keen networker, I take pride in representing IHLS at numerous industry and networking events, engaging with potential clients and partners. This also allows me to remain informed of evolving legal developments and innovations. I am also actively involved in the marketing and growth of IHLS’s services, leveraging my expertise to drive value for both the firm and our clients. At IHLS, our mission is to cultivate a supportive environment that promotes professional development. I enjoy supporting this initiative in my role supervising our team of paralegals, newly qualified lawyers, and trainees.

What advice would you give to aspiring in-house law professionals?

Perseverance. Mine was a longer route to qualification (and eventually moving in-house) but the skills and experience I picked up along the way were invaluable and ultimately made me a better and more commercial lawyer, all of which helped me get to where I wanted to be professionally.