Jenifer Swallow

@elonmusk 150 kids from 1 swim school in the UK swimming to space and back to raise money for a kids’ oncology unit. From under 2 years old and up, all in under 48 hours. #anythingispossible peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/cr…

We have an opportunity to address a historic regulator omission:failure to ref the role of the GC/in-house legal team in corp governance. Sign the collective response below to the @FRCnews Corp Code consultation today by emailing inhousegroupUK@gmail.com - tinyurl.com/inhousegroupUK…

@danaeshell #secretsauce #seeingisrealising

Consumers need to be able to run their own case. And that's really, really hard. You need a blend of content, emotional support, AI, great UX and legal expertise to even have a chance of helping a layperson go up against a lawyer and win.

I've spoken to 200+ VCs about legaltech in the last 2 years, including top-tier funds in the US, UK and Europe. Here is: 1. how early-stage VC thinks about legaltech 2. what their blind spots are, and 3. why someone is going to blow this "difficult" market open, and soon 🧵

@danaeshell And throwing in that legal services is so often a distressed purchase, but with the right services model would that hold true e.g. onboard a consumer to Valla because of a work grievance, but for future jobs, why would they not buy a contract review and onboarding checklist etc?

Because the legal delivery model is based on hourly billing, and super expensive. Throwing in a marketplace might de-fragment the market a bit, but doesn't actually open up the lower-priced market. 300 an hour is unaffordable for consumers. There's no scalable opportunity.

@danaeshell Yes, and guiding them through not just one legal system but multiple - to unlock global reach. Why would this be harder than what fintechs have done, navigating and plugging in to banking infra worldwide - equally as non-trivial an endeavour as it is in law and wildly successful

That's the missing ingredient. Once you have that, you unlock affordable servicing, a marketplace, network effects and referral loops. The venture-scale opportunity relies on building a platform that can successfully guide an ordinary consumer through the legal system.

Looking forward to chairing duties at tomorrow's @EconomistEvents GC Summit + extending our perspectives + responsibility together around GC leadership with all that is happening in the world. See you there - 3.05 + 4.15pm for tech-talk + more. bit.ly/3dKvrOJ

@HBurness @MDR_LAB @sinc_dj @CourageousLead2 Can’t make that one no. Economist on 1st though.

@JeniferSwallow @MDR_LAB @sinc_dj Must check - also going to @CourageousLead2 - are you? Next week feels full on!

Delighted to be chairing @MDR_LAB showcase event on Wed - looking forward to hearing from the presenting companies across a range of categories, checking in on hard yards of progress, and exploring the value of legal technology. Great to see some of you there. @sinc_dj for info.

@HBurness @MDR_LAB @sinc_dj Finally SEE you!

@JeniferSwallow @MDR_LAB @sinc_dj I think I am coming to this!!!

@BugsieGiven @LSB_EngandWal @RichardMoorhead @CSC_barrington @ZeldaZeldaluna @LSB_EngandWal ?

Lots of issues discussed by a panel of experts on ethics and trust in the legal sector, with @RichardMoorhead, @JeniferSwallow, Jeremy Barton, @CSC_barrington and @ZeldaZeldaluna.

@CrispinPassmore @LSB_EngandWal @RichardMoorhead @StephenMayson And on you will go in purpose regardless

To find out more about being a Board member at @LSB_EngandWal see the video of our Board recruitment webinar. It covers the recruitment process, application requirements, CV advice, and practical information on the process. legalservicesboard.org.uk/news/video-of-…

@Dowellenough @RichardMoorhead @ciaranfenton @UniofExeterNews @ExeterLawSchool @knightinawig 'Were they told everything' is a huge point here. GCs and boards have different ways of encouraging/assuring this. Discourse on the how (and how not) will be of great value.

@RichardMoorhead @JeniferSwallow @ciaranfenton @UniofExeterNews @ExeterLawSchool @knightinawig … or they may get senior (very senior - Neuberger was head of technical court (patents) until he headed HoL’s I think - the Fraser of his day) thrust on them by others. What term of contract could offer succour to challenge them… how do you ask “where they told everything?”🤷😔

@Dowellenough @RichardMoorhead @ciaranfenton @UniofExeterNews @ExeterLawSchool @knightinawig Yep, and already are pressed. To strengthen the governance environment will be to strengthen the ability to push back. No silver bullet, but a lone voice is easier to sound out.

@RichardMoorhead @JeniferSwallow @ciaranfenton @UniofExeterNews @ExeterLawSchool The problem is that *in-house* lawyers will be pressed on tricky issues to brief *leading counsel* for opinion. So you get Swift Report starring (now Justice) Swift QC & @knightinawig or, on Fraser recusal, LJ Neuberger…who may advise to pervert course of justice - what then🤷😔

Thank you @LF_Neil

Will there be a call and scramble to increase corp governance around in-house lawyering when the @PostOffInquiry completes? For in-housers and their boards/employers to get on the front foot, see @LF_Neil's article with our suggested steps and the why now legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/in…

@ciaranfenton @LBCWiseCounsel @RichardMoorhead

@ciaranfenton @oliver_twiste There is conceivably a scenario where taking unlimited liability puts shareholders/stakeholders/dirs at risk in a way that should be notified/approved - this could put the lawyer and the bus lead in conflict - lawyer would need to be clear who is the client/stay independent

@ciaranfenton @oliver_twiste Commercial contract risk is a commercial decision - does not put the lawyer in conflict with their regulatory oblis. If the negotiations implicated a law being broken, that could trigger a reg issue for the lawyer eg bribery to win the deal.

A proposal for in-house lawyers and their employers: In-house lawyers play a key role in their organisations, bringing much to their work, including beyond their core legal experience. But their primary role is to practice law. /1