Human-first lawyering: Building empathy, culture and connection within in-house legal teams

This summer, the In-House With You team at HCR Law is ‘walking on legal sunshine’ with Hot Tips for Cool Counsel, a seven-part article series created especially for in-house lawyers. Whether you’re planning ahead or tackling new challenges, these summer legal essentials offer a seasonal refresh with practical tips and insights, to help you stay sharp, compliant, and confident, whatever the summer brings.

In this issue, Omer Simjee, Employment Partner, explores how modern in-house legal leaders can operationalise empathy, cultivate inclusive and high-trust cultures, and build deeper connections within their teams and across the wider business.

Across the UK, the legal profession is beginning to embrace a more human-centred approach, one that values emotional intelligence and empathy alongside legal acumen.

In a corporate environment increasingly defined by speed, efficiency, and digital transformation, in-house legal functions are often seen as the gatekeepers of risk. However, a quiet evolution is underway within legal departments, and a shift toward human-first lawyering is challenging traditional paradigms.

As employment law grows increasingly complex, in-house legal leaders are uniquely positioned to embed empathy not only as a cultural value but as a practical approach to reducing legal risk and fostering compliant workplaces.

This approach prioritises empathy over ego, connection over compliance, and culture over command. It reframes legal practice as not just a technical function, but as a strategic enabler of collaboration, psychological safety, and inclusive leadership.

Far from being a “soft skill,” empathy is emerging as a critical capability, one that enables legal teams to navigate complexity, build trust across the business, and drive meaningful organisational impact. General counsel and in-house legal leaders are uniquely placed to champion this shift, not only as legal advisors, but as cultural influencers within their organisations.

Here are his top three considerations for legal leaders.

1. Building rapport in your workplace

Building rapport is more than just good interpersonal practice, it’s a strategic imperative for in-house legal teams and can benefit you and your organisation.

Strong rapport mitigates risks such as miscommunication, grievances, and conflicts that can escalate into formal employment disputes. It also fosters trust and collaboration, enabling legal teams to act as true business partners.

Key benefits of building rapport within your legal team and across the business include:

• Establishing trust with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders, encouraging early engagement and open dialogue
• Fostering loyalty and engagement among team members and stakeholders, which enhances retention and productivity
• Breaking down silos to improve collaboration and broaden understanding of business and legal challenges
• Enhancing awareness of commercial drivers by seeing issues through stakeholders’ perspectives
• Reducing conflict through relationships built on mutual respect and professional trust.

Strategies for building effective rapport:

• Be present, listen actively and show genuine interest and empathy in conversations
• Identify common ground and adapt to others’ working styles and communication preferences
• In remote settings, allocate time at the start of meetings for informal connection
• In person, use opportunities like coffee breaks, walking meetings, lunches, and team-building activities to foster connection
• Communicate clearly, set realistic expectations and proactively update on timelines or challenges
• Tailor your language to avoid legal jargon and ensure clarity for non-legal colleagues
• Offer tailored training or information sessions to demystify legal processes and build mutual understanding.

By investing in these practices, legal leaders can cultivate relationships that not only strengthen the legal team but also reduce legal risks and enhance overall organisational resilience.

2. Work allocation and enhancing employee engagement

Effective work allocation is essential not only to operational efficiency but also to ensuring compliance with employment law obligations related to fairness, reasonable adjustments, and workplace health. In-house legal leaders are well placed to design and oversee allocation frameworks that reduce the risk of discrimination claims, prevent overwork-related health issues, and promote a diverse, engaged workforce.

Understanding individual preferences and capabilities is not merely a management best practice, it is a safeguard against potential claims under the Equality Act and the duty to make reasonable accommodations. Transparent, documented allocation processes that are regularly reviewed will reinforce fairness and support defensible decision-making in the event of disputes.

Practical strategies include:

• Conducting regular one-to-ones to identify workload concerns and development needs, including requests for adjustments due to disability or caring responsibilities
• Applying consistent criteria for work distribution, actively preventing bias or favouritism that might lead to discrimination allegations
• Monitoring for signs of burnout or stress, and adjusting assignments proactively to comply with health and safety obligations
• Partnering with HR to align allocation processes with organisational policies on diversity and inclusion and evolving regulatory standards
• Maintaining clear records of allocation decisions and feedback mechanisms to ensure transparency and continuous improvement
• Encouraging rotation across different workstreams to build skills while ensuring that no individual is unfairly disadvantaged
• Putting a process in place to gain ongoing feedback to address any emerging concerns promptly and maintain a positive working environment.

By integrating employment law considerations into work allocation, legal leaders can enhance employee engagement while safeguarding the department against legal and reputational risks. This balanced approach supports a sustainable, high-performing in-house legal team aligned with broader organisational values and compliance obligations.

3. How legal leaders can build a strong organisational culture

Hiring the right people from the outset remains fundamental, not only to team performance but also to managing employment risks effectively. In-house legal leaders understand that robust recruitment processes, including careful vetting and cultural fit assessments, help mitigate future employment disputes and reduce turnover costs.

Listening attentively to your team and understanding their priorities is also essential for fostering a culture that supports legal compliance and employee engagement. A strong organisational culture underpins not only retention of top talent but also adherence to workplace laws, policies, and ethical standards, particularly in areas such as diversity and inclusion, equal opportunity, and psychological safety.

For in-house legal teams, trust and transparency are crucial, especially when navigating sensitive employment issues. Establishing a no-blame culture fosters open dialogue and constructive handling of workplace challenges such as grievances, performance management, and investigations. This approach encourages team members to report concerns early, enabling proactive risk management and safeguarding against legal exposure.

Employment law-focused strategies for building a strong organisational culture include:

• Embedding legal compliance into leadership behaviours, modelling fairness, consistency, and respect in decision-making
• Promoting psychological safety to encourage early reporting of workplace issues, which supports effective conflict resolution and risk mitigation
• Aligning recruitment and onboarding with equal employment opportunity principles and anti-discrimination laws
• Ensuring collaboration between legal and HR functions to embed best practices in policy, training, and employee relations
• Recognising and addressing unconscious bias to build inclusive, diverse teams in line with evolving regulatory expectations
• Offering ongoing professional development on employment law updates, workplace rights, and organisational values.

By leading with both empathy and legal expertise, in-house legal leaders can build cultures that reduce legal risk, enhance employee well-being, and ultimately strengthen the organisation’s reputation and resilience.

Conclusion

In summary, human-first lawyering offers a transformative approach for in-house legal teams, one that elevates empathy, culture, and connection as core drivers of legal and business success.  For heads of legal and general counsel, embracing this mindset is not just a leadership choice but a strategic necessity. Leading with empathy is a powerful way to build resilient, agile legal functions that not only safeguard their organisations but also drive sustainable growth and innovation.

By prioritising emotional intelligence alongside legal expertise, legal leaders can foster high-trust, inclusive cultures that enhance team engagement, reduce workplace conflict, and improve collaboration across the organisation. Ultimately, human-first lawyering transforms legal teams from risk gatekeepers into trusted strategic partners, equipped to influence culture and business outcomes positively.

To read more in the ‘Hot Tips for Cool Counsel’ series click here.