Background

• The US Picture

• A UK View

The role of senior in-house counsel (IHC) is undergoing significant transformation. Once viewed primarily as legal gatekeepers, today’s IHC are increasingly expected to act as strategic operators — balancing legal risk with commercial agility and delivering measurable value to the business.

Several different pressures are at play: economic volatility, technological disruption, talent strain and rising expectations from boards and business units.

The US Picture

The 2025 State of the Corporate Law Department Report suggests that IHC are juggling four interdependent mandates: effectiveness, efficiency, protection and enablement. These reflect a broader strategic pivot — from reactive legal support to proactive business leadership.

The report notes that “value” was mentioned by IHC three times more often than in the previous year, across contexts ranging from budget management to stakeholder engagement.

There is evidence that shifts in IHC remit are being driven by how corporate leaders define success. The study above found that 72% of C-suite leaders prioritise profit, while 65% cite customer satisfaction ratings and 56% highlight employee satisfaction as core success metrics.

These priorities are shaping legal expectations: IHC are increasingly expected to contribute visibly to financial outcomes, client experience and workforce stability.

Background

Today’s in-house counsel are increasingly expected to act as strategic operators.

At the same time, technological macro-forces like artificial intelligence (AI) and exploding data volumes were both rated as having high or transformational impact by over 70% of IHC. These many influences are reshaping the legal risk landscape. In-house teams must now operate with greater agility, commercial fluency and strategic foresight than ever before.

A UK View

In the UK, this evolution bears some similarities — but shaped by distinct regulatory and cultural dynamics. The In-house Solicitors Thematic Review from the UK Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) found that in-house lawyers are increasingly embedded in strategic decision-making, with 71% reporting that they were involved in shaping organisational policy.

However, the review also highlighted persistent challenges. Resourcing constraints were cited by 59% of respondents as a barrier to effectiveness. On employee experience, isolation from peers and lack of structured professional development were common themes. Meanwhile, many in-house teams still operate with limited visibility or influence beyond their immediate business unit.

In-house solicitors are often expected to deliver high-quality legal advice while navigating complex organisational structures, limited resources, and evolving expectations — all without the support systems typically available in private practice.

Generative AI is already perceived as a major driver of change in the UK market. Deloitte research found that 95% of legal departments have engaged with it, while 79% expected the new technology to bring moderate to significant long-term change.

The intense pressure to deliver is central to understanding the context in which our survey was conducted. Chambers set out to explore which strategic challenges IHC are prioritising, and what role legal data and intelligence plays for them. We present our research findings in the following sections.

Whether in the US or UK, legal leaders are being asked to do more with less, and to do it faster, smarter and with greater visibility.