Ty Leitow

I’ve been practicing as an in-house attorney for over a decade, and my passion is in building world-class legal departments. I’ve been fortunate to be part of some really great legal teams, and I’ve learned important lessons working in some not-so-great legal teams.

Good attorneys do the work, are practical, transparent, and ethical. Great attorneys are all of those things, but also bring something extra. Sometimes it’s special experience or insight. Other times it’s adept communication skills or a practiced empathy. For great in-house lawyers, it often comes down to having sound business judgement (in addition to having sound legal judgement) and having the ability lead without anyone knowing you’re leading.

Working in-house as an attorney means everyone comes to you when problems get serious, and they sometimes forget about you after you’ve helped them find a solution. I often joke that being an in-house lawyer is like being a janitor. Good policies and procedures help keep messes small, but regardless the size of the mess, the in-house lawyer is almost always the one who’s asked to clean it up.

This website was started with two goals. First, I want to share with other lawyers the lessons and best practices I’ve learned over the years. Newer in-house lawyers will benefit the most from this website, but seasoned general counsels may also pick up a trick or two. Second, I want to provide basic legal tips and guidance for non-attorneys. I’ve worked for start-ups, small and medium sized businesses, as well as large publicly traded companies. No matter the size of the company, employees are asked to answer legal questions, often without the help of a lawyer, and in-house lawyers are often asked to answer legal questions on subject matters they have no direct experience with.

Whether it’s reviewing a contract, trying to maintain compliance with regulations, or negotiating the next big deal, business professionals and in-house lawyers alike often do not have the legal support they need. The ultimate goal of this website is to help bridge the gap between the known and the unknown. 

Thank you for visiting, I hope you find value in the blogs and videos.

Let’s connect on LinkedIn.