Lessons I Learned in Law

• We are LIVE! With Jim Reid, CLO at Fortis Inc.

  Season 8 of Lessons I Learned in Law continues!This week, Scott is joined by Jim Reid, Chief Legal Officer at Fortis, the $35bn North American utilities group headquartered in Newfoundland, Canada. Jim’s career shift is one many lawyers dream about but rarely execute—moving directly from partnership at leading Canadian firm Davies into his first-ever in-house role as a general counsel.In this episode, Jim reflects on the lessons forged during nearly twenty years in private practice and the mindset required to thrive once inside the C-suite. His first lesson centres on resilience—not the glossy version, but the kind earned through long hours, unpredictable workflows, cancelled holidays, and early-career mistakes. Jim explains why resilience, more than intelligence or technical talent, is what determines who survives and progresses in the high-intensity world of transactional law.His second lesson explores the real engine of a legal career: people. From dealing with difficult partners and stressed clients to mentoring junior lawyers, Jim explains why being respected, curious and reliable matters far more than chasing perfection. It’s people—not deal sheets—that shape the most meaningful parts of a legal career.Jim’s final lesson is a powerful one for any lawyer eyeing the GC seat: get comfortable being uncomfortable. He recounts how stepping into an executive role required him to stop hiding behind subject-matter expertise and instead contribute to broad business decisions, even when surrounded by industry veterans. As CLO, his job is no longer to simply advise—but to decide.Jim also discusses leading a decentralised legal structure across ten utilities, the importance of local presence in regulated markets, building credibility as a business leader, and why live music—from Canadian icons The Tragically Hip to The Lumineers—remains his favourite way to reconnect with people.Guest Recommendations🎧 Walk-on Song: The Tragically Hip – Canada’s most iconic band, known for storytelling, hockey references and emotional connection.About Heriot Brown: Heriot Brown is a leading global recruitment business specialising in the in-house legal market. We help lawyers find fulfilment in their careers by matching them with exceptional in-house opportunities, while fostering a thriving community of legal professionals who share insights, experiences, and growth.🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Lessons I Learned in Law, leave us a review, and share it with your network.

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• Stephanie Lopes, Chief Legal Officer at Volt.io on Courage, Clarity & Stepping Into Leadership

  Season 8 of Lessons I Learned in Law continues in partnership with Wordsmith AI, the legal-AI platform built for in-house teams.This week, Scott is joined by Stephanie Lopes, Chief Legal Officer at Volt.io, the UK-based fintech scale-up powering global instant payments through open banking. Stephanie joined Volt after a decade in the tech transactions team at Bird & Bird, where she worked closely with the founders from their earliest days and even drafted Volt’s first client contract.In this conversation—recorded just weeks before she goes on maternity leave—Stephanie reflects on her four years helping Volt grow from around 40 employees to more than 150. She shares how secondments across organisations like the Bank of England, Nestlé, and ABB shaped her understanding of what good (and not-so-good) in-house looks like, and how that experience gave her the confidence to join the business post-Series A.Her lessons shine a light on modern, commercial in-house practice: the importance of clear communication, especially when working cross-functionally; the courage to hold your values, particularly when ethical questions arise at executive level; and embracing your role as a business leader, not just a lawyer—balancing legal judgment with product, people, and operational understanding.Stephanie also discusses preparing her team for her upcoming leave, implementing tools like Ironclad, using AI thoughtfully (including for tone in emails), and the unexpected joy of running an Instagram-famous household of guinea pigs.Guest Recommendations🎧 Walk-on Song: “Sweetness” by Jimmy Eat World – Stephanie’s “absolute banger” for any victory lap. 🎧 Runner-up: “Blitzkrieg Bop” by Ramones.About Heriot Brown: Heriot Brown is a leading global recruitment business specialising in the in-house legal market. We help lawyers find fulfilment in their careers by matching them with exceptional in-house opportunities, while fostering a thriving community of legal professionals who share insights, experiences, and growth.🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Lessons I Learned in Law, leave us a review, and share it with your network.

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• General Counsel and Executive Team Member at Fugro, Katja Fenton on Leadership, Integrity, Allyship & Stepping Into the C-Suite

  Season 8 of Lessons I Learned in Law continues in partnership with Wordsmith AI, the legal-AI platform built for in-house teams.This week, Scott is joined by Katja Fenton, General Counsel and Executive Team Member at Fugro, the global geo-data company supporting safer infrastructure, offshore wind development, cleaner energy, and sustainable cities. Remarkably, Katja joined the conversation during her first 90 days—a pivotal moment when lessons feel sharpest, transitions feel largest, and instincts matter most.Katja reflects on the early months of stepping into C-suite leadership while taking on responsibility for a global legal & compliance function of around 60 professionals across four regions. Her first lesson—integrity is trusting your gut, even when it’s uncomfortable—comes from a defining moment early in her career, when she turned down a high-profile international assignment because the work didn’t align with her values. She shares how that instinct has shaped her approach to ethics, leadership, and decision-making ever since.Her second lesson explores the quiet but transformative power of allyship and sponsorship: the people who open doors for you when you’re not in the room. Katja discusses the individuals who have championed her career—from a sixth-form teacher who changed her university path, to leaders who offered opportunities at critical moments—and why she now feels a responsibility to pay it forward.Her final lesson reframes imposter syndrome as evidence of growth. From Dubai’s major construction projects to stepping into the executive team at Fugro, Katja describes how feeling out of depth has consistently signalled the start of her biggest periods of development.Katja also speaks candidly about global mobility, returning to Europe after years in Asia, building diverse teams, raising three young children in the Netherlands, and the importance of curiosity as a core legal skill.Guest Recommendations📚 The First 90 Days – A practical guide for transitions into new roles. 📚 The Culture Map – Essential reading for navigating multicultural teams. 🎧 The Moth – True storytelling, live and unscripted. 🎧 Lessons I Learned in Law – Katja’s go-to podcast on her commute. This episode is proudly sponsored by Wordsmith AI — visit https://wordsmith.ai/ to learn more. About Heriot Brown: Heriot Brown is a leading global recruitment business specialising in the in-house legal market. We help lawyers find fulfilment in their careers by matching them with exceptional in-house opportunities, while fostering a thriving community of legal professionals who share insights, experiences, and growth.🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Lessons I Learned in Law, leave us a review, and share it with your network.

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• 🎙️ Build, Don’t Brew: Andy Cooke on Product Thinking, Influence & Culture at Perk

  Season 8 of Lessons I Learned in Law continues in partnership with Wordsmith AI, the legal-AI platform built for in-house teams.This week, Scott is joined by Andy Cooke, Chief Legal Officer at Perk, the global business travel and expenses platform. Andy shares a grounded, refreshingly practical look at what it means to build and lead an in-house legal team inside a high-growth tech company.Drawing on his experience at Perk and his earlier career in private practice and in-house, Andy unpacks three lessons centred on product thinking, influence and culture. He explains why lawyers should view their work as a product used by internal customers and why simplicity, clarity and usability matter more than long memos. Andy also reflects on the real source of influence inside a business: not job titles or hierarchy, but delivering outcomes that genuinely move the needle.His final lesson focuses on culture as a strategic asset. From hiring curious, low-ego team members to designing processes that scale, Andy shows how the right cultural foundations help legal teams operate as enablers—not gatekeepers—in fast-moving organisations.Away from work, Andy talks about the joy of being back home in Yorkshire after time abroad, and how grounding himself in family, community and routine keeps him balanced. This episode is proudly sponsored by Wordsmith AI — visit https://wordsmith.ai to learn more.About Heriot Brown: Heriot Brown is a leading global recruitment business specialising in the in-house legal market. We help lawyers find fulfilment in their careers by matching them with exceptional in-house opportunities, while fostering a thriving community of legal professionals who share insights, experiences, and growth.🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Lessons I Learned in Law, leave us a review, and share it with your network. 

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• Perception, Empathy & AI: Carolyn Herzog on Leadership and Legal Innovation at Elastic

  Season 8 of Lessons I Learned in Law continues in partnership with Wordsmith AI, the legal-AI platform built for in-house teams.This week, Scott is joined by Carolyn Herzog, Chief Legal Officer and Board Secretary at Elastic, the Dutch-headquartered, NYSE-listed global search and AI company. With a career spanning senior legal roles at Symantec, Arm, and now Elastic, Carolyn has led through major transformations in cybersecurity, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence.In this episode, Carolyn shares three lessons that have shaped her approach to leadership and modern legal practice. Her first, Perception is Reality, explores the importance of feedback and empathy—how understanding others’ viewpoints, not proving you’re right, is the key to influence. Her second lesson, Thriving in the Grey Zone, challenges the traditional black-and-white view of legal advice, focusing instead on partnership, pragmatism, and helping the business navigate complexity. And her third lesson, Make It Actionable, calls on in-house lawyers to move beyond advice into operational execution—turning words into outcomes.Carolyn also discusses Elastic’s fully distributed work model, the rise of legal operations, and the responsible use of AI. She offers an optimistic take on how technology will reshape, not replace, the legal profession—urging lawyers to stay curious and proactive to future-proof their careers.Guest Recommendations🎧 Respect by Aretha Franklin – Her ultimate walk-on song and tribute to the Queen of Soul. 📚 Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Exploring how small shifts create transformative change. This episode is proudly sponsored by Wordsmith AI — visit https://wordsmith.ai to learn more.About Heriot Brown: Heriot Brown is a leading global recruitment business specialising in the in-house legal market. We help lawyers find fulfilment in their careers by matching them with exceptional in-house opportunities, while fostering a thriving community of legal professionals who share insights, experiences, and growth.🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Lessons I Learned in Law, leave us a review, and share it with your network.

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