Whether they become claims or not, no lawyer wants to make a mistake that harms their client. The big difference for in-house attorneys is that they have only one client. The challenge is that, depending on the client’s size, the lawyer may have to cover a wider range of issues than lawyers in mid-size to larger firms. In short, inside and outside counsel have similar and dissimilar risk management concerns. Here are a few suggestions for avoiding problems that apply to both.

Create a Team on All Substantial Matters

Many problems are created when lawyers work solo or in a silo. In the daily flood of emails, telephone calls, meetings and myriad other distractions, it is easy to let a key notice, message or deadline escape attention. The busier one gets, the more a front-of-mind problem blocks out other less pressing or less shiny things which can suddenly become big problems when they are past due.