Company lawyer (Bedrijfsjurist)
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A company lawyer is a legal scholar who represents the interests of a company or organization. A company lawyer is not only responsible for solving legal problems because a company lawyer can also be responsible for preventing legal problems. Think, for example, of drawing up guidelines, drawing up purchase contracts, taking out insurance or answering questions that concern the organization. In addition, a company lawyer may be responsible for co-drafting letters or e-mails that concern the organization. It is not uncommon for outgoing mail to be reviewed by the legal department first, to avoid potential future problems. A corporate lawyer generally only works for large companies or organizations that have a legal department. The substantive work of a company lawyer can differ per organization because in-house lawyers can work in all branches. For example, working for a bank cannot simply be compared to working for a municipality. In general, in-house counsel are responsible for drafting and reviewing contracts, advising other employees, or advising the human resources department regarding legal aspects. Large companies and organizations generally have a large customer base or have to deal with public interests and have to deal with complaints, questions or procedures, which are not easy to answer or implement in all cases. It is the in-house lawyer who have to check all difficult and often sensitive answers for any legal consequences. It is not the case that in-house lawyers check all outgoing mail, but the sensitive matters, which can have negative consequences for the organization.
A company lawyer is therefore a lawyer who works specifically for a company or organization. A company lawyer can help organizations in various ways, such as with company takeovers, forms of cooperation, impending conflicts or in drawing up contracts. As a company lawyer, various specializations are possible, within which a company lawyer specializes, such as in the field of employment law, corporate law, environmental law or contract law. As described earlier, company lawyers are common within the business world and company lawyers can perform various tasks. A company lawyer is an important link in preventing legal problems and possible lawsuits. In addition, in some cases, in-house lawyers work as mediators. In that case, a company lawyer is responsible for finding a suitable solution without conducting lawsuits. Obviously, a company lawyer can be specialized in different areas of law. Consider, for example, company lawyers who specialize in tax law, or company lawyers who work as compliance officers. A compliance officer is usually a lawyer who is responsible for implementing all laws and regulations that an organization may have to deal with.
BECOME A CORPORATE LAWYER
The position of company lawyer should not be underestimated because most company lawyers have a lot of experience. In that practice, most in-house lawyers have previously worked as lawyers. It is therefore not the case that everyone can just become a company lawyer because experience and knowledge are important as a company lawyer. Depending on the organization, company lawyers may also have to deal with various legal staff, who are responsible for supporting legal work. In most cases, company lawyers have a lot to do with the director, managers and external advisors. As a company lawyer, you are in many cases responsible for drafting letters and for giving advice. Another name for company lawyer is sometimes also called paralegal.
WHAT DOES A COMPANY LAWYER DO:
- Implementing laws and regulations;
- Drafting contracts;
- Supporting internal employees;
- Figuring out legal matters;
- Representing the organization (legal);
- Answering difficult questions or requests;
- Possibly taking minutes and summarizing conversations;
- Drafting letters and e-mails.
WHAT DOES A COMPANY LAWYER DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME A COMPANY LAWYER
Those who aspire to a career as a corporate lawyer can best opt for the university law degree, which will take about four to five years, depending on the chosen specialization. In addition, there are sufficient training opportunities at HBO level. It is not uncommon for a company lawyer to have first worked as a lawyer in order to be able to build up sufficient knowledge. There is a Foundation for Vocational Training in Company Lawyers (SBB) where more information can be found about possible training. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE A COMPANY LAWYER CAN BE EMPLOYED
A company lawyer can work for different companies and organizations. Think, for example, of manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, large small businesses, hotel chains and semi-governments, such as Rijkswaterstaat or air traffic control. In fact, a company lawyer can work for all large companies that deal with legal matters. In some cases, a company lawyer can also be regarded as a civil servant. In that case, the name lawyer or policy advisor applies. A company lawyer can also work as a consultant for various clients.
COMPETENCES COMPANY LAWYER
The most important competence of a company lawyer is the professional knowledge of the areas of law in which you work. In addition, a company lawyer must be regarded as a biased confidential advisor, who defends the interests of the organization for which you work. Obviously, a company lawyer must have good communication skills because you usually have to deal with many different employees and external parties. Analytical skills are also important as a company lawyer so that you know how to distinguish the side issues from the main issues. Generally important words are vigilance, checking, planning, organizing, conflict management and networking.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A COMPANY LAWYER
The labour market perspective of a company lawyer is generally good. It is true that experience is important as a company lawyer. In general, company lawyers can work for many different organizations. In other words, a good company lawyer won't have much trouble finding work. The career opportunities of a company lawyer should be seen in obtaining a managerial position. Consider, for example, the position of team leader or the position of department manager.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY COMPANY LAWYER
There are no specific employment conditions to indicate for the profession of company lawyer because you can work for different types of companies or governments, all with their own employment conditions. What exactly a company lawyer earns usually depends strongly on his experience, responsibilities and type of employer. The highest paid corporate lawyers generally work for the large companies and the top positions within the government. But in general, a company lawyer will earn a salary between 3500 and 5500 euros gross per month, depending on his age, experience and responsibilities.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
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