Obelisk Support | B Corp Certified

Wishing all of our followers a very happy holiday season. We are so grateful for your support in 2024 and we look forward to working with you in 2025.

This time we’re spotlighting a placement story with a global sparkle! Our team picked this one as a great example of how interim support can be just the thing when M&A ramps up and your team need someone to keep the lights (not just Christmas lights!) on. ✨ We partnered with an owner of renowned fashion brands juggling an intense period of M&A activity. Their legal team was stretched thin, and they needed someone exceptional to step in and support their teams across EMEA and the US. 📜 Enter one of our highly skilled commercial lawyers, adept at handling IT contracts, logistics agreements, and procurement deals. With a deep understanding of global markets and a knack for adaptability, they were perfectly suited for this 5-month role reporting to the Global General Counsel. 💡 Takeaway: When facing business-critical transitions, having the right legal support can make all the difference. Flexible working arrangements attract top-tier talent and create lasting partnerships.

It's the weekend before Christmas! And we have got another story for you. ✨ This time, our client was a fast-scaling tech unicorn experiencing rapid growth. They knew many hands make light work but weren't sure which specialisms would be the best fit. They needed employment, commercial, and data protection expertise in multiple languages and jurisdictions, but weren’t ready to commit to permanent hires while navigating their evolving needs. 📜 Enter the Obelisk Support elves. We provided a team of talented lawyers across multiple specialisms and levels of experience, tailored to the client’s immediate challenges. These legal professionals hit the ground running, supporting the business for at least six months during a critical phase of expansion, allowing the to understand the shape of the team for permenant hires. The team chose this example because it highlights what we are all about – flexibility. By embedding experts into the business at just the right time, we helped the client make informed decisions about the long-term composition of their legal team. We’re proud to continue supporting them with flexible legal solutions into the new year. 💡 Takeaway: Flexible legal resourcing is a game-changer for businesses navigating uncertainty or rapid growth. Temporary expertise can bridge gaps and provide clarity, helping you build a strong foundation for future success. Permanent hires cannot easily be undone so you need to be certain what exactly it is you are looking for.

Restart your legal career with Obelisk! New Year, New Job? If you have been out of the workplace for an extended period, perhaps on parental leave, and would like to return in 2025 consider Springboard. ✨ Join the Obelisk Returners’ Development Programme. Springboard includes: 🔴 Work Placements: Up to 6 months in leading legal teams, including top firms and in-house departments, fully supported by Obelisk’s expert team. 🔴 Professional Growth: Receive tailored mentoring, coaching, CV clinics, and monthly webinars on topics like legal updates, negotiation skills, and leadership to rebuild your skills and confidence. 🔴 Networking: Join monthly peer meet-ups, exclusive events, and access a dedicated platform to connect with legal professionals and grow your network. 🔴 Flexible Structure: Designed with your needs in mind, this 9-month programme offers part-time and adaptable schedules to suit your circumstances. 🎓 Complete your journey with refreshed skills, renewed confidence, and career-ready tools. 📅 Apply Now – Spaces are limited! Message Jessica Rivett: j.rivett@obelisksupport.com to register your interest and for more information.

🌟 Next up here’s a story of agility and innovation in legal support! Once upon a time a progressive social care startup were writing their Christmas list. What they really wanted that year was strategic legal guidance but they didn’t have an in-house legal team. Father Christmas/the Board couldn't quite stretch to a full-time General Counsel. Enter those Obelisk elves again - on hand with a flexible solution to scale support as needed, accessing top-tier expertise while avoiding the costs of a full-time hire. We provided them with an experienced legal leader for strategic guidance and helped them build a tailored, on-demand team of commercial lawyers for their varying needs. This partnership enabled them to stay nimble while focusing on their mission. Our team selected this one for your Christmas stocking as the client was delighted with our consultant who provided lots of insights and helped them achieve their ambitious plans. Playing even a small part in supporting this social care startup’s story gives us a warm, fuzzy feeling! 💡 For startups, flexibility is key. Consider modular solutions for your legal or operational needs. Scaling up or down without overcommitting can help you adapt quickly, especially in fast-moving industries. 

🎄 Stuck in a festive bottleneck? This tale of quick thinking and even quicker results might just light up your day! 🍻 Our next job of 2024 involves a chance encounter and a quick resolution! Once upon a time a hospitality giant faced legal bottlenecks which were holding up IT contracts. The Head of Legal was beginning to feel like Father Christmas on a Christmas Eve when the elves are falling behind. By chance, one of our team contacted them as they came out of a tough meeting with the Exec team. Realising that an experienced Obelisk consultant could quickly come on board and make a real difference to unblocking that bottleneck, and fast, was a lightbulb moment for them. The Obelisk elves quickly matched them with a specialist IT commercial contracts lawyer lawyer who was able to pick up the work quickly, work independently and ensure that future meetings were much smoother! 💡 When facing operational or legal challenges, don’t underestimate the power of asking for help. Sometimes you just need an extra pair of experienced hands to turn complex problems into simple solutions, saving time and reducing stress.

😔 In challenging times, businesses often face tough decisions around headcount and resourcing. That’s why interim support is proving to be a lifeline for many organisations, as highlighted in this recent BBC article:https://lnkd.in/ecTRet8d. 👩💼 👨💼 At Obelisk Support, we’ve seen an incredible pool of talented professionals ready to step into interim roles. Whether it’s to bridge a gap, manage fluctuating workloads, or bring in specialised expertise, interim solutions allow businesses to stay agile and supported—without the long-term commitment of permanent hires. 🫴 If your team could use some extra support without increasing fixed costs, now might be the perfect time to explore what interim professionals can bring to the table. #InterimSupport #LegalProfessionals #FlexibleResourcing  

🎄 The countdown is ON! So here's the first of our feel-good legal stories from 2024, each with a lesson you can take into the New Year. Once upon a time, a team of lawyers at a luxury hotel brand found themselves overwhelmed. Not with festive cheer, but with an avalanche of commercial contracts 🥴. They didn't have the time or budget to make a full-time hire. But, with high stakes and a team whose capacity couldn't stretch any further (like Santa's belt after all those mince pies) - they needed a miracle. Okay, maybe not a miracle. Just a safe pair of hands who could step in to relieve the pressure for a few months. Meanwhile, a phenomenal lawyer with a sleigh load of skill and experience was looking to get back into work after a career break to care for family. Finding an interesting role with the right flexibility was proving tough. Luckily, she was on Obelisk’s nice list, and a member of our popular Returners Programme. A match was made, and what started as a three-month role, turned into a 10-month success story. 💡 So here's a tip for you as you go into 2025: When the pressure hits, consider career returners to bring extra capacity to your team. They're an untapped goldmine of talent. Think beyond traditional CV gaps and focus on skills and cultural fit. Professionals returning after a break often bring fresh perspectives and renewed commitment that can deliver outstanding results. -------- At Obelisk we match you with city-trained lawyers who integrate into your team. From fractional general council to interim and short-term roles - we've got you covered. If you have some capacity challenges on the horizon, we’d love to help.

Our next Women Who Will taking a step into the spotlight this week is Hilary Ross at DWF. Hilary, a distinguished UK&I Regional Managing Partner at DWF, is recognised as one of the UK’s Top 100 lawyers by The Lawyer. With over two decades of expertise in regulatory compliance and litigation, she specialises in health and safety, product liability, and compliance for highly regulated sectors, including food, cosmetics, toys, and medical devices. Known for her innovative and practical approach, Hilary helps companies navigate complex EU and UK regulations, including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D). A member of DWF's Executive Board and Global Head of Clients & Markets, Hilary has also held leadership roles as Executive Partner of DWF’s London Office and leader of the Retail, Food & Hospitality Team. She combines contentious and non-contentious expertise with a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, earning praise for her intellectual acuity and commercial mindset. Frequently featured in Chambers and Partners and The Lawyer's Hot 100, Hilary’s impressive career and commitment to thought leadership solidify her status as a trusted advisor and influential figure in the legal sector. Congratulations Hilary!

Earlier this week, Linklaters, She Breaks the Law, and the Next 100 Years: Women In Law—founded by our CEO, Dana Denis-Smith—launched a first-of-its-kind report based on an industry-wide survey of women in law. This ground-breaking initiative reveals how women in the legal profession perceive and experience the rise of AI, its potential, and the barriers to its adoption. Key findings include: 📊 77% of respondents view AI as having an “extremely significant” impact on the profession. ⚠️ Concerns remain about bias and inaccuracy, with 43% of women observing bias in AI tools and 37% questioning reliability. 📚 26% cite lack of training and resources as key obstacles, with practical experience, mentorship, and comprehensive training identified as critical for progress. Dana Denis-Smith highlighted the importance of supporting women to embrace AI’s transformative potential: "While concerns are valid, AI offers a unique opportunity to create better working environments. Providing women with the training, time, and support they need will be crucial in ensuring AI adoption drives equality, not division." At Obelisk Support, we’re committed to fostering innovation and championing equality. This report represents a call to action for the legal industry to work collaboratively toward closing the gender gap. Read the full report in the comments. Together, we can shape an inclusive future for legal AI.