Help Your Clients with Spring Cleaning

As the weather warms, I find myself wanting to do household spring-cleaning chores while also dreading the effort. I long for a day to pack away winter coats and make room for lighter, brighter clothes in the closet, to replace storm windows with screens and to clean outdoor furniture in preparation of porch sitting. Then there’s the yard work…if only there were more hours in a day.

In the last few client interviews I’ve conducted, in-house counsel have also identified pesky housekeeping chores that need attention but frequently end up on the backburner while lawyers attend to more time-sensitive and “urgent” issues. As Q1 ends and Q2 begins, take the opportunity to sit down with your clients and ask what chores they are dreading and how you can help. It’s also a great time to check in on progress for 2016 goals, plans and budgets and to seek informal feedback on your firm’s performance.

Some of the pending chores recently mentioned by in-house counsel include:

• Reviews and updates of bylaws and amendments
• File cleanup (send a paralegal to help!)
• Organization of company records
• Quarterly and other reporting requirements
• Budget checkup
• Employee handbook updates
• Contract reviews

Consider offering to help your clients with any of these (or other client-specific) chores. By proactively demonstrating that you are aware of and sympathetic to your clients’ pressures and responsibilities, you demonstrate your value and forge stronger relationships.