Henry Nelson-Case

Personal brand is incredibly important for the modern professional, let alone for the modern lawyer. It’s your opportunity to set out your stall for the world how you would like to be perceived in relation to the work you do and the sectors you work within. However, for a myriad of reasons, many legal professionals are yet to appreciate or embrace this.

Within the world of legal consultancy, personal brand is perhaps even more important than it is in private practice. ALSPs such as Vario do a wonderful job in placing consultants on client assignments that suit them, but this is only half of the battle. A strong personal brand not only helps to build trust with ALSPs, but it also gives consultants a head start when they’re on assignment, because their clients can get to know them that little bit better.

Our latest Vario Stories piece features an interview with somebody who has done a particularly good job of developing their personal brand. Henry Nelson-Case, or as some may know him That Corporate Lawyer, has amassed over 76 thousand followers on TikTok, over 75 thousand followers on Instagram and nearly 3.5 thousand followers on LinkedIn. His experience so far within the legal profession makes clear that it possible to balance a career in practice with other interests, in his case content creation.

Can you remember what first made you want to become a lawyer?

I originally thought about the possibility of becoming a lawyer during my law A Level. I really enjoyed the problem solving/analytical skills required when working through scenario questions.

What attracted you to working as a consultant?

It’s not something I envisaged for me at 4 years PQE, I generally thought that more experienced/people further along in their career became consultants. However, I was working on a number of other non-legal projects, and I was finding it hard to balance those alongside a full-time role as a solicitor.

I didn’t want to give up practice all together as it something I genuinely enjoy doing – Vario seemed like the perfect solution in that it allows me to practice in a more flexible way, but still through a leading law firm.

What was your experience of working an assignment in Pinsent Masons like?

I honestly really enjoyed it. I was somewhat nervous before starting on the basis that, as I am a content creator, I have quite an active presence across social media platforms, and I was nervous about how I would be perceived and whether I was actually a good lawyer or if I was just considered the guy from social media who didn’t really care.

This couldn’t have been further from how my experience actually was as the team were nothing but supportive and encouraging. They gave me good quality work, trusted me to move matters forward and showed a real interest in what I did outside of practicing as a lawyer. 

What sort of work did you do whilst on assignment?

During the assignment, I was involved in a number of matters that involved reviewing terms and conditions received from a number of suppliers. I also assisted on advising the business on a number of agreements including SAAS agreements as well as agreements that involved group organisation members that sit outside of the UK. I was also involved in negotiation calls with supplier legal teams and provided general support across the team and wider business on a broad range of commercial matters.

Do you find it difficult balancing being a content creator and being a practicing lawyer?

My initial desire to apply for Vario was because I was intrigued by the level of flexibility it offered. When I was practicing full time as a lawyer, whilst also managing my content creation work, it started to become very overwhelming – added into the mix of also trying to manage a social life, relationship, eat well and exercise!

I knew I still wanted to practice as a lawyer but also loved the community I had built on social media, so joining Vario has given me an increased level of flexibility to help me find a more sustainable balance of being a content creator and also being a practicing lawyer.

What has the reaction been from other lawyers to you being a content creator?

Do you know what – I was initially pretty embarrassed about being a content creator and having a presence on social media. I think I was scared of how others would react and the judgement that I would receive, particularly given that our profession is still somewhat rooted in tradition in a number of ways.

Thankfully, for the most part, the reaction has been really positive, and it has been so nice to have built a community of people where can share our experiences and hopefully make positive progress within the profession. I’ve been stopped in public by a number of fellow lawyers, including a number of times into PM’s London office, to tell me that they’ve watched my TedX talk or they’ve seen my content and so much resonates with how they are feeling or how someone they know is feeling – so its promising to know that as a profession we are slowly becoming more comfortable talking about working behaviours and the struggles we may face.

It’s also so encouraging to see more and more people within the profession create content on various platforms to share their stories, alongside seeing a number of law firms join social media!

Do you think that there is a reluctance to self-promote / create a personal brand within the legal profession?

I think that there is a still a level of concern amongst lawyers to fully put themselves out there. However, we are definitely seeing more of a shift, with both lawyers and law firms, in terms of marketing. With more lawyers and law firms looking to utilise the benefits of social media, short form video content and also posting more engaging content on LinkedIn.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a lawyer (of any age) looking to create / develop a personal brand on social media?

Just do it. As long as you have a phone and an internet connection – you have everything you need to get going! The community of legal content creators is nothing but supportive and will welcome and support you!

What’s one thing that you wish more law firms / legal teams would adopt to improve life for their staff?

For me I think it would have to be that letting people work from home but still requiring them to work traditional working hours isn’t flexible working. Whilst I appreciate there are client demands etc. regarding work deadlines, allowing more flexible working patterns/schedules will enable firms to hire from a greater talent pool. It will also ensure employees feel valued and trusted and allow people to work at times when they feel most productive.

Would you say that working as a consultant has helped your legal career, and would you recommend Vario to other lawyers?

I love the flexibility that Vario offers me, whilst still working at a top 20 law firm, working on some interesting projects, and also feeling supported and not left on my own – which is reassuring as I am still relatively junior in my practice.

I would 100% recommend Vario to other lawyers.

If you’re interested in becoming a consultant lawyer like Henry, you can apply now or get in touch with our Flexible Services team for more information.