Senior City lawyers launch coaching and mentoring firm

Jeremy Thomas and Laurie Adams today launched a new business, Outside Insight, to provide coaching and mentoring for lawyers in private practice and for in-house counsel.

Each of them has more than 25 yearsí experience as a practising lawyer. Jeremy Thomas was a corporate partner at Allen & Overy for 16 years before his retirement at the end of last year. Laurie Adams was for four years the general counsel of ABN AMROís investment bank, before that, European general counsel for 10 years at Citigroup.

During their careers, both have held senior management positions and coached and mentored many lawyers. The new company brings together their combined expertise. ìWe want to use that expertise to help coach and mentor lawyers, at a time when lawyers have never been busier or under such pressure,î said Laurie Adams. ìWe can bring the additional benefits of an outside perspective, based on our time doing the job, and confidential advice.

ìAlso, because we have an insight into how firms and in-house departments work we should have a good understanding of how the individual fits into the larger group.î

Jeremy Thomas said: ìLaw firms know that to get the best out of their people they have to ensure that they help them construct a fulfilling career and maintain a balance between it and their personal lives, and this cannot be achieved simply by throwing more money at them. Our aim is to help lawyers through the critical stages of their career and reach the important decisions which will be right for them, and good for the firm.î

He added: ìOur focus will be on helping people do their existing job better, not on helping them to find another one.î

The company will operate from offices in Cannon Street, to be close to the law firms in the City.