This blog is a contribution from Eduard Alia, Fractional GC associated with Of Counsel and based in London. Eduard shares thoughts and takeaways from a panel presentation at Crafty Counsel Fintech Day in London, November 2025.
From “support” to strategic core
In my early days as an in-house lawyer Legal was often described as supporting the business. Now, to note: I am a thoroughbred in-house lawyer. I started as an in-house graduate lawyer 15 years ago. That does not feel like a long time to me. Most importantly, the science of management has not moved dramatically in the last 15 years. However, when you put into perspective that fintech did not really exist 15 years ago, it says a lot about how much things have changed, including in the science of how to run a lean in-house legal department – if we can call it that.
The latest thinking is that Legal is the business. In regulated industries like fintech, the organisations that thrive are those where legal thinking is embedded into strategy, culture, product and process from the early design phase, whether these start in the boardroom or in a remote product development unit. The word being thrown about is “ideation”. Not grammatically sound but the concept holds value and with time may replace what I referred to as “early design phase”.
In short, Legal today is a core part of how a business designs products, goes to market, manages risk and earns that all-too-important trust with regulators, customers and investors.The converse is this: if legal only appears at the end of a process, it will be seen as a blocker. When legal is involved at the design stage – of products, journeys, policies and governance – it becomes an enabler of speed, innovation and appropriate risk-taking.
Earning the right for Legal to be seen as trusted partner
Being seen as a partner to the business is not granted by title or an organigram. Being seen as a partner in my humble view is equals to success, and importantly, it is earned through behaviour. Trust starts with daily, small, visible acts of service: turning NDAs around within 24 hours so conversations can happen, answering queries promptly, keeping the business apprised where there is a delay, and being clear that your goal is to help the team win business in a safe and compliant way.
Again, business approaches Legal with an arguably biased mindset that it is a blocker. And it is because Legal has often in the past said No. Or simply pointed at a long list of risks and left their colleague there to decide on their own.
If you want to earn the trust, don’t just point at the risks, start helping the business to take the right kind of risk. Over time you will earn the credibility to take a firm stance in a board meeting or push back on a (hopefully healthy) risky proposition, and still be taken seriously.
Choose your allies wisely
No in-house lawyer can please everyone. But certain relationships are strategically critical in a regulated institution, mostly the norm in fintech. Of course there’s the board. But in my view Finance, Compliance and HR are very important for the day-to-day running of a business.
In an unregulated business, you may not know where Marketing sits. Legal might well be one of the most remote functions.
However, welcome to the regulated environment, a world where daily tweets constitute financial promotions which might jeopardise your licence. Suddenly you may find yourself inundated with Marketing related enquiries and you need to loop in Compliance, Risk / Regulatory, Privacy teams etc.
In fintech (as well traditional financial institutions) financial promotions, customer communications, product features and operational resilience are all tightly linked to regulatory outcomes. Legal has to understand how each function operates, connect the dots and translate rules into business decisions. Be nice and helpful to all your colleagues.
Never waste a good crisis
It is something I heard at another panel: never waste a good crisis. Not my advice but it is a sage one and I would love to pass it on.
Crisis moments – such as cyber, regulatory, litigation or simply a complicated product launch – are stressful, but they are also defining. How you handle the pressure will be your brand for the future.
Of course you need to show calm judgement, pragmatic and practical problem solving. And, thou shall have the right to call external counsel in such cases – to get the perspective of someone who is not in the eye of the storm.
But it is the heat of a crisis where genuine relationships are forged. Help your colleagues navigate the storm and they will appreciate you for it.
Soft skills: the hidden differentiator
Does anyone remember PSC – the professional skills courses trainees had to take before they could call themselves solicitors? For one of those courses I chose a soft-skills one titled “influencing and persuading for success”.
In retrospect, one of the best things you can do for your career. Of course, no replacement for technical excellence, but it might differentiate highly effective in-house lawyers.
I would also suggest another course to understand the rules of power, influencing and authenticity here play a role.
It is a tip I share with mentees. Whilst I am not a guru in soft skills, I can say this much with confidence: having the ability to read a room, read a person, and adapt your message, will help you build trust that turns good technical legal advice into effective legal advice.
Concluding thoughts
My key takeaways for fintech counsel: embed yourself into the business, be seen as a partner and develop skills that set you apart.
OfCounsel helps businesses thrive with agile, business-minded legal talent you can trust. We break the mould of traditional legal services, empowering clients with instant access to experienced lawyers who understand your sector, your challenges, and your ambitions. Contact us: hello@ofcounsel.co.uk.
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