Counsel

Mel Storey
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The Counsel Podcast is for in-house lawyers who want honest conversations and practical insights about life inside legal teams. Host Mel Storey chats with leaders across the profession and shares tips to help you grow and thrive in-house. Connect with Mel on Instagram @CareerBigSis or LinkedIn. Thank you for being here!

  1. 7 HR AGO

    56. I Called My Boss and Asked to Be Included in the Layoff with Laura Frederick

    Laura Frederick spent her entire career doing one thing: commercial contracts. From propane agreements to uranium trading to deals at Tesla, she said no to every GC role that would have taken her away from the work she loved, and built one of the most recognisable voices in the global contracts community along the way. This conversation covers the moment she called her boss and asked to be included in a layoff, what it actually felt like to build a solo practice as a single parent of four with eight months of savings and no plan B, and how three and a half years of daily LinkedIn posting taught her things about community, confidence and legacy that she could not have learned any other way. Laura is direct, genuinely funny, and has real opinions about what separates great contracts lawyers from good ones, why AI for contracting is overrated, and what freedom actually looks like when you stop waiting for someone to hand it to you. ~ Download the New to In-House Survival Guide: https://www.counselpodcast.com/store/p/newtoinhouse (use code BigSisEnergy for a special discount) All of Mel's Big Sis Briefings can be found here: https://www.counselpodcast.com/big-sis-briefings Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melstorey Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/ Instagram & TikTok: @careerbigsis Subscribe to the Counsel Podcast so you don't miss upcoming conversations with leaders who are redefining what it means to be an in house lawyer today!

    51 min

  2. 29 APR

    55. A Fiery Little Revolution From the Inside with Mollie Tregillis

    Mollie Tregillis spent years building a senior consulting practice inside one of Australia's largest law firms. She had the team, the mandate, the support of leadership, and work she had essentially designed herself. She was also burning out, quietly, while performing at the top of her game. This conversation covers the year Mollie spent doing the internal work before she left, the nervous system reset, the deliberate dialling back of effort, and the very inconvenient realisation that she would not be staying. She is honest about the pride involved in not wanting to leave broken, about the deconditioning process on the other side, and about what building something new actually looks like when you refuse to take the easy route of consulting in your old field. If you are in the part of a legal career where the blueprint is starting to crack, this conversation will give you language for what you are experiencing and a few practical places to start. ~ Download the New to In-House Survival Guide: https://www.counselpodcast.com/store/p/newtoinhouse (use code BigSisEnergy for a special discount) All of Mel's Big Sis Briefings can be found here: https://www.counselpodcast.com/big-sis-briefings Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melstorey Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/ Instagram & TikTok: @careerbigsis Subscribe to the Counsel Podcast so you don't miss upcoming conversations with leaders who are redefining what it means to be an in house lawyer today!

    55 min

  3. 15 APR

    54. I Had No Idea I Could Feel This Way About My Work

    Nine months out of a 15-year corporate legal career, Mel Storey sits down for an honest solo episode covering what the transition has actually been like, what she has been building, and what she is watching happen across the in-house legal profession right now. She talks about the physiological reality of leaving high-intensity corporate work, what it took to rebuild her sense of productive identity, and the AI conversation she thinks lawyers are not having clearly enough, including a framework for thinking about where leverage will actually sit as the profession shifts. She also gets into what she is noticing about the GC role specifically and why mid-career in-house lawyers need to be thinking about their positioning now rather than later. This episode will leave you with a more honest picture of career transitions, a more useful frame on the AI conversation, and a direct challenge if you have been sitting on a decision longer than you need to. ~ Download the New to In-House Survival Guide: https://www.counselpodcast.com/store/p/newtoinhouse (use code BigSisEnergy for a special discount) All of Mel's Big Sis Briefings can be found here: https://www.counselpodcast.com/big-sis-briefings Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melstorey Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/ Instagram & TikTok: @careerbigsis Subscribe to the Counsel Podcast so you don't miss upcoming conversations with leaders who are redefining what it means to be an in house lawyer today!

    18 min

  4. 31 MAR

    53. The Golden Donut Trap with Brett Colvin, CEO of Goodlawyer

    Brett Colvin, CEO & Cofounder of Goodlawyer, joined me for a conversation about legal careers, in-house work and what it would actually take to make law a more desirable profession to practise in. We got into the gap between how legal success looks from the outside and how it can feel when you are living it day to day. We talked about the early structures that push lawyers toward narrow definitions of success, the moment he knew firm life was no longer a fit, and how that experience shaped the business he went on to build. We also got into flexible in-house models, visibility on LinkedIn, the importance of knowing exactly who you serve, and why AI matters most when it removes the drudgery that keeps lawyers stuck in low value work. Listeners will leave with a more honest lens on legal career design, in-house resourcing, and the kinds of structural changes that could make the profession work better for more people. Connect with Brett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettrcolvin/ ~ Download the New to In-House Survival Guide: https://www.counselpodcast.com/store/p/newtoinhouse (use code BigSisEnergy for a special discount) All of Mel's Big Sis Briefings can be found here: https://www.counselpodcast.com/big-sis-briefings Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melstorey Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/ Instagram & TikTok: @careerbigsis Subscribe to the Counsel Podcast so you don't miss upcoming conversations with leaders who are redefining what it means to be an in house lawyer today!

    49 min

  5. 18 MAR

    52. You Don’t Want to Be a Deal Killer with Nada Alnajafi

    Nada Alnajafi joins Mel for a conversation about contracts, in house judgment and the kind of legal work that actually moves a business forward. This is a grounded conversation about what commercial lawyering looks like when you care about relationships, process and doing the work properly. They get into collaborative negotiation, AI redlining, legal ops and the reality of buying legal tech in a market full of noise. Nada also shares how she built Contract Nerds alongside a serious in house career, and what it takes to do that without letting your standards slip at work. Listeners will come away with a clearer sense of how to think about contract work, how to use AI without outsourcing their judgment and how to build a legal career that leaves room for ambition, creativity and discipline. ~ Download the New to In-House Survival Guide: https://www.counselpodcast.com/store/p/newtoinhouse (use code BigSisEnergy for a special discount) All of Mel's Big Sis Briefings can be found here: https://www.counselpodcast.com/big-sis-briefings Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melstorey Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/ Instagram & TikTok: @careerbigsis Subscribe to the Counsel Podcast so you don't miss upcoming conversations with leaders who are redefining what it means to be an in house lawyer today!

    52 min

  6. 4 MAR

    51. From Legal Leader to the Boardroom and building self-confidence with Jen Luther

    Jen Luther is an experienced Product Counsel, sits on the boards of the Future of Privacy Forum and AI 2030 and advises early-stage founders on governance and strategy. This conversation starts with the work she does at the intersection of AI, privacy and product development, and quickly moves into the bigger question most in-house lawyers do not hear asked enough: what are you beyond the legal risk? Jen talks about being told her legal background would count against her in boardrooms and choosing to ignore that advice. She shares the pre-meeting ritual she used to shift her felt experience from imposter syndrome to purposeful presence, and makes a sharp, practical case for why the most valuable thing a lawyer can give an innovative company is not a risk memo. She is also candid about what it actually takes to build meaningful work alongside a demanding day job, and about the specific weight of holding the ethical compass inside a technology company right now. Listeners will leave with a clear reframe for how to position legal skills outside the traditional track, and a practical sense of what the identity shift from risk manager to decision architect actually looks like in practice. ~ Download the New to In-House Survival Guide: https://www.counselpodcast.com/store/p/newtoinhouse (use code BigSisEnergy for a special discount) All of Mel's Big Sis Briefings can be found here: https://www.counselpodcast.com/big-sis-briefings Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melstorey Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/ Instagram & TikTok: @careerbigsis Subscribe to the Counsel Podcast so you don't miss upcoming conversations with leaders who are redefining what it means to be an in house lawyer today.

    50 min

  7. 18 FEB

    50. Future Fit Legal Ops in Practice with Patty Corey

    In this conversation, legal operations professional Patty Corey breaks down what legal ops actually is, why so many CLM implementations fail, and what the role needs to look like in an AI-driven world. She challenges the tendency to buy tools before mapping processes, shares a firsthand account of a global CLM rollout that hit the iceberg in slow motion, and makes the case for why legal ops professionals need to stop thinking like architects and start building. Patty also offers practical advice on quick wins, intake design, playbook building, and why if you don't know the why, you're not ready for AI. ~ Download the New to In-House Survival Guide: https://www.counselpodcast.com/store/p/newtoinhouse (use code BigSisEnergy for a special discount) All of Mel's Big Sis Briefings can be found here: https://www.counselpodcast.com/big-sis-briefings Connect with Patty: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricija-patty-corey-/ Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melstorey Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/ Instagram & TikTok: @careerbigsis Subscribe to the Counsel Podcast so you don't miss upcoming conversations with leaders who are redefining what it means to be an in house lawyer today!

    54 min

  8. 4 FEB

    49. Navigating Brand Infringement in the Age of AI: All things IP with Josh Gerben

    In this conversation, trademark attorney Josh Gerben discusses the intricacies of trademark law, emphasising the importance of proactive trademark management and the evolving landscape influenced by AI. He highlights common mistakes companies make in managing their trademarks, the need for effective communication between legal and marketing teams, and the significance of understanding both defensive and offensive trademark strategies. Gerben also shares insights on the impact of AI on intellectual property rights and offers practical advice for new General Counsel's in navigating trademark portfolios. ~ Download the New to In-House Survival Guide: https://www.counselpodcast.com/store/p/newtoinhouse (use code BigSisEnergy for a special discount) All of Mel's Big Sis Briefings can be found here: https://www.counselpodcast.com/big-sis-briefings Connect with Mel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melstorey Counsel Podcast Page on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/67479008/admin/feed/posts/ Instagram & TikTok: @careerbigsis Subscribe to the Counsel Podcast so you don’t miss upcoming conversations with leaders who are redefining what it means to be an in house lawyer today!

    49 min
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About

The Counsel Podcast is for in-house lawyers who want honest conversations and practical insights about life inside legal teams. Host Mel Storey chats with leaders across the profession and shares tips to help you grow and thrive in-house. Connect with Mel on Instagram @CareerBigSis or LinkedIn. Thank you for being here!

Information

  • Creator
    Mel Storey
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Mel Storey

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