Cooley students gain insight on how to pursue a career as in-house legal counsel

Cory Hamel, vice president general counsel of Laidig Systems, Inc., recently spoke to WMU-Cooley Law School students about how to pursue and succeed in a career as in-house legal counsel.

Hamel said many companies, especially smaller ones, are now hiring in-house counsel directly out of law school. He advised that students interested in pursing an in-house legal counsel career demonstrate their value to the organization they want to work for and express why they are preferable to the company hiring outside counsel to address their legal issues.

Hamel began serving as the head of the legal department of Laidig Systems, Inc., a privately owned industrial manufacturing company with a presence in 28 countries on six continents, in December 2014.

Hamel has global responsibility for the company’s legal affairs, which include a wide variety of corporate issues such as contract drafting and negotiation, employment matters, regulatory obligations, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. He manages all aspects of litigation for the company, including the direction of outside counsel.