Okuzeka
Law vocabulary · Legal Professions

In-house counsel

Meaning in law, with examples

nounCommon term

In law, in-house counsel means: A lawyer employed directly by a company or organisation to advise it on legal matters, instead of working for a law firm with many clients.

In Turkish: şirket avukatı, kurum içi avukat, hukuk müşaviri

How it is used

In-house lawyers work in the 'legal department' and often instruct 'external' or 'outside counsel' for litigation and large deals. The most senior in-house lawyer is often called 'General Counsel' (GC) or 'Head of Legal'. The phrase can refer to one person or a team: 'our in-house counsel'.

Example sentences

  1. Our in-house counsel reviewed the contract before it was sent to the supplier.

  2. After six years in private practice, he moved in-house as counsel to a pharmaceutical company.

Common collocations

  • in-house legal team
  • move in-house
  • external counsel
  • general counsel
  • in-house lawyer
  • counselThe lawyer or lawyers who represent a party in court; in the UK it often means a barrister. A lawyer employed by a company is called in-house counsel.
  • law firmA business in which lawyers work together to provide legal services to clients, often organised as a partnership.
  • lawyerA person trained and qualified in law who advises clients and represents them in legal matters; the general word that covers attorneys, solicitors and barristers.
  • partnerIn a law firm, a senior lawyer who co-owns the firm or holds an equivalent senior position and is responsible for clients and junior lawyers.
  • legal adviceGuidance from a qualified lawyer about what the law means for a particular person's situation and what options they have.

More terms: Legal Professions

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.