Challenge
The client is a global commodities merchant operating across international markets, where legal support sits close to the trading floor and spans physical trade, shipping, and the financing and risk arrangements around them. Its legal function advises fast-moving commercial teams under conditions where speed and sector fluency both matter.
The team needed senior capacity quickly, from a lawyer who already understood commodities trading and shipping rather than one who would learn a specialised field on the job. That combination of seniority and sector depth is scarce, and too narrow a pool for a conventional permanent hire to meet the need in time
Interim Legal’s approach
Working closely with the client’s legal team, Interim Legal developed a precise understanding of the workload, the commercial stakeholders involved, and the profile of lawyer who would be effective in a trading environment. Drawing on its network of legal specialists, Interim Legal identified a bar-qualified lawyer with around two decades of experience mapped directly onto the mandate: commodities trading and derivatives, shipping and freight, international trade and contract negotiation, backed by regulatory compliance and risk management depth.
That specialist profile, supported by bilingual English and French capability well suited to the client’s environment, made for an unusually close fit. Rather than presenting a broad shortlist, Interim Legal focused on this single evidence-led match, allowing the client to move from briefing to engagement without delay and giving the legal function senior sector coverage exactly when it was needed.
Outcome
- Rapid deployment: Senior commodities counsel was embedded into the client’s legal function quickly, contributing across trading and shipping matters from the outset
- Sector-specialist coverage: The lawyer handled commodities and trade contracts, shipping and freight agreements, and the regulatory, compliance, and risk questions attached to them, advising commercial teams directly.
- Dispute and claims support: The lawyer supported claims and contentious matters arising from trading and shipping activity, working alongside internal stakeholders and external counsel
- Extended twice: The initial mandate was extended on two occasions, reflecting the quality of the match and the standing the lawyer built as a trusted contributor to the client’s trade and shipping work
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