The Networking Dilemma, Revisited

a city with a river and a body of water

By Sean Gallagher, Co-Founder Breakpoint Strategy

Two years ago, I wrote about a problem I lived with throughout my career as a General Counsel: the way in-house lawyers are expected to network doesn’t fit the job. Since then, Scott Chaplin and I have hosted Connector dinners in cities across the country, and the conversations around those tables have only confirmed it.

Networking still matters as much as ever. It’s how in-house lawyers manage their careers, raise their teams’ performance, and keep up with what’s changing.

Traditional networking, however, keeps falling short of what in-house lawyers need. Those methods were tiring when I was coming up as General Counsel, and they’re exhausted now, as the demands and constraints on in-house lawyers have never been more acute.

Here’s why traditional networking doesn’t work for the in-house community, and what we’ve seen work instead.

The Conference Conundrum

Large format conferences hosted by national legal organizations and various bar associations have long been a staple of legal networking. However, these events come with significant drawbacks:

  1. Primary Focus on CLE: While valuable for staying updated on technical legal trends, these conferences often prioritize continuing legal education over meaningful networking.
  2. Overwhelming Scale: With 200+ lawyers in a reception hall, it’s challenging to engage in substantive conversations or form lasting connections.
  3. Time and Resource Intensive: Attending these events often requires significant time away from your internal clients and substantial financial investment.

The Virtual Void

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s virtual webinars and online content. While these offer convenience and efficiency, they fall short in other crucial areas:

  1. Lack of Engagement: The one-way nature of most online content doesn’t allow for real-time interaction or relationship building.
  2. Missing Personal Connection: Virtual platforms often fail to replicate the spontaneity and depth of in-person interactions.
  3. Information Overload: The sheer volume of online content can make it difficult to filter out what’s truly relevant and valuable.

The Middle Ground Gap

Between these two extremes lies a void. In-house lawyers need a way to connect that offers:

  • The depth of in-person conversation
  • A format that respects their time
  • A focus on topics directly relevant to in-house practice
  • Relationships that last beyond a single event

This gap leaves many in-house lawyers feeling disconnected and underserved. A new approach is needed, one built around the realities of in-house practice.

What Two Years of Connector Has Taught Us

We launched Connector by Breakpoint Strategy in 2024 as an invitation-only community for in-house legal leaders. Its flagship is the Connector Dinner Series: intimate, no-cost dinners where a small group of in-house leaders talk candidly about what’s actually on their desks.

Here’s what makes those evenings work:

  1. Small Tables: A group small enough that everyone talks and no one hides.
  2. No Presentations: No panels, PowerPoints or lectures, just conversation.
  3. A Deliberate Mix: Leaders from different industries and backgrounds, because the most useful perspective often comes from outside your own sector.
  4. Real Topics: Talent, team structure, outside counsel, board dynamics and careers, alongside the legal issues.
  5. Open Dialogue: Every dinner runs under the Chatham House Rule, so people can speak freely.

The response has told us something simple: in-house leaders want to learn from each other, and they’ll make time for it when the format is worth it.

If you lead an in-house legal team and would like to join us at an upcoming Connector Dinner, let us know through our Connector page.