Win and Keep In-House Clients: A General Counsel's Insights for Law Firms
Spill The Ink · 2025-12-08 · 23 min
Episode notes
Landing a new client is just the beginning. For law firms working with in-house counsel, the greater challenge lies in maintaining long-term relationships that evolve beyond transactional exchanges. Candisse Williamson, General Counsel at Hartbeat, Kevin Hart's global media company, brings a unique perspective to this challenge, having worked both in Big Law and built legal departments from the ground up at two entertainment companies. In this episode of "Spill the Ink," Candisse joins Michelle Calcote King to explore how general counsels evaluate outside firms and what drives them to become repeat clients. She explains why smart lawyering beats fancy dinners, how firms can stay present without being pushy and why accepting feedback is the difference between keeping clients and losing them. Candisse also shares the trademark over-lawyering trap that ruins relationships, the creative pricing conversation that sealed a deal for her and why diversity initiatives remain non-negotiable for clients who have hiring power.
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