June 2025

From the ‘Department of No’ to True Business Partnership.

by David Curtain

Legal teams don’t set out to be blockers. But that’s how they’re often seen: not commercial, too slow, too risk-averse — the ‘department of no’.

In one of my previous roles, the relationship between Legal and Marketing had issues for years. Eventually, we got both teams in a room to identify the root cause. The lawyers felt like Marketing didn’t value their advice. Marketing felt like Legal didn’t respect them. It wasn’t about the work — it was about disconnection and misalignment. We’d seen the symptoms, but until that session, the cause was invisible. And until we saw that, we couldn’t fix it.

It was a business spread across the country, with a big divide between HQ and the people on the ground. I started looking for ways to connect with them. I’d drive out to the sites to talk to people. They’d say, ‘No one from Legal ever comes here.’ Those visits changed things. I’d come back and say, ‘They’re not doing that because the whole system’s different down there. They’re not even seeing the emails.’ Suddenly, the picture got a lot clearer.

Separately, we also changed how we handled approvals. Legal approval had been a yes/no gateway. We switched to risk assessment: ‘Here are your options, here’s the risk profile of each, and here’s what we recommend.’ This shift opened up healthier discussions about mitigating risk and getting things done. The business took more ownership of what were largely operational issues. It made Legal feel like a partner, not a handbrake. That change progressively improved the relationship. Issues that had previously been kept from Legal were now brought to us because there was confidence we were all working towards a common goal. There was better understanding that sometimes, saying ‘no’ was necessary — but it came with workable alternatives.

And it made the job better.

When Legal is properly embedded, you’re not just managing risk. You’re helping shape decisions, drive results, and contribute to goals that matter. If Legal’s being looped in late or advice is brushed off, it’s not just frustrating — it’s a signal. Something’s off, and it’s worth digging into.

If you’re trying to shift how Legal is seen — from blocker to business partner — it takes listening, reframing, and shared objectives. That’s where we can help. At Front Foot, we work with legal leaders to change the conversation — not just to be heard, but to be understood, respected, and included where it counts.