A sole general counsel minimizes legal spend and complexity

An overwhelming amount of work

At LifeStraw, a single mishap could cost the company dearly. It’s crucial that Pratt ensures compliance with product safety standards and evolving multijurisdictional regulations — from international consumer goods and contract negotiations to corporate governance and employment law.

As LifeStraw grows, so does the need to handle rising demand for compliance training around important areas like antitrust.

Being the sole general counsel with a limited budget, this was a big request for Pratt. She had to be resourceful while managing total legal spending, which meant finding ways to streamline work processes for faster, error-free responses to complex legal challenges.

The sheer variety of work also meant Pratt frequently encountered new practice areas with little time for research. This drastically increased the risk of noncompliance.

It quickly became clear that Pratt needed a new approach to achieve efficient compliance aligned with time and cost deadlines. Such an approach would be vital for meeting critical business needs and demonstrating the legal department’s credibility and value.

A streamlined approach to compliance

Practical Law provides accurate, up-to-date legal know-how content putting Pratt on a faster, lower-cost path to compliance. The benefits include:

• Time and cost savings. An intuitive interface and structured resources save valuable costs and time for other tasks such as contract negotiation and compliance training.
• Comprehensive compliance. Tailored guidance and detailed assets make it easy to meet regulatory standards and create compliance training resources.
• Accelerated learning. Thousands of standardized, customizable resources are on-hand to guide Heather to quickly understand the key aspects of new and unfamiliar issues.
• Reliable information. Content is written by experienced attorneys, ensuring accurate, always up-to-date guidance.
• Confidence and reduced stress. Practical Law’s reliable, thorough, and expertly maintained resources give users absolute confidence in its accuracy.

These enhancements let Pratt work more efficiently to maintain compliance. This is a critical step in making sure the business can grow while continuing to support millions of people in need.

A more practical approach to law

Before Pratt adopted Practical Law, she struggled to read up on unfamiliar topics before deadlines, while also juggling other responsibilities. This led to a face-value reliance on outside counsel, which posed challenges for establishing internal trust and credibility.

Now, she has the time and resources to learn more about new areas of law, turning complexity into action in a matter of days. Reliance on external counsel is now at an all-time low, reducing legal costs while saving time waiting for replies. On top of this, Heather is more confident in her work — all thanks to Practical Law

A faster, smarter way to support the business includes:

• Increased productivity ≤50%, ensuring tight deadlines are met with a consistently high-quality output.
• Reduced spending due to a lower reliance on expensive outside counsel.
• Streamlined compliance management with an efficient tool for meeting changing international regulations and creating antitrust training.
• Improved confidence and fulfilment thanks to input from trusted sources of information.

Ensuring access to clean water in a sea of regulations

LifeStraw is only able to carry out its life-changing work so long as it keeps up with constantly changing regulations. Practical Law gives the company’s sole general counsel a solution that simplifies day-to-day work and provides reliable, up-to-date guidance for every jurisdiction.

Practical Law lets the business spend less money on outside counsel and confidently remain compliant.