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How to Build — and Sustain — a Powerhouse Legal Team

May 15, 2025

How to Build — and Sustain — a Powerhouse Legal Team

The following was contributed by Richard Culberson, the CEO North America of Moneypenny, the world’s customer conversation experts, specializing in call answering and live chat solutions.

Teams have the power to deliver sharper results, better service, and greater resilience. But how can we turn collaboration into a powerhouse — and keep it going?

As someone who leads a fast-paced customer conversations business, I know firsthand how critical strong teamwork is to delivering excellence, building trust, and staying competitive. While I don’t lead a law firm, I work closely with legal professionals across North America every day — and I’ve seen that the principles behind high-performing teams apply just as much in the legal sector as they do in tech.

At Moneypenny, we support thousands of law firms by providing virtual receptionists, client communication tools, and 24/7 support — so we understand the pressures legal teams face: high stakes, fast turnarounds, and a growing expectation for more responsive, more efficient service.

So, here’s the big question: how do you transform teamwork from something that gets things done to something that drives sustained excellence? 

Defining a Powerhouse Legal Team

We’ve all heard the phrase, “teamwork makes the dream work.” But in reality, that only holds true when the team is built and supported in the right way.  What really makes the difference is a powerhouse team – one that doesn’t just meet expectations but shapes them.

A legal team, like any tech or ops team is made up of specialists – attorneys, paralegals, and support staff. It’s a collaborative unit aligned toward shared client outcomes — whether that’s winning a case, closing a deal, or shaping legal strategy. A powerhouse legal team, however, takes this a step further. It consistently delivers excellence, anticipates client needs, and influences firm-wide success.

This could be the litigation team that wins precedent-setting cases. The M&A group that closes complex deals under pressure. Or the in-house counsel team that protects and propels business strategy. Whatever the mission, a powerhouse team lead sthrough several key building blocks, and in my experience, they’re universal to all industries.

The Seven Pillars of a Powerhouse Team (Legal or Otherwise)

So, how do you build that level of excellence? It starts with people — the right people. In legal services, your people are your greatest asset. But it’s not just about legal acumen. They must align with your firm’s culture, values, and long-term vision.

Then, you build on these seven pillars:

1. Strong Legal Leadership

Every successful team needs a leader who can inspire and set a strategic course. Whether it’s a senior partner, practice head, or general counsel, their job is to elevate the team’s performance, foster a culture of accountability, and ensure alignment with both client goals and firm direction. Great leaders don’t micromanage — they empower.

2. Shared Goals and Legal Vision

Powerhouse teams are unified by clear, shared goals. Everyone knows what success looks like and what’s expected of them — whether that’s billable hours, client feedback, or innovation in legal service delivery. When the entire team rallies around a common vision, alignment and momentum follow.

3. Diverse and Complementary Legal Expertise

No team succeeds when everyone brings the same strengths. The best-performing teams I’ve built include a mix of strategists, problem-solvers, doers and deep thinkers. The same principle applies in legal settings. Legal excellence requires more than technical brilliance in one area. It demands a combination of skills across disciplines. A litigation team thrives when trial lawyers, legal researchers, and case managers work seamlessly. In a corporate team, dealmakers, compliance professionals, and contract experts must collaborate. And just as important as functional skills is diversity of thought — bringing varied perspectives to legal problems leads to smarter, more creative outcomes.

4. Open and Effective Communication

In our world, communication is everything but that is true in all busines. Whether it’s delegating work, discussing a case strategy, or updating clients, effective communication prevents errors, builds trust, and enhances efficiency. I’ve found that when communication flows freely everything else works better. Egos stay in check, ideas get better and results speak for themselves.

5. Trust and Collaboration

A true team operates with mutual trust. Everyone understands their role, respects others’ and works to a shared goal. When legal professionals trust one another’s judgment, competence, and intentions, the team thrives. This trust allows lawyers to focus on their areas of expertise while relying on others to do the same. Collaboration becomes second nature, not forced. Roles are respected, workloads are balanced, and credit is shared. That kind of trust turns a good team into a powerhouse.

6. Adaptability and Resilience

Across the business landscape, we’re in a time when things change fast and the legal world is no different — new legislation, client demands, economic pressures. A powerhouse team responds with agility. They learn quickly, adjust strategies, and support each other during challenging cases or high-pressure deadlines. They don’t just survive stress — they strengthen through it.

7. Continuous Learning and Improvement

The best teams never stay still. Whether it’s staying ahead of regulatory changes, mastering new tech tools, or refining client service skills, powerhouse teams prioritize development. Mentoring, ongoing training, and regular performance feedback cultivate teams that evolve — not stagnate.

A commitment to continuous improvement sends a clear message: you believe in your team, and you’re investing in their growth. That, in turn, builds loyalty, engagement, and retention.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re building a tech team, a client success function, or a legal department, the fundamentals of a high-performing team remain the same. Great teams don’t just happen. They’re built with intent — with the right people, supported by the right culture, and driven by the right leadership.

When you get this right, the payoff is exponential. From more efficient operations to higher client satisfaction and better outcomes — powerhouse teamwork becomes a competitive advantage.

In any sector — and certainly in law — that’s a result worth striving for.

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Commercial

Singapore Court Rejects Public Policy Challenge to Tribunal’s Refusal of Third-Party Funding Costs

The Singapore International Commercial Court has upheld an arbitral tribunal's refusal to award third-party funding costs, rejecting arguments that denying such recovery offends public policy or amounts to a procedural failing reviewable under the Model Law.

As reported by the Wolters Kluwer Arbitration Blog, the decision in *DTH and another v DTF and others* [2026] SGHC(I) 5 arose from a joint venture dispute arbitrated under the SIAC Rules. The tribunal awarded the applicants approximately US$14.7 million but declined to award roughly US$14.6 million in funding costs, leaving them with minimal net recovery.

The applicants advanced two grounds. The first was that refusing funding costs conflicted with Singapore's public policy of promoting access to justice for impecunious parties. The court disagreed, holding that access to justice framed that narrowly does not rise to the level of public policy, and noting that Singapore's own SICC Rules expressly prohibit the recovery of third-party funding costs. A domestic rule barring recovery makes it difficult to characterise the same outcome in arbitration as contrary to national policy.

The second ground was that the tribunal had failed to comply with the agreed arbitral procedure. The court held that costs determinations fall outside the scope of procedural review under the Model Law, because they are substantive outcomes rather than questions of process. Framing an unfavourable costs result as a procedural defect does not convert it into a reviewable one.

On the underlying analysis, the tribunal had excluded the funding costs because certain fees were calculated as a percentage of the resolution amount rather than by reference to the principal advanced, placing them outside the statutory definitions governing third-party funding.

The ruling underscores that funders and funded parties in Singapore-seated arbitration cannot assume recovery of funding costs, and that how a funding agreement structures its return may determine whether those costs are recoverable at all.

Commercial

Pogust Goodhead Disputes Client Committee’s Authority to Remove It From Mariana Dam Litigation

Pogust Goodhead has publicly rejected the decision to replace it as solicitors for claimants in the multi-billion pound group action against BHP, arguing that the client committee that voted to terminate its retainer had no authority to do so and warning that the move puts claimants' costs protection at risk.

As reported by Legal Futures, the dispute follows the appointment of Bailey Glasser International (BGI) to take over conduct of *Município de Mariana and others v BHP Group (UK) Ltd*, the claim brought for more than 420,000 Brazilian claimants arising from the 2015 collapse of the Fundão Dam.

BGI said its "priority is continuity for the claimants," adding that it "does not expect the change of legal representation to have any significant effect on the overall litigation timetable" and acknowledging "the work done by Pogust Goodhead in bringing the case to the High Court in London and securing the landmark ruling on liability."

Pogust Goodhead disagrees. The firm said the "client committee has no authority to terminate Pogust Goodhead's representation on behalf of the wider group of claimants in the proceedings," and that it "remains the solicitor of record and continues to act in claimants' best interests." It described the litigation as continuing "as normal."

The firm's sharpest warning concerns after-the-event insurance, which was secured through Pogust Goodhead on the basis that it acted in the matter. By moving to displace it, the firm said, "the committee risks placing claimants' costs protection in jeopardy and exposing them to significant financial liabilities."

The commercial backdrop is substantial. Pogust Goodhead announced a partnership with Quinn Emanuel in June 2026, alongside $150 million in funding from Gramercy Funds Management arranged through the two firms for the next stage of the litigation. BGI is a joint venture between Edward McCourt & Company — owned by former Pogust Goodhead senior partner Jeremy Evans — and US firm Bailey & Glasser, with Hausfeld & Co supporting in London. Partners Faranak Ghajavand and Callum Walters previously worked at Pogust Goodhead.

Liability was established at the Stage One trial in November 2025 and can no longer be challenged after the Court of Appeal refused BHP permission to appeal in May 2026. Evidence in the Stage Two trial on causation and quantum is listed from April to December 2027, with closing submissions in March 2028.

Commercial

Carta Law Adds Four Senior Compliance and Contracts Leaders Across the US and Europe

Carta Law, the AI-native law firm serving private capital, has announced four senior appointments across its Compliance and Contracts practices, deepening its bench as asset managers turn to technology-backed managed services for legal and compliance work on both sides of the Atlantic.

According to a press release from Business Wire, Noah Levine joins as Legal Director, leading the firm's Compliance function for North America. Levine spent three years as Managing Director and Senior Compliance Counsel at Angelo Gordon, previously held compliance roles at Two Sigma and Dune Real Estate Partners, and most recently served as Deputy General Counsel and Compliance Officer at Madison International Realty.

Karin Porstendörfer joins as Compliance Director and Head of Inbound KYC, based in Luxembourg. She was previously Head of AML/CFT at Carne Group, where she built and led fund compliance programmes across European jurisdictions, and brings 18 years of audit, compliance and forensic experience to the firm.

Carta Law also promoted two of its own. Chrystel Marincich becomes Managing Director, Contracts Americas, having joined two and a half years ago from Kirkland & Ellis, where she was a Partner, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Kenneth Howe becomes Managing Director, Contracts Europe and APAC, and will lead the build-out of the Contracts function in Europe after a career in private practice at Simmons & Simmons and Gowling WLG.

The appointments follow Carta Law's launch in May 2026 after Carta's acquisition of Avantia, which paired AI-native legal and compliance workflows with Carta's platform for private capital. The firm now serves more than 200 asset managers, including approximately 30% of the world's largest funds, and operates across the US, UK and Europe.

"Noah and Karin bring first-hand experience of the compliance challenges facing sophisticated asset managers, while Chrystel and Kenny have played a major role in building our Contracts practice," said James Sutton, General Manager of Carta Law.