Changing lanes

The confessions of a senior in-house counsel switching industries: Linda Mouaz’s candid perspective on navigating transitions, challenging sector-specific bias and advocating for hiring practices that prioritise adaptability and untapped potential over experience.

After almost a decade as an in-house counsel in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, I thought I had earned a black belt in adaptability. I had navigated regulatory shake-ups, cross-border legal puzzles, geopolitical crises without breaking a sweat and, and, and…Surely sliding into a legal role in a different industry would be a piece of cake for a seasoned lawyer like me, right?

Wrong! Changing industries turned out to be one of the toughest challenges of my career, an irony not lost on someone whose day job is solving problems. In interview after interview, I kept hearing a familiar refrain, “We love your legal background, but you don’t have experience in our industry.” No amount of legal expertise or enthusiasm, it seemed, could immediately overcome the invisible wall of “industry experience” I was suddenly up against. And it was not just me; many fellow senior in-house counsels have hit this same wall when attempting to pivot to a new sector.

This personal journey revealed a hard truth about legal hiring: too often, industry familiarity is valued over legal acumen and adaptability. In this opinion piece, I want to share my story, challenge the common bias that a lawyer’s skills are limited to one sector, and spark a conversation about how we hire in-house counsels. It is time we question the status quo and start valuing potential and versatility as much as that comfortable checkbox of “industry experience.”

NEW SECTOR, SAME SKILLS – SO, WHY THE STRUGGLE?

Changing lanes into a new sector turned out to be a humbling experience. Despite my strong legal background, I repeatedly ran into well-meaning rejections. One potential employer at a tech company told me bluntly that, although my credentials were impressive, they needed “someone with tech industry exposure who can hit the ground running.” In another interview, a panelist from a financial services firm wondered aloud how I would cope without years of banking experience on my CV. It seemed that all my achievements, the deals closed, the crises averted etc., suddenly paled in comparison to one missing bullet point: prior experience in their industry.

I tried using a bit of humour to break through the bias. When asked how I would manage in an unfamiliar field, I quipped, “Well, the law is the law; whether you are selling confectionary product or software, I can handle it!” That earned a few polite chuckles but did little to change any minds. My versatility and track record were acknowledged, yet I was often politely passed over because I did not fit the exact industry mould. It felt as if hiring managers saw me not just as a lawyer, but as an “FMCG lawyer” whose skills came with an expiration date…

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE VS. LEGAL EXPERTISE: CHALLENGING THE BIAS

I understand why companies lean so heavily on industry-specific experience. From their perspective, it feels safer to hire someone who already “speaks the language” of their business. Many employers explicitly seek candidates with a very specific background; expecting a lawyer who knows the industry’s key players, jargon, and unique challenges. In fact, most CEOs admit they prefer a general counsel with relevant industry experience, especially in highly-regulated fields like financial services or pharma. The idea is that an insider will get up to speed faster and won’t need a map to navigate the field.

But here’s the rub: a sharp legal mind is not confined to one industry. Legal expertise is largely transferable, and adaptability is part of every good lawyer’s DN, at least this is my opinion. If I could master the intricacies of consumer protection laws for selling coffee products for instance, I can certainly get my head around data privacy for a tech company or compliance standards for a bank. A contract is a contract, whether it’s for buying raw materials or licensing software, the art of negotiation and risk-spotting remains the same. Sure, each sector has its quirks, but learning new material is what lawyers do on a regular basis. We are trained to break down complex, unfamiliar scenarios and make sense of them quickly; it is our superpower! Overlooking that adaptability means undervaluing the very core of what makes an in-house counsel effective.

I speak from experience. As I said, after almost a decade in FMCG, I transitioned into the deeply technical world of engineering and geoscience, surrounded by experts in soil offshore vessels, and subsurface analysis. I am not an engineer. I am not a geologist. And no, I didn’t understand everything on day one. But I made it a priority to learn. I spent my first months engaging with technical leads, joining site visits, asking endless questions and building a working understanding of the business. A year later, I don’t claim to be an expert, but I understand enough to advise, challenge and support the operations. My legal value wasn’t diminished by my lack of industry roots. In reality, my fresh perspective has often been an asset. I am living proof that a senior lawyer can succeed without having grown up in the industry they serve, provided they are curious, committed and supported by an inclusive mindset.

WHAT I UNDERSTOOD SENIOR LAWYERS ARE SAYING BEHIND THE SCENES

This is not the frustration of a junior associate trying to land their first in-house role; this is the lived reality of senior legal professionals. In a recent exchange among seasoned legal professionals, the tension was palpable. Colleagues shared stories of being overlooked simply for not ticking the “industry insider” box, despite years of legal excellence.

Some acknowledged the business need for candidates who can be up-and-running immediately and the evident lack of time to train someone new to the sector. But others were candid about how discouraging it is to be dismissed not on skill, but on surface familiarity. One comment of my peer captured the irony well, “We say we want diversity, but we only hire people who’ve done the same thing in the same place for ten years.”

Another highly experienced and sharp lawyer drew a sharp line between practice area expertise and industry-specific experience, saying firms are increasingly demanding both – a narrowing that disadvantages even top-tier generalists. And when recruiters apply the same rigid industry filter to senior profiles, we risk missing out on some of the most adaptable, strategic minds in the legal field.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN POLICY AND PRACTICE

My peer is right. Here is another irony – many companies trumpet their commitment to diversity and inclusion (less recently in the US), yet still cling to a narrow definition of the “right” candidate. Diversity is not just about gender or race; it also means diversity of thought and experience. If a legal department only hires people who all come from the same industry background, it risks becoming an echo chamber. I have seen organisations proudly praise values of openness and innovation, then turn around and reject candidates simply for not ticking the usual boxes. The gap between D&I value slogans and actual hiring practice can be wide.

True inclusion in hiring means giving a fair shot to those with different career paths. A lawyer coming from a different sector brings a fresh viewpoint; exactly the kind of cognitive diversity that leads to better problem-solving and innovation. We all agree in theory that diverse teams perform better. But inclusion has to start at the recruitment stage, by challenging our own assumptions of who is a “fit” for the role. In short, hiring managers should practice what they preach: if you value diverse perspectives, then value the candidate who offers one, even if their CV looks a little different or unconventional.

THE WAY FORWARD: HIRING FOR POTENTIAL AND ADAPTABILITY

I remember having seen scrabble tiles spelling out “SHIFT HAPPENS”, a cheeky reminder that change is inevitable and often beneficial. Changing the hiring mindset won’t happen overnight, but it can happen (shift happens, after all). It starts with recognising that a candidate’s potential can outweigh their lack of familiarity with a particular sector. So, what concrete steps can hiring teams take? Below are a few suggestions to start with:

• Focus on core competencies, not just industry. Evaluate candidates based on their legal skills and accomplishments such drafting, negotiation, risk management and problem-solving, rather than treating a specific industry background as a make-or-break factor. A great lawyer with a track record of learning and delivering results is likely to excel in any environment.
• Assess adaptability in interviews. Incorporate questions or case studies that take candidates outside their comfort zone to see how they approach unfamiliar challenges. For example, discuss a hypothetical scenario from a different industry and gauge their thinking. A lawyer who can quickly issue-spot and strategise in new situations will handle your industry’s learning curve just fine.
• Value diverse experience. Recognise the benefits of a fresh perspective. A candidate from another industry might spot risks or opportunities that an industry insider overlooks. Instead of asking yourself “Do they know our industry?”, ask “What new ideas or approaches could they bring to our team?” Hiring someone with a different background can be a catalyst for innovation and prevent “groupthink”.
• Align hiring with D&I goals. Ensure your recruitment criteria reflect your organisation’s diversity and inclusion values. If you champion diversity of thought in company policy, practice it in hiring by actively considering people with different professional backgrounds. Don’t let unconscious bias for the “familiar” undermine your diversity goals.
• Onboard and integrate cross-industry hires. If you do hire a lawyer from outside your sector, have a plan to get them up to speed. Provide a crash course in industry-specific knowledge or pair them with a mentor in the team, push them to do site visits and so on. A supportive onboarding process can bridge any initial gaps quickly. Think of it as a short-term investment for a long-term gain. You will get a high-performing legal counsel who also brings a unique perspective to the business.

 CONCLUSION: TIME TO BREAK THE MOULD?!

For me, the journey of switching industries was an eye-opener. It highlighted not just the resilience and resourcefulness of legal professionals, but also the need for our field to adapt its own mindset. In-house lawyers are problem solvers at our core; we navigate uncertainty (almost) on a daily basis, especially in this region. Our businesses only stand to gain if we allow legal talent to roam a bit more freely across industry lines. We all benefit when skill and potential are given room to shine beyond the usual boundaries.

So, to every general counsel, HR professional, and recruiter reading this: the next time a talented senior lawyer from outside your industry comes knocking, pause before passing them over. Open the door, have the conversation, and consider what they offer beyond a familiar resume. You might just find that their fresh outlook is exactly what your team or organisation needs. Your next star performer could be the one you almost overlooked.

Ultimately, legal expertise is portable, and potential is priceless. It is time to break the mould and let adaptable senior lawyers do what they do best: excel in any environment you put them in. By rethinking our hiring biases and giving people a chance to prove themselves, we strengthen our teams and, in the long run, the entire legal profession.  After all, change in the legal world, much like in business, often yields the best results when we embrace it. Isn’t it time we practice the open-mindedness we so often advise our clients/colleagues to have? Change is inevitable in our industry. The key is to make sure our attitudes change with it.

Text by:

Linda Mouaz, regional head of legal & compliance – Middle East & India, Fugro