The working relationship between a company's legal counsel and human resources is a critical one. Both departments have a charge to guide employee practices and make decisions to protect the legal, financial and reputation interests of the company.

Counsel's role is to provide proactive professional advice on critical strategic and legal issues and to support the institution with legal guidance. Human resources does the same thing through business practices and processes, effectuating an inclusive, collaborative, safe, legal and productive working environment.

This working relationship is affected by the nature and size of the company, the size of the HR team, the experience of employees within those offices and the volume of matters. Where access to counsel is limited, the HR professional must develop techniques for understanding legal nuances and seeking the legal counsel/support needed for the company.

In your organization, how does your HR organization interact with the legal department?