THE AUTHORS:
Christopher M. Campbell, Senior Counsel, Baker Hughes
Mihaela Apostol, Independent Counsel and Arbitrator
Lawyering Plus Webinar: S2 EP1
“You have the power to define your professional story – shape your business persona with purpose and confidence.”
Christopher M. Campbell
About Lawyering Plus
Lawyering Plus is an initiative set up by Mihaela Apostol, Dr Ilka Beimel, and Svetlana Portman to help lawyers build soft skills. Lawyering Plus organises webinars and invites expert speakers to share tips on a particular soft skill. Each episode ends with an interactive Q&A segment. The first season focused on communication skills, followed by season two on Business Development & Branding.
First Episode: Building a Business Persona
In an increasingly competitive legal landscape, cultivating a strong professional brand is not just an advantage but a necessity. Christopher M. Campbell, international lawyer and arbitration expert, shares valuable insights on how legal professionals can build and manage their business persona effectively. Whether you are just beginning your career or looking to refine your reputation, his practical guidance offers a roadmap toward authenticity, visibility, and long-term success.
Think Like a Business, Not Just a Lawyer
The first step in building your business persona is changing the perspective or shifting the mindset. Chris challenges lawyers to stop thinking exclusively like legal professionals and start viewing themselves as service providers and brands. Your first client, he argues, is yourself.
Just as companies promote their products to attract customers, lawyers must showcase their skills, values, and personalities to attract clients, collaborators, and opportunities. Visibility matters. If you don’t tell people how good you are, they will never know. Self-promotion in a strategic, authentic way is not vanity, it is essential brand management.
Define the Core Pillars of Your Brand
A second step should be defining the core pillars of your brand. Chris, for example, identifies three main pillars that formed the foundation of his brand:
- Competent and Prepared: Demonstrating excellence in legal practice and readiness.
- International: Embracing global exposure, such as studying or working abroad and speaking multiple languages.
- Business-Oriented Legal Professional: Combining legal expertise with a business mindset.
These pillars, he emphasises, should be specific and reflect your actual strengths and interests. For example, under the category of “legal professional,” Chris focused on arbitration and commercial disputes. Under “international,” he leveraged his experiences living and working in cities like Beijing, London, and Florence.
Show Your Work
To build credibility and make your brand visible, Chris recommends consistently engaging in:
- Writing and Publishing: Articles, blog posts, book reviews; your writing is your professional “sample.”
- Speaking Engagements: Whether as a panellist, moderator, or event organizer, public speaking boosts both visibility and credibility.
- Event Participation: Hosting or attending events related to your field helps foster networking and shows commitment.
This repeated exposure builds a recognizable identity over time and helps others associate you with specific domains or areas of expertise.
Authenticity Over Imitation
Authenticity is a cornerstone of an effective business persona. Chris discourages mimicking others’ styles, even successful ones. Instead, he encourages professionals to listen first, understand how conversations are being had in your field, and then add your own authentic voice to those discussions.
“Be the best version of yourself,” he says. It might take time for your unique style to resonate, but consistency will eventually help your audience grow. In fact, being authentic makes your brand relatable and memorable. And in an industry where many avoid self-promotion, simply doing something puts you ahead.
Develop a Strategy: Long-Term and Short-Term Goals
To keep your branding efforts focused, start by identifying your long-term goals. For instance, if your goal is to become a regularly appointed arbitrator, identify the skills and experiences you will need, such as:
- Visibility in specific legal areas;
- Writing awards;
- Credentials or training from organizations like CIArb (The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators).
From there, create short-term goals, such as publishing two articles a year, attending four major conferences or networking with a specific number of professionals. Use these tactical steps to measure progress without reducing interactions to mere transactions.
Remember, goals must come with timeframes. As Chris humorously notes, “If you say every year that you want to run a marathon but never start training, you’ll never run it.”
Stay Consistent: Don’t Be a ‘Big Mess’
A consistent message is key to brand recognition. Using the McDonald’s menu expansion as an analogy, Chris warns against trying to be everything to everyone. When McDonald’s expanded its offerings too broadly, it confused customers and diluted its core value. Legal professionals face the same risk when they chase too many trends or attempt to dominate multiple niche areas simultaneously.
Instead, choose one or two areas to focus on initially. Own that space, demonstrate depth, and establish authority. Once you have built momentum, you can slowly expand into other areas, but never at the cost of consistency.
What If Not Everyone Likes You?
Not every client or colleague will align with your personality, and that’s okay. Chris emphasises the importance of accepting this reality. Rather than diluting who you are to please everyone, focus on attracting and retaining those who genuinely connect with your voice and approach.
He offers a valuable reminder: personality quirks or communication challenges are skill issues, not identity flaws. Body language, communication style, and tone can all be improved with conscious effort. For example, Chris recommends resources like Charisma On Command, a YouTube channel offering actionable tips on interpersonal dynamics.
Finding Your Niche: A Practical Exercise
Not sure where your brand should focus? Chris suggests a classical low-tech method: get a blank sheet of paper and brainstorm. Write down words that describe what you want to do, what you are good at, and what excites you. Circle them, branch them out into related ideas, and eventually narrow them down to the top five things that resonate most. These become the building blocks of your brand.
This tactile, hands-on exercise encourages deeper reflection than digital alternatives and helps form a coherent identity rooted in genuine interests.
Final Thoughts
Building a business persona is not a one-time project. It is an evolving journey that blends self-awareness, strategy, visibility, and authenticity. Chris’s story and insights offer a realistic, approachable guide to navigating that journey in the legal and arbitration field. Whether you are starting out or looking to rebrand, the key is simple: know yourself, be consistent, and show up.
As Chris says, “Doing something is actually usually more effective than doing nothing.”
Next Episodes
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Christopher M. Campbell is a Senior Litigation Counsel for Baker Hughes based in Florence, Italy and advises on commercial dispute resolution matters in the Oil & Gas, Energy & Technology sectors. Chris also hosts the podcast Tales of the Tribunal, which profiles the dynamic and interesting backgrounds of figures in international law and business. During his career, Chris attained an LL.M. from Tsinghua University studying Chinese Law and international dispute resolution, and has worked on commercial & legal matters across multiple continents.
Mihaela Apostol is an Independent Counsel and Arbitrator based in London. Mihaela is a civil and common law qualified lawyer with over 10 years of experience in international arbitration, having worked as counsel, tribunal secretary and arbitrator. She is an Avocat of the Bar of Bucharest, Romania and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.
*The views and opinions expressed by authors are theirs and do not necessarily reflect those of their organizations, employers, or Daily Jus, Jus Mundi, or Jus Connect.
