Surprises: Assume that GCs hate them.

No surprises. If you’re an an associate, secretary, assistant, or other employee, it’s a good overall rule to keep in mind on the way to work. Partners, from laid-back Perry Como types to volcanic James Woods ones, hate surprises. And the in-house counsel the partner works hard for doesn’t like surprises either. Our friend and Chicago trial lawyer Patrick Lamb points out that “no surprises” is a GC’s rule; if you’ve worked with many good GCs–and Pat has–you know what he means. See Pat’s post “Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! The Worst Word In The Inhouse Lexicon” at his In Search of Perfect Client Service.