A few years ago, she reviewed a lot of advertising copy, but recently the mix has been heavy on Internet-related transactions. But she s also noticed such trends as the blurring of advertising and editorial with the growth of sponsored content and privacy, which has been pushed to the forefront both by regulators and consumer groups who have become increasingly sensitive to how information is collected and used. In addition to having the opportunity to flex the more creative muscle, she also likes the dealmaking her work affords her because it tends to be more rapid than most large corporate transactions. Ad agencies don t want to deal with documents that are 200 pages long, filled with pages and pages of definitions, she explains. It s very practical, business-friendly, and the deals just don t drag on.
Most lawyers don t like having to put speed above quality or thoroughness.
While Seligman has had opportunities to move in-house usually to a client each time she s been approached, she s passed. My partners convinced me that in a law firm, you re much more your own boss, she says. She also likes the bit of distance she has as outside counsel and feels she can be a more dispassionate counselor because she s outside the hierarchy. It frees me in the advice I can give, she says. Law, she felt, would be a way to actually support herself.