The northern lightsRUBBING SHOULDERS WITH CELEBRITIES IS PART OF THE DEAL AT NORTHERN & SHELL.

VICTORIA MacCALLUM finds out WHAT MAKES the IN-HOUSE TEAM AT britain's latest national newspaper owner TICKWhen Northern & Shell, the media empire founded by Richard Desmond in 1974, exploded into the headlines late last year after its eleventh-hour purchase of the Express titles, the media - predictably - focused on one aspect of its many interests.Although the company comprises an impressive portfolio of titles, including the phenomenally popular OK!, three national newspapers, and a television channel, it appears that it is destined to be forever associated in some sections of the media with its top- shelf magazines, which include Asian Babes and Big Ones.Northern & Shell is understandably keen to play down this image.

'If you look at the company as a whole,' argues Maninder Gill, head of legal and company secretary, 'our adult magazines make up only a tiny proportion of our income.' And he adds that is is a tiny proportion Northern & Shell is in the process of selling, 'in order to concentrate on building up other areas of the company'.Even before this decision to sell, the company has had a high- profile year: as well as the 125 million acquisition of Express newspapers from Lord Hollick's United News & Media group, there has been the ongoing saga of OK! magazine.Whether obtaining a rap on the knuckles from the Press Complaints Commission for publishing unauthorised gap-year pictures of Prince William, scooping exclusive coverage of celebrity weddings such as Posh and Becks and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, or taking arch-rival Hello! to court over printing unauthorised photos of the Zeta Jones wedding, it has all added up to a ratings winner for OK! And that has meant a busy year for Mr Gill and his four-strong legal team at Ludgate House, on the banks of the River Thames.The three-strong Expressin-house team has stayed intact and separate, although it liaises closely with Mr Gill's team.'The acquisition was a very hectic time for us,' he says, employing something of an understatement.

'Because confidentiality was so vital, the team that we had working on it in-house was very small.' He describes his role in the deal, which took only five weeks to complete, as 'the first point of contact: the go-between, the conduit, co-ordinating the deal from the ground, and pulling the loose threads together'.Much of the acquisition work was outsourced to City practice Linklaters, a firm that was chosen not only because of its expertise and ready resources, but also because of the individual relationships that had been built up over time.

'We tend to focus on the solicitor rather than the firm,' explains Mr Gill.

'We will always use a solicitor whom we know and trust.' Confidentiality is vital in such a high-profile and fast-moving industry, but what is equally important for Mr Gill is that the external solicitor 'knows the company, knows what our approach, our attitude is, and really understands our ethos'.This ethos is a dynamic and proactive one, as would be expected from a legal team dealing with the buzz of daily and weekly publications.

'Our role is to be constructive - get things done and get things done quickly,' says Mr Gill.

He stresses that there's 'no room for shrinking violets' on his team, and 'only a certain type of go-getting person' will fit in with the company's forward-thinking attitude.

As a result, he admits that Northern & Shell is a 'slightly more demanding client' for external firms to deal with.

However, he says that the legal team's strong work ethic has a real purpose.

'Essentially, our job is to find solutions which will help the company achieve their long-term objectives,' he says.

'We're not here to point out the negatives - we don't say "you can't print that".

It's more a case of finding a way in which you can get around the problem.'It is this long-term view that Mr Gill picks out as the most attractive aspect of in-house work.

'It's being involved with a project from start to finish, rather than just being called in to fire-fight,' he explains.

Having come to Northern & Shell in 1998 from libel specialists Peter Carter-Ruck & Partners, he appreciates the breadth of work available to him at his new home.

'We deal with company commercial work, corporate, employment - a whole range of areas,' he says, adding that he would find returning to private practice 'possibly less interesting' because of the more specialised nature of the game.

This attitude is echoed by other members of the legal team.

Marc Sobol, also a recruit from private practice - joining a year-and-a-half ago from London firm Clintons - agrees that 'the real beauty of the job is the huge range of work you're exposed to.' Along with bread-and-butter work such as proof-reading and pre-publication advice, the in-house team deals with matters ranging from employment tribunals to drafting exclusive contracts for celebrities to appear in OK!But the work - however exciting and glamorous it may seem - appears to be only half the appeal of the job for the bright, young solicitor.

'It's actually meeting the people that you deal with day after day,' explains company solicitor Naomi Hirons.

She has previously been both in-house at EMI Music and in private practice at niche music practice Russells in London, but admits to having 'taken a shine' to in-house, partly because of the 'more commercial and pragmatic work', but also because of the close relationship with the client.

'When you work with a client in private practice, you tend to deal with just the one person, and you don't get involved - at least not to the same extent - with the day-to-day decisions made,' she says.

'Here, you are more exposed to different people who do different jobs in the company, and you learn a huge amount.'Mr Sobol agrees: 'The people that you deal with are literally just at the end of your corridor, so if you want to get a deal done it's so much faster to walk around the corner and meet face to face.

Building relationships with the people around you is what it's all about.' Having a close relationship with your sole client is one of the big advantages of in-house work, an advantage that works in more than one way.

'Having your employer and client as the same person means that as you are closer, you can take your work problems directly to them,' explains Salayha Hussain-Din, a trainee solicitor qualifying with the company.

'Because you really get to know the people, it's often easier to raise issues you may have with them directly.'Whatever issues may arise, in the high-profile and fast-moving world of in-house media law, life is never dull: with the landmark Zeta Jones and Douglas wedding photograph case against Hello! magazine coming to court later on this year, and the forthcoming sale of the adult magazine stable, Northern & Shell's star appears to be rising.