Team size: 22

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

What is the role of the modern in – house Counsel in the AI era? This question is to me equivalent to the essence of the point elaborated hereto; but the answer cannot be provided in a simplified manner for an organisation having the size of our Company. Being entrusted to manage the Legal Department of a Company with diversified activities, ranging from the most successful retail malls in the Southeastern Europe, some of the most luxury marinas in the Mediterranean and the Ellinikon (the biggest urban real estate development in Europe), while also being appointed as a member of the Company’s management team and acting as the Secretary of the Board of Directors, is not a mere job. Is an everyday journey, delving into challenges, milestones achievements and unavoidable obstacles.

We don’t believe that there are only turbulent or “peaceful” periods; We shape our way through the waves with ups and downs. Our role is not that of the lawyer who advises on cold matters and takes distance from the implementation of a business decision. As Business Lawyers, we believe that “ex profession” we must lead the way and give valuable insights and solid guidance to our colleagues. But how does this notion and general approach turn out to be realised? My management model involves 4 key axes:

My motto is “We are Deal Makers, not Deal Breakers”. The job description of heading the Legal Department of a pioneering company has, as its first and foremost prerequisite, the passion for success. We crave new deals and business achievements; we are in love with success; and don’t hesitate to declare that we are addicted to the adrenaline every new business transaction produces. We will strive to reach a solution.

Our experience in our Organisation – whose personnel size has expanded over the past 4 years by 400% – reveals that sometimes it is quite a task to transpose a business need into legal provisions. This requires patience, strategic thinking and familiarity with the company’s targets. Impeccable knowledge of the law and case law is only a prerequisite, but never enough. The soft skills demonstrated, cultivated and offered to our organisation are the value added of our Team.

We do not see ourselves as legal professionals who give raw advice and alienate themselves from the outcome of a project, negotiation or dispute. We participate actively in every endeavor and claim our role as equal partners of every business team.

What a skill, echoing as a stereotype but truthfully not for are Team! But it summarises our ten-year journey after our award of the international tender of the Former Ellinikon Airport area. We came across unprecedented ideas and found ways to circumvent obstacles and pitfalls. Dealing with public agencies, stakeholders, and adversaries to this major project (6,2 m sq. m, three times the size of Monaco!) proved that taming the spacetime of common sense and the multiverse of hurdles cannot be taught in Law School.

What emerging technologies do you see as having the most significant impact on the legal profession in the near future, and how do you stay updated on these developments?

Who’s afraid of the machines? Definitely not a member of our Team. In the aftermath of the AI Act Adoption, we strongly believe that our role as key elements of the Business Teams of our Company will be boosted with technology. We are already planning to adopt some tools for the most efficient procurement of some typical documents (e.g. Shareholders meetings, Corporate Registries book keeping and updating) and of course case law search tools featuring some AI elements are and will be indispensable parts of our job. We do not yet fully trust LLMs (large language models) of productive AI like ChatGPT, considering that our language – Greek – is most probably a deterrent for the training of those models. But once the time comes, adopting to such models will be welcome.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

LAMDA Development is an equal opportunity employer. Gender/ sexual orientation and similar qualities are indifferent. Our Teams consists of 11 women and 11 men, whereas many members of our team are parents of children. This is our Policy – not to make discriminations against anybody. At the end of the day, we totally respect and foster the individual features of any team member, because we believe in the Person and not in their background. And this is a major identifier of our Team: 22 singularities that merge into a perfect Group with remarkable results.