Team size: 27

What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

As part of the Energy Transition, Shell is transforming its businesses by further focusing its upstream portfolio and growing its renewables and energy solutions business by securing access to electrons and expanding customer-facing businesses. This transformation is triggering portfolio activity across the globe, including in Australia. The Shell Australia legal team supported the divestment of Shell’s NZ upstream business, the acquisition of ERM Power which is now the second largest electricity provider to commercial businesses and industrials in Australia, and most recently the acquisition of Powershop Australia which will support Shell’s growth ambition by providing an avenue for Shell to offer retail customers low-carbon and smarter energy solutions, such as e-mobility and battery storage.

How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?

The pandemic has made virtual deal making a reality. From due diligence to management presentations to negotiations to signing and completion, we are now doing entire deals without ever meeting our counterparties in person. As we are no longer juggling travel schedules, the cost and time efficiencies of virtual M&A have increased. This trend is here to stay, and we are likely to see more of a hybrid approach going forward, with a mix of in-person and virtual. It will be increasingly important for in-house counsel to learn to work virtually, and for the general counsel to help to develop strategies to keep the team connected and engaged when they are not gathering in the office each day.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

As businesses become increasingly digital, driven by faster and cheaper technologies which generate greater insights from data, the in-house team will need to develop its knowledge of new areas of law such as data privacy, data security, smart contracts, blockchain and cyber-security, including the inevitable regulatory framework that will also develop. Implementing new ways of working, such as self-service tools for business colleagues, will enable the legal team to make faster, better decisions that reduce risk and increase value. Tools that help to connect the team and the business in a more meaningful way, for instance through virtual reality, will also be critical. The general counsel needs to understand and embrace these recent technologies and help the team to overcome fears associated with the changes their adoption will bring about.