Team size: Six

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

Our legal team has been recently involved in a variety of different complex cases and transactions. The most significant ones concern the acquisition of our company by a consortium of bidders consisting among others of a large automobile manufacturer, the insurance contract concerning comprehensive and liability damages for many damage claims with an insurance company about which bankruptcy proceedings have been opened, and the acquisition and upstream merger of a competing car rental company with various group companies.

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 revealed the need for more digital workflows and a multitude of different communication channels in the organisation. We as a legal department have received more advocates in the organisation for the needed change management for software supported legal services and legal operations in the organisation. These new opportunities given by new implemented digital tools, however, make the need for well-organized communication even more important to maintain efficiency in our work processes.

How much influence do you, as a general counsel, have on the diversity and inclusion policies of your organisation?

From my point of view the legal department has a huge influence on the diversity and inclusion policies of our organisation. First, the legal department is a key stakeholder in the formal process of drafting and rolling out of policies of that kind. Further, the legal department also has a very important role model function in the organization with the associated responsibility, supporting the organisation implementing set values and principles into the organization’s DNA.