In what ways do you see the in-house legal role evolving in your region over the next few years?

The time of leading an in-house department like an internal law firm, detached from operations, has certainly passed. It will be all the more important to have a seat at the table where decisions are made and to increase driving change of how business is conducted. The increasing legislation around digital matters, for instance the EU AI act, requires a deep understanding of the regulations, but also about software, hardware, AI and processes and procedures in R&D and production. Any in-house department which is not leaving the ivory tower will not be able to grasp the risk that is supposed to be harnessed by the legislation, not the chances which understanding such legislation may bring to agile companies, nor the risk of fines for not following the rules.

Situations like this will increase also for other strategic questions, such as do we enter the market in a certain country or not? Or, what implications will this have for ESG matters, data storage, technology transfer? To manage these risks properly, it needs an in-house department which thinks ahead and clears a path, not one which is used to coming in when it is too late and tries to litigate. This includes pointing out chances and business opportunities, as spearheading certain processes and setting industry standards may help.

If you had to give advice to an aspiring in-house lawyer or general counsel, what would it be and why?

Much of the work which was done manually in the past will be automated in the future and it will be better to become part of that transformation than being the part which is made redundant. So, learn how to code. Get out of your silo, connect with people doing other things. Learning and growth typically happen outside of your comfort zone but is rewarding and enriching your personal life. It also helps to develop creative but sound ways to deal with the matters which will end up in your in-box, and this is a skill which helps you to be regarded as a true, valuable partner, not as a problem from the department that always rejects. Also, learn how to be concise. Your CEO must read a lot, please provide brief summaries, if you cannot get around writing the 10-page expert opinion for documentation purposes. They will thank you.