Team size: 16

What has been the number one challenge that has impacted you over the past year?

The past year has seen an unprecedented increase in complex legal and regulatory issues, driven by data privacy and cyber security concerns and the establishment of critical infrastructure reforms across the industry. My primary challenge was ensuring the business was suitably prepared for the evolving legal and regulatory landscape. This required a significant amount of cross-functional input across several stakeholders and necessitated the breaking down of long-standing silos to ensure the uniform operation of all divisions. Achieving this during periods of remote work highlighted the importance of implementing strong risk management strategies, as well as a clear understanding of the evolving landscape. Balancing these demands while ensuring business operations continued was a formidable task – one that was achieved through strong cross-functional collaboration and a positive engagement style.

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

With in-house teams being asked to deliver budget and resource efficiencies, it is constantly necessary to balance cost, quality and speed to ensure the expert delivery of legal support. Considering this, advancements in legal artificial intelligence, workflow management and self-service tools will positively impact the in-house legal function by automating routine tasks, making lawyers available for more complex and strategic initiatives. Additionally, data analytics and contract lifecycle technologies will also provide better insights into legal risks and emerging trends, enabling in-house teams to make more informed and proactive decisions.

However, advancements in technology may also create additional legal and compliance risks that need to be considered and managed, such as data privacy and cybersecurity related issues. As such technology is expected to be further embedded within existing business operations, in-house teams will need to stay aware of the associated legal and compliance risks and be prepared to address them promptly and effectively.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

The ability to understand key business objectives, strategies and pressure points, and communicate the associated legal risks to management, are critical skills required by in-house lawyers. To achieve this, in-house lawyers should seek to combine their legal expertise with business acumen and strategic thinking to deliver on strategic business goals. Furthermore, in-house lawyers should be able to break-down the historical perception of legal practice by embodying the values and spirit of teamwork and collaboration. Anticipating potential legal issues before they arise and remaining solutions-focused are also essential qualities for success. Using these skills collectively will help in-house lawyers become more active commercial players, informing (and enabling) the strategic direction of the business.