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

The most significant transaction was the purchase of the business assets of Novares Portugal, consisting of two industrial plants in Leiria and Vendas Novas, employing around 700 employees and bringing a 100% growth to the Group. The two plants are state of the art in the manufacture of instrument clusters and bezels for the automotive industry and employe advanced technologies and solutions. The Group completed the acquisition of these assets at the end of February 2023 and has, from then on, been involved in the integration of these two units in the Group.

Why are in-house lawyers well-placed to drive change within their organisations?

In-house lawyers are essential in changing organisations because legal or regulatory reasons drive most changes. Therefore, lawyers are best equipped to orient and drive such changes. Also, in-house lawyers have a very transversal view and knowledge of the whole company and, most of the time can identify critical points along the way, as well as any constraints, requirements and particularities.

As we live in a fast-paced world today, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

A corporate legal team needs to have strong and soft skills in liaising with business teams and understanding their needs to solve their problems adequately. Rather than communicating queries by email or in other written forms, most issues are better solved with a quick chat or meeting. On the other hand, an excellent in-house lawyer must simplify the messages and convey information in a straightforward yet structured manner. Also, in-house lawyers (as well as any other professionals) must be flexible and adapt to the needs of the teams and organisations.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

My main suggestion to my team is to approach people, ask them questions, chat with them. Prior to starting a new task, have a conversation with the person requesting it to better understand their needs. Also, I advise my team to get to know people from other teams even if they have nothing going on in terms of work.