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

Some of the most impactful projects include advising on the expansion of Autoliv’s footprint in Asia. Two major components of that expansion include establishing a new production facility in central Japan, and building a new airbag cushion and fabric plant in Vietnam. It has been so rewarding to work on cross-functional teams to make these visions become a reality, and to provide guidance on everything ranging from massive real estate transactions to supplier agreements. It is incredibly gratifying to contribute to projects that will help save more lives and prevent serious injuries around the world; those outside the automotive industry may not know that we make life-saving products like airbags, seatbelts, and steering wheels.

Could you share an example of a time when your team came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

Among the broader Autoliv legal team one of my colleagues introduced me to the concept of “educate to empower,” and we have embraced that in the Asia division in various ways to improve how we work within the legal team and how we work with business partners. For example, we are in the process of rolling out a training that explains what we do (and what we don’t do) as the legal team, and how we can all work better together by incorporating Autoliv’s Key Behaviors: Take Ownership, Add Value, Collaborate, Make it Easy, and Be Curious. We have seen noticeable improvements in communications, and even more business partners seeking our input on matters “early and often.”

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values?

It is critical. We maintain high standards internally as we strive to carry out Autoliv’s vision of Saving More Lives, and we expect the same of external lawyers who advise us.

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

I suggest building strong relationships by connecting with business partners on a personal level. When I joined Autoliv during the pandemic in November 2020, the Japan office where I am based was working remotely, and travel restrictions prevented me from visiting the other countries within the Autoliv Asia division (Korea, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines). So, instead, I had several one-on-one Teams calls with colleagues in different functions such as sales, quality, supply chain, and operations. During those calls we talked as much about our personal and professional journeys as we did about legal “pain points.” And whenever a colleague I haven’t met before contacts me about a legal question or concern, I spend a few moments getting to know them before jumping into how I can help. This has helped me strengthen relationships and build rapport. And then once that rapport exists, in-house lawyers need to add value by having a deep understanding of the business and being a trusted advisor. But the personal connection is just as important for relationship-building as all of the technical legal skills and expertise required for in-house lawyers.