Team size: Seven 

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

The inexpensive ‘innovations’ I brought to the legal team have simply been more communication and greater focus on value-adding legal aspects. I increased communication by setting up (and doing my best never to cancel) weekly catch-up meetings with each team member and weekly team meetings. This has allowed the team to share and align early on single topics (ensuring greater delegation afterwards), be informed, really feel part of the legal team, nurturing a keen sense of purpose, and to share knowledge. 

This has also meant training team members to prioritise tasks and issues, as well as stimulating individual team members’ ownership. I also regularly monitor and openly discuss certain KPIs with the team. I re-focused the work of the legal team on legal aspects where the team can bring added value to the business, moving time-consuming and repetitive administrative tasks and non-core or non-legal matters to other functions. 

These simple ‘innovations’ have led the team to work better, with greater drive and personal satisfaction. This has been fundamental to allow the team to recently embark, confidently and dynamically, on demanding new projects regarding the environment, energy and investments linked to the Next Generation EU.  

Can you foresee any key developments to the way general counsel work over the next five years? 

Over the next five years, general counsel work will become increasingly strategic and fast-paced and will cover an extremely vast array of topics. This will be the result of several factors: general counsel in all kinds of businesses are acquiring a fundamental role as trusted business partners; standardised and low-value work will become increasingly automised; businesses are increasingly regulated, globally interconnected, complex, and potentially subject to turbulence. 

Accordingly, general counsel will be called upon to deliver quick strategic and tailored advice, on a wide number of issues, with strong business acumen and industry-specific knowledge. They will need to keep abreast of a variety of regulatory changes, legal practices, and industry developments. 

How do you stay updated on the evolving regulatory landscape in Italy and ensure compliance with domestic laws, EU regulations, and industry-specific regulations? 

I often attend seminars and training sessions organised by universities, law firms and other organisations, including the employers’ association, and discuss new developments with peers. I collaborate with an Italian University, holding lectures and seminars, which is a strong incentive to keep updated. I also receive alert memos from law firms and sometimes follow up directly with the firm or practitioner.  

Recently, I asked outside counsel to hold specific training sessions for the legal team on the new Italian Insolvency Code. When research is carried out by members of the legal team, I always ask them to share the work product with the others. I am an inquisitive person and enjoy looking further into new topics. I also find social media useful to learn of new developments. 

Finally, extraordinary transactions – including the recent sale of the majority stake in my company and its subsidiaries – are always a learning opportunity. Any new relevant development is then discussed internally to evaluate needed changes to ensure compliance.