Team size: Six

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?  

Finding better ways of working for the legal team is a constant challenge in dynamic work environments with growing and varied needs for legal support. An example of such an improvement involved strengthening collaboration between the legal team and internal clients. Recognising the need to simplify contract creation and minimise our redundant efforts, our legal team worked closely with business stakeholders to develop a contract repository containing pre-approved sets of boilerplate clauses. The main challenge was ensuring the right balance of customisation for the different types of contracts. The implementation of this solution allowed internal clients to self-serve for various transactions, reducing duplication of work and repetition. The results were measurable with a significant reduction in contract creation time. Likewise, creating a more flexible working environment has strengthened collaboration between the legal team. Encouraging team members to independently select or share tasks enhanced knowledge sharing and improved work allocation, while saving time on supervision. This approach empowered trainees and junior team members to take on and handle tasks autonomously, enhancing their creativity, initiative, and self-confidence.

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

As a member of the OTE Group, a key player in the field of electronic communications, our legal team has been involved in several challenging and complex projects both nationally and internationally.

Recent examples include the sale of the group’s Romanian fixed-line subsidiary, Telekom Romania, to Orange, the sale of the group’s e-procurement subsidiary, CosmoONE, to SoftOne, and the conclusion of a €150m financing facility with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development under the Recovery and Resilience Facility umbrella.

Our legal team also actively supports the group’s participation in public tenders for various digital transformation projects for the Greek public authorities.

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

OTE Group is committed to conducting its operations in accordance with business ethics, social responsibility, sustainable development, and human rights. Our selection of partners is guided by these commitments and extends to our selection of outside counsel. We believe that, in addition to legal expertise, alignment with our values is critical to achieving successful legal strategies and achieving our corporate goals. Should this not be the case, we would re-examine the partnership, effectively safeguarding the group’s reputation and commitment to ethical practices.