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

Arthrex is experiencing significant worldwide growth, and the challenges of implementing a new Legal and Compliance team and approach within such a large region under my responsibility (including Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands) are substantial.

More than the significant cases and transactions that I have been fortunate enough to support since joining Arthrex last February, the biggest challenges have been internal. These include correctly allocating the necessary Legal and Compliance resources, which includes all the recruiting challenges we are facing in the Legal sector. Additionally, engaging the relevant stakeholders and building relationships of trust, while implementing Legal and Compliance procedures that inevitably raise friction with the business, have been significant challenges.

The good news is that today, Legal and Compliance are welcomed by our business colleagues, who already see us as critical to their operation. They view us as business partners that support innovative solutions and as safeguards for the Company and themselves.

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

Not wanting to be too cliché about it, I would say that it is paramount to have business savvy – a real business partner approach and mentality – along with social skills that support the effort of building relationships with all relevant stakeholders, which is critical for any in-house lawyer. Additionally, becoming an expert on the company, including its structure, culture, and political environment, as well as the business and sector in which the company operates, is essential.

How have you fostered a closer collaboration between the legal department and your business counterparts?

In these post-COVID times, I believe that some face-to-face time has become a critical factor as it is becoming less common, especially in regional setups. Having regular touch points, sharing all relevant information we might have, even if not directly related to specific topics at hand, maintaining transparency, and participating in as many business events such as sales meetings, strategy meetings, and parties as possible are also key to success.

Do you have a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I joined Arthrex because I found the mission of “Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better®” truly inspiring. I also feel that, as a business partner, I can genuinely be part of this cause and contribute to the advancement of healthcare.