Team size: 14

How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel? 

The legal team is based in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide and given its national footprint the team was an early adopter of technology to connect with the business units. The team has enjoyed working from home and will continue to adopt flexible working arrangements with a strong emphasis on collaboration when the team is in the office. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of regular health and welfare check-ins and the availability of the right tools to succeed. As general counsel, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of collaboration, trusted team colleagues, and taking the time to recruit the right people.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

First, new forms and tools of communication (like Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and other social media platforms) are changing the way we engage with customers both internally and externally. Running parallel with new forms and tools of communication is the rise in risk – the social licence of the company to operate, its reputation and cyber risk are key considerations. Secondly, automation is significant to our business, and it is an area we are constantly exploring. We utilise contract management tools like Plexus, automated safety, audit, corporate risk, and other tools. Thirdly, AI is assisting in the creation and review of standard contracts. Finally, data and information governance are more significant than ever as we move to paperless contracts and the electronic signing of most legal documents. The most exciting and ethically challenging part is the analysis and use of the company data to inform trends on customers, wellbeing, safety, and many other issues.