First, can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently? 
 
Recently, my team and I negotiated and closed deals with two major automotive producers. Both deals involved cross-country legal matters, particularly data privacy challenges with non-EU countries and related security aspects, including obtaining an additional security certification and its implementation. Close collaboration with the information security department, amongst others, was key.  
 
It also proved once again that drafting a concise Service Level Agreement (SLA) and a statement of work is imperative for an IT agreement (Alpega being a SaaS provider), requiring a lawyer to understand the solution, product, and services and collaborate with all relevant business functions.  
 
Once the so-called “technical” parts of the agreements were agreed upon (which are in truth very legal in nature), the focus shifted to the “legal” clauses, such as warranty and liability (which are very much commercial clauses). Here, my team and I achieved a balanced and fair distribution of the risks between Alpega and the customers, also providing management with a thorough assessment upon which a business decision was made. In addition to providing legal advice, the function of an in-house lawyer in complex IT transactions involves being an astute project manager, a responsibility handled adeptly by my team and me.  
 
How does your legal strategy change during periods of instability or uncertainty?  
 
Legal strategy changes are influenced not only by changes in the regulatory framework but also by changes in market conditions, with both factors often being interrelated. To adapt the legal strategy accordingly, it is key to work closely with all other relevant departments and stakeholders from the business side, in order to recognise or even anticipate changes early on in the industry. In the next step, analysing the changes, drawing the right conclusions, and finally implementing the required actions – for example, new allocation of resources or personnel or establishing new skill sets – is essential.  
 
Do you make use of any ‘legal tech’ products, and if so, for which areas of your job do you find it most useful? 
 
‘Legal Tech’ products are utilised for drafting contracts, providing automated clause suggestions derived from previously executed agreements. Additionally, an AI tool is utilised to handle SLA queries, which are frequently raised by customers of SaaS companies like Alpega. These queries, although often containing lengthy technical descriptions and involving IT-related language, may have legal implications. The AI tool generates summaries of these queries and offers potential answers.