Team size: five to seven   

First, can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently?

My team is works across the entire value chain of our business – a top three global player in the development, production, and maintenance of railway vehicles, listed on the French prime market (CAC 40). We are involved in the pre-qualification and bid phase of projects, the negotiation phase during the tender procedure, and provide support during the project execution phase, including contract interpretation, claim management, as well as leading litigation and arbitration procedures. 

My team has successfully negotiated numerous double-digit settlement agreements during the last fiscal year. Moreover, we are managing a three-digit arbitration procedure entirely under our responsibility.

How does your legal strategy change during periods of instability or uncertainty?

Our main focus has shifted from the tender phase (winning upcoming tenders and generating new business) to the project execution phase (de-risking existing business), where we are currently facing severe financial risks, including performance issues. These issues are due to several external factors, such as the Ukraine crisis, electronic parts shortage, hyperinflation, material shortage, and non-performance of main suppliers.

Do you make use of any ‘legal tech’ products, and if so, for which areas of your job do you find it most useful?

The number of use cases for legal tech is still very limited, but we have a task force within our company focused on identifying and implementing suitable legal tech solutions for our needs.