Team size: Two

Key team members: Wolfgang Vanas and Lena Janko

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?

Our overall agenda is to leverage automation and tools in our everyday work to streamline our processes. This past year we have been looking at our intake process for legal requests from other departments within the company, which was inefficient and time-consuming.

We addressed the issue by creating a ‘task management system’ to organise our workday and become more efficient. Since ecosio is a remote-first company with flexible working hours, communicating a clear agenda, timelines and deadlines within and across departments is even more relevant.

Rather than opting for another new tool for the task management system, the innovation did not require a significant expense as we could leverage existing technology and software to build the system. Such tools are not typically considered for legal services but may do the trick.

Apart from legal matters, has the team worked on other company initiatives?

At ecosio, we firmly believe that a modern legal department should strive to get involved as much as possible. We understand that the role of a legal department is not just about providing legal advice and representation but also about contributing to the overall success and growth of the business.

In the past year, we have supported the strengthened push to integrate a Diversity and Inclusion mindset into our hiring process. A diverse and inclusive workplace fosters a culture of fairness and respect and leads to better decision-making and innovation.

In addition to our efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion, we also understand the importance of employee happiness. Happy employees are the ones who keep your business going. Therefore, we also involve ourselves and support the internal Happiness Team in our company. Various activities such as team building, or other employee benefits improve employee morale and job satisfaction and lead to better collaboration and communication within the team.

As a legal department, we take pride in being proactive and contributing to the overall success of our company. By getting involved in initiatives such as Diversity and Inclusion and employee happiness, we support our colleagues and strengthen our role as strategic partners in the business.

Can you sum up the team culture/ethos in one sentence?

‘Legal is your ally’

As a legal department, we understand that our role in companies is often misunderstood or misinterpreted. We are not here to say ‘no’ or to be a roadblock but rather to help and bring value in many different aspects. We are an ally to the business and want to reinforce this agenda across the whole company.

To achieve this goal, we are working hard to reach out to the whole company and ensure everyone understands how we can support and contribute to their work. Our expertise and knowledge of the law can help make difficult decisions easier, avoid risks and conflicts, and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Moreover, we strive to be approachable and easy to work with. We want everyone in the company to feel comfortable approaching us with their legal concerns, knowing we are here to listen and provide practical solutions. We encourage open communication and welcome feedback, as it helps us improve our services and ensure that we meet our colleagues’ needs.

We try to make law easy for everyone around us by providing precise and concise advice and by breaking down complex legal issues into simple terms. We want everyone to feel they can approach us with any legal question or concern, whether big or small.

Furthermore, we believe that our success not only comes from working hard but from working together. We strive to build strong relationships with other departments and teams within the company to ensure that we are aligned with their goals and objectives. By working collaboratively, we can achieve great things and contribute to the company’s success as a whole.