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

The pandemic has provided legal teams and departments with the opportunity to change how they operate and has been a contributory factor to their ability to adapt. Legal teams have proven themselves to be resilient in this difficult period for the world.

A new work-life format has been created for most legal teams and has shown their effectiveness even out of the office as trusted advisors. Even when legal teams return to the office, legal departments should maintain the capability to perform remotely.

Good work-life balance should be encouraged now especially while solutions with many stressful changes in our ever-changing data and technology first, post-pandemic world.

What will be the main focus for the company in the next 12 months and how do you intend to assist with this?

SAP has made cloud its top business priority. Cloud compliance will be crucial to our long-term success, while facing significant challenges in this area like cybersecurity, regulatory compliance challenges, and the sustained importance of environmental and social issues.

With so much change happening, legal teams need to be brought into discussions on business strategy, stay up to date on the actions of competitors, and track evolving regulations.

What do you feel are the pros and cons of an in-house legal role compared to a private practice one?

Legal advisors need to have a good understanding of the business and company. It is difficult for external lawyers to develop the same understanding as their in-house counterparts who are uniquely placed to act as business partners, and be practical problem solvers, and less as siloed specialists.

On the other hand, external law firms have detailed and niche expertise that is difficult to have in-house. As in-house legal counsel in the right environment, you can have a very varied workload and range of tasks which evolve over time which expand your skill set. This can open doors to alternative career paths such as general management, commercial roles and keeps one excited by what tomorrow might bring in terms of challenge.