What has been the number one challenge that has impacted you over the past year?

In September 2022, the founder and artistic director of the Group suddenly passed away. Besides the shock and sorrow of this tragic loss, ensuring the Group’s survival and market leadership was a major challenge. We have done our best to preserve the artistic legacy of our artistic director across currently developing projects and all new initiatives.

We have also had to change the way we work, and our vision for the future. I have worked with the creative team, chief executive officer and new shareholders among others, to assist with various projects, proposing the most appropriate methods of execution and securing them from a legal and risk-based perspective.

Do you have an example of a time when you have come up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works that did not result in a large expense?

As one of the most important departments in corporations, in-house teams are uniquely positioned to take meaningful and proactive action on ESG. I have been working on the implementation of ESG considerations within our Group, through initiatives that have required little to no cost.

I have been involved in designing governance processes and going paperless through software applications and intranet tools. This has optimised contract approval and signature processes and streamlined process flows.

Furthermore, the team and governance structure were reorganised to be more flexible, increase deliverables and successfully integrate and effectively manage ESG considerations.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?     

The role of in-house lawyers or counsels has evolved over the last few years to become more strategic. General counsel are now involved in decision making at the highest levels of their organisations and are more strategic and advisory as opposed to being compliance focused.

Considering this, I believe the most important qualities to be successful as an in-house lawyer are:

A thorough understanding of the business and the industry it operates in. This empowers the lawyer to easily identify business opportunities through a legal perspective anticipate issues before they arise. Potential business risks will also be promptly identified and communicated to and allow the business to make an informed judgment or plan.

As the role requires regular interaction with people across the entire organisation, in-house lawyers must be clear and adaptable with their communication, with the ability to translate legal speak to plain words and provide clear, actionable advice.

The ability to build rapport, act with integrity and nurture strong working relationships are key qualities that ensure success in this role. This helps to build the trust that is critical to being an effective in-house lawyer and establishes recognition as a knowledgeable source of advice on legal matters.