Focus on the role of the in-house lawyer

In-house counsel must be strategic business partners. Faced with a scenario of constant regulatory and economic changes, it is not enough to mitigate risks, but we must be protagonists in promoting the business’ growth. Current times require that legal departments understand their organisations, bringing added value: from the contractual architecture by customer segments and types of risks inherent in each activity to downloading information and strategies in the simplest language possible.

Being an excellent in-house lawyer requires being a good team player.

I encourage my teams to fully understand the lines of business to detect business opportunities quickly. The best legal advice always comes from knowing what we are analysing.

An excellent general counsel must be a good leader who motivates their teams to go the extra mile and take risks. It is the best way to understand our role and how we can contribute more from our position.

As in-house lawyers, we must motivate our teams to give their best version, which comes from a vocation for service. Our clients are usually not only external but also internal. We contribute most directly since we facilitate a safe sale by having mitigated risks and ensuring a good delivery.

The in-house lawyers must also be technically up-to-date with the regulatory changes to advise the board of directors in making relevant decisions. This ranges from reskilling to upskilling and, more than ever, requires keeping up with political and potential regulatory changes.