What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

We have recently been involved in multiple investments, contracts and M&A transactions. These agreements aimed to develop the infrastructure for new operations and adjust the existing facilities to new requirements; as the business grows, clients and markets are more demanding.

How have you harnessed technology to improve output or drive efficiency?

Technology is redefining the legal field. Online research databases have replaced law books, and digital contracts have replaced physical copies. Due to the pandemic, digitalisation has become one of the focuses of our daily work, as all the hearings are through digital platforms, and all documents sent to the public entities must be digitalised. Furthermore, all the documents are signed with electronic signatures, and in some legal exceptions, we use handwritten ones. This means a new way of keeping all company records, and we have performed these transitions successfully. Another aspect is that meetings are now mostly virtually, which can be a beneficial advantage. Still, in-person contact gives another perspective to the sessions, which is why I consider we should not completely leave out direct contact with colleagues and clients.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will an in-house lawyer need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

I consider that, due to current circumstances and how the legal world will continue developing in the following years, adaptability to change is one of the most important soft skills a lawyer and a legal team needs to obtain. We must be updated in all new ways of doing our job most efficiently, using all digital tools available. Accordingly, we need the technical competencies to understand and use all the collaborative digital tools at our disposal. Also, creativity to find the most suitable solutions to everyday challenges in our workplace and raise awareness on ESG topics are essential in the performance of our teams and our company.