Team size:17

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

It is complex to state the degree to which the pandemic has changed the role of in-house counsel compared to other professions. When thinking about my company, I can see that we are struggling with too many virtual meetings, physical issues that have developed from sitting still in front of the pc too much, and a challenging work-life balance. Working remotely for such a long time impacts the overall motivation and sensemaking. Any superior needs to show outstanding leadership in times like this – legal sharpness is necessary but being a genuine people leader requires skills which, in my experience, do not come naturally to many legal professionals.

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

BEC produces and delivers IT solutions to SAAS companies in the financial sector. We are a customer-owned business that employs 1500 employees in Denmark and Poland. We have gone through significant growth in the past few years. Our objective is to consolidate and ensure that we are in control of our business activities; therefore, in 2022, our focus will be not on developing new services but on optimising our current ones We want them to be reliable, resilient, secure, and compliant. There has been a significant increase in the legal requirements concerning our business, especially outsourcing and security related matters. BEC’s legal and compliance team has a crucial role in enabling our customers to comply with requirements.

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

There are several advantages to having an in-house legal team from a business perspective rather than relying on external assistance. I have been a legal director in BEC for many years, but before then, I was an external lawyer in a law firm and assisted BEC in that role. My role back then was that of a ‘fireman’ — extinguishing fires, whereas as an in-house legal director, my primary task is to ensure that we are on top of things and thus, not needing firefighters. Furthermore, being in-house provides me with an understanding of the business, which one cannot achieve as external and allows me to participate in the decision making instead of advising from a legal ivory tower.