Team size: Six

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

My team assists in most of the matters handled by the Danish branch of SEB DK, including corporate lending (bilateral and syndicated), estate financing, fund financing, supply chain financing, trade finance, cash management, corporate finance, custody, investment management and various regulatory topics.

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

The main qualities include having a business-oriented mindset, being curious about and understanding the business and the needs of stakeholders, being good at communicating with stakeholders and contribute not only concerning legal topics but also in respect of more commercial matters. To be successful you also must be solution-oriented and pragmatic while always being mindful of and managing risks. Furthermore, in a team like mine, which is relatively small, you need to have not only strong legal skills but also need to be flexible to be comfortable with covering a rather broad palette of topics.

How have you fostered a closer collaboration between the legal department and your business counterparts?

I hope so! I strive to foster and contribute to a close collaboration. As a manager I am keen on knowing my stakeholders and having a close dialogue with them. I ensure to regularly check in with stakeholders to ask for feedback and discuss challenges that arise. I also encourage and participate in more social and cross-team activities like common cross fit sessions and running, which I think is great for fostering collaboration between teams.

Do you have a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I’m not sure whether it qualifies as a cause, but I spend some of my spare time on being an external examiner (censor) at the law schools at the universities, primarily in Copenhagen, which I enjoy a lot. It helps to keep me up to date on relevant legal topics relevant for my job, and I meet many interesting people. Other than that, there are many things I enjoy doing when I’m not working, like running with a local running community, outdoor fitness, winter bathing, walking with – and trying to train – the family dog and of course spending time with my family and friends.