Team size: Four

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

Clever is a charge point operator and an electricity company. Hence, it operates in a highly competitive and rapidly developing business field subject to heavy public and political scrutiny as well as regulation.

In general, the legal team collaborates with all teams at Clever, and our work portfolio covers a wide range of tasks from day-to-day operations, legal assessments, and compliance to larger projects where we are involved at a more strategic and commercial level as well as legal.

To mention a few recent cases, the legal team has been involved in setting up and shaping important new partnerships and collaborations across industries where we – together with the commercial teams – have participated in strategic and commercial discussions, drafted and negotiated the paperwork and made various legal clarifications and assessments.

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

It is crucial to have an in-depth understanding of the business, the products, the market, and the strategy, among others, since there are no standards to rely on – contracts and business models are created from scratch.

At Clever, we continuously develop new products, business models, and partnerships to ensure that our products and charging solutions are on par with the market and always several steps ahead. Considering the massive development and expansion of the market, a lot of the legal framework are drafted from scratch and without any market standards to lean on. Hence, an open and creative mindset and an ability to quickly adapt to changes and new market circumstances, such as new legislation, market investigations, new products, or collaborations are need-to-have qualities to be successful.

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

At Clever, there is a close collaboration between the legal team and other teams. We always strive to break down barriers by being curious, transparent, informal, and honest in our ways of working. These are key ingredients for a successful collaboration where legal advice is tailored to the commercial reality of the company.

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

I am passionate about making a difference. As general counsel at Clever, I play a key role in shaping the legal team and building the legal framework supporting the roll-out of Clever’s charge point infrastructure. It motivates me to be part of a company that supports the journey we – as a society – are on to replace fossil fuelled cars with electric ones.

At the same time, it is enormously motivating to build and professionalise the legal function, considering that Clever is operating in a new business area that is rapidly expanding and developing.