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

The last two years in my legal department have been characterised by several M&A projects alongside the internal international growth of our business with new circular economy projects in Canada and Scotland for packaging and waste management. On the one hand, our group of companies has become the target in a strategic acquisition by another company (Reconomy) and on the other hand we have been in the driver’s seat and could acquire some companies completing our services portfolio in the environmental compliance sector. Thus, my legal team and I found ourselves constantly captured in a pre- or post-merger process with all its preparation, integration, and adaption projects in the one or the other direction. What was new and for sure the most challenging part in the mentioned M&A processes, was the nearly 100% remote operation and cooperation of all involved teams due to the effects of the pandemic. Here you could see the advantages of working in a tech-enabling environment and gain the fruits of earlier investments in digitalisation and even automisation in the legal department’s daily services. However, in such a situation as the pandemic, it is not only about the professional performance of the legal department, but – especially in the given post-merger integration scenario – a lot of social intelligence and emotional leadership capabilities are particularly required.

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

As remote working was comprehensively implemented during the pandemic in our own company as well as in all our counterparts being a client or supplier or any kind of partner, the legal department was affected by all the generally challenging aspects of remote working, such as the onboarding of new colleagues, missing spontaneous exchanges in the office, not travelling to our offices and increased number of video calls. For the legal department being majorly seen as an internal service centre, especially the onboarding and introduction of new colleagues needed more guidance and discipline than in a normal office environment. Content-wise, I do not have the impression that the world of work for in-house counsel changed a lot in the pandemic – only every now and then performance related contract clauses got a specific pandemic adaption. However, with the new dynamics of the virtual meetings, I could realise that lawyers have been involved in projects on a much earlier stage than before in face-to-face meetings. It seems like the easy invite click or ad hoc invitation possibility of a video call could pull down certain barriers. I would consider this earlier contact point as a significant step forward in order to provide a more to the business result aimed legal service.

How much influence do you, as a general counsel, have on the diversity and inclusion policies of your organisation?

With respect to the content, I do only have marginal influence on such policies. Here the legal department works as a technical enabler only. However, in my function as a team leader and being seen as a role model in respecting rights, comply with equality rules and fairness, I obviously do my best to influence the company’s culture by simply setting factual standards in diversity and inclusion.