Team size: Six

Have there been any political, economic, or regulatory changes that have impacted the company and your team the most?

During the last few years, the development that really affected both the group of companies that I’m working for, and of course, the legal team, is the Covid-19 pandemic. Notably, the pandemic affected how the company operates due to workplace safety but allowed for the legal team to be innovative in developing ideas and advisers about how this should be implemented. They monitored the health authorities, worldwide and locally, to determine the guidelines for company operations. Especially in Greece, there have been several state directives. Another issue, still connected to the pandemic, are the EU recovery plans throughout the European Union. The legal team worked through negotiating and acquiring facilities, which were under favorable terms due to our working capital being affected. The pandemic also caused a digital revolution in legal practice; we’re holding meetings virtually and have witnessed a tremendous shift from brick-and-mortar stores to ecommerce, e-payments and generally the scope of our legal work.

A final, recent development in our company is the urgent transition towards climate neutrality and environmental sustainability. Both authorities and consumers are interested now in what companies are doing; a company’s actions regarding ESG influences consumer purchases and much more.

In what ways do you see the in-house role evolving in Greece over the next few years?

What I see in-house is that legal teams will need to become more of a strategic business partner that supports the organisation. This doesn’t encompass only explaining legal provisions and preparing documentation. Strategic partnership means that lawyers and legal teams need to assist in navigating complex challenges, create and implement solutions that go beyond just providing legal advice and take into consideration many perspectives, both financial and commercial, and not only the legal perspective. I can also see that the legal teams need to turn into decision drivers rather than just mere legal consultants.

In-house teams are evolving, and we find ourselves moving at an expedited pace of streamlining processes with technology. We need to use all the available software and technology to process much more information and respond timely.

What are your company’s goals towards sustainability and climate change? And has it affected your teams priorities in any way?

This is priority number one now. Not only because the government is proceeding with the new legislation that are changing the framework under which business operates, but also because businesses must go beyond the regulation and consider their role in environmental and sustainability issues. Last year, we reviewed our ESG policies to adjust and enhance our strategies within our investing companies.