Team size: 150

What are the most significant cases or transactions you and your team have been involved in?

When it comes to transactions, large deals at Oracle always have an advanced level of complexity, as they are made with knowledgeable and sophisticated customers, relate to the implementation of the most advanced computing technologies and services, and often have a global or multi-jurisdictional scope in a highly competitive environment. I have recently worked on large transactions involving Oracle’s newest 5G telco network technologies with Europe’s biggest telco operators, on countless transactions involving the new Oracle Java subscription offerings with various global enterprises, and important framework deals with government entities including the European Union agencies and institutions. However, transactional work is only one aspect of our contribution to the company. We also contribute daily with respect to operations, compliance, IP protection, the implementation of ethical business principles and guidance around diversity and inclusion, amongst others.

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

My role is EMEA-wide. What I see in our company is a continued trend towards less individualism and more cooperation and teamwork, both with other members of the legal team and with multi-disciplinary experts, as the business gets increasingly complex. Experienced generalist lawyers are deployed where they can add most value such as handling complex legal issues, cross-border and multi-party IT-transactions, high-value negotiations, and strategic guidance to the business leaders, whereas junior lawyers and paralegals are dealing with higher volume or lesser complex aspects of the business.

At the same time, these teams are supported by specialists in privacy, security, competition law, business ethics and employment law. For generalists, understanding of the business environment and business goals, willingness to cooperate toward those business goals with our unique expertise and position, as well as continuous learning and education will be crucial to remain relevant.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

Being in the technology business, one thing I have learnt is that the technology that finally becomes dominant and omnipresent, is usually unexpected. However, it is certain that the combination of big data (the collection of enormous amounts of data), together with advanced analytics software and yet to be developed applications with artificial intelligence capabilities, will change the profession soon. It is however impossible to predict how fast and in which direction this will go. I do strongly believe however that there will always be the need for people with legal training and skills, including the capacity to analyse real life situations with a legal mindset. As lawyers, we must be open to this evolution and see how we can use it to our benefit.