Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

My job is to help deliver life-changing innovations for patients by supporting Pfizer employees and making sure what they do is within the parameters of the law. I strive to be a business partner who helps employees do their jobs in a compliant manner so that patients can be confident that Pfizer works with integrity, in addition to being scientifically and technically excellent. To achieve this, I have released self-help tools that assist Pfizer employees identify and mitigate areas of legal risk. We also provide employees with a tool to help them navigate the contract drafting and approval process, providing templates thus allowing legal to focus our efforts on high-risk, high-value contracts.

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

I am responsible for all legal matters, regardless of the area of law, concerning the local markets I support. This includes supporting transactions, litigation management, handling compliance issues, approving new projects, to name a few. In 2022, I won the Pfizer GC Award for my contribution to the creation of the global Center for Digital Innovation (CDI) in Thessaloniki, Greece.  

The CDI is an intricate part of Pfizer’s innovation strategy and speaks to bold moves and big ideas that will continue to digitise drug discovery and development and improve health outcomes and the patient experience. The CDI employs 400+ people engaged in 200+ global projects spanning AI, machine learning, data science, software development, quantum computing, and more.

I oversaw legal support for the project by providing training in high-risk areas, suggesting ways to eliminate legal review of rudimentary issues, and sharing self-help tools to make sure the work could move quickly.

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

Founded in 2009, the Pfizer Legal Alliance (PLA) is a collaborative partnership between Pfizer and selected law firms that aims to change the way legal services are delivered and valued. Based on a mutual commitment and desire to drive value for all members, PLA has emphasised proactive counsel, providing comprehensive solutions, rewards partnership, and collaboration.

The Alliance’s vision is to advance the value of legal advice for the benefit of all partners, their clients, and our profession, while aiming to reshape the value paradigm, advance solutions-based proactive advocacy and strengthen trust and collaboration. In countries where our alliance law firms do not have a presence, we cooperate with selected law firms that can provide us with quality legal services at a reasonable price. It goes without saying that understanding the client, our company, our way of work, our goals and above all our values are essential. It would be practically impossible to continue working with an external counsel that does not share these values.