Team size: Two

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

I have recently been responsible for coordinating the merger of two of our companies – Astellas Pharma has absorbed Yamanouchi Spain. Other relevant transactions include negotiating a co-promotion agreement with one of our partners for one of our medicinal products for the treatment of prostate cancer for the benefit of patients suffering from this disease. In 2021, we moved our offices, and although we received legal advice from external counsel and real estate agencies, the lack of a checklist for pharma companies led us to draft an internal SOP gathering information from all departments to ensure that the change of domicile complied not only with the requirements of corporate law but also with regulatory and local taxes.

Even in the best-case scenario, Covid is likely to have far-reaching ramifications. How are you safeguarding the long-term health of the business?

The pandemic led us to reflect on new goals and achievements, setting up new plans and directions. Covid-19 has limited face-to-face interactions, increasing cross-functional communications worldwide and virtual sessions. It has had a positive outcome for the company, creating an excellent opportunity for in-house legal teams to come closer, sharing ideas and experiences, thus providing a better service to our clients and agile and innovative solutions for the business. Astellas is an innovative pharmaceutical company focused on creating value for patients – and they will be the first who will benefit from the new approach. At this stage, we should enhance cross-functional awareness and deepen our understanding of potential legal issues in our core business, working towards creating new strategies in the changing environment that can benefit our patients.

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

Given the increased reliance on technology through remote working, general counsel should pay attention to potential risks. The most common technological advancement has been cross-team collaboration by simplifying and taking back control of their contracting process through a platform that creates smart contracts or documents that are impossible to forge. These tools can protect trade secrets by clicking a button. In most companies, the legal director acts as secretary of the board – drafting the notice of meetings, voting procedures and minutes or certifications, is time-consuming. There are already technological advancements to automate the process and simplify the tasks for the secretary during board meetings, allowing the adoption of entirely valid resolutions.