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

Our team is shared between Volkswagen Group Ireland (VGIE) and Volkswagen Financial Services Ireland (VWFSIL).

At VGIE, the team assists the business in: selling motor vehicles in Ireland and growing the sale of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV); marketing our vehicles; assist our brands in other partnerships, for example the Skoda Celtic series; and compliance, litigation, advisory and contractual support for the sale and distribution of vehicles in Ireland.

At VWFIL, the team plays a role in financing vehicle sales in Ireland through selling to retail and business customers; contractual support; and litigation management. In August 2022, we were deemed an RCF, which brings with it a host of new financial regulation for us to implement and advise on in the business and with our dealers. Among other things, we prepared our management for the Individual Accountability Framework (IAF) introduced in March 2023.

In your role, how do you balance the need to protect the organisation’s interests today while also considering legal implications and opportunities that may arise in the future?

We approach these competing interests by staying abreast of changes in international trade laws, environmental regulations, and automotive safety standards. By understanding these areas deeply, I can proactively advise on how to comply with current laws while preparing for upcoming legislative changes.

Regular attendance at relevant seminars and workshops is essential to staying close to the pulse of law and automotive. I also provide training to various departments within the organisation, encourage those departments to train me, and attend numerous brand experiences.

Clear and timely communication with various stakeholders is key. I ensure that legal insights and potential concerns are communicated effectively to decision-makers within the organisation. This includes regular reports and presentations at executive meetings, where I highlight current legal issues and potential future challenges.

I strive to uphold and promote the highest ethical standards within the organisation. This involves ensuring that all business practices are not only legal but also align with our corporate values and societal expectations.

How have you attempted to bring the legal department closer to your business colleagues?

The implementation of a state-of-the-art Contract Management System (CMS) exemplifies our approach, significantly enhancing our ability to manage contracts efficiently (using AI), ensuring compliance, and reducing legal and operational risk. The CMS, alongside our adept use of SharePoint for real-time collaboration with the business, ensures that our advice is not only strategic but also timely and effective, addressing the needs of our internal clients swiftly and proficiently. For expediency in negotiations, audit purposes and a neat way of tracking all relevant KPI’s relating to our suppliers and third-party relations, the CMS enables the storing of all documents centrally and follows a standard procurement process. The CMS has streamlined contract creation and management with its AI capable document review solution and integrated DocuSign features.

Staying abreast of legal and regulatory changes is paramount in our rapidly evolving industry. As an importer of motor and electric vehicles into Ireland as well as a retail credit firm regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, horizon scanning is part of our legal risk reduction DNA. One example of a proactive approach taken to benefit both entities was the establishment of an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Hub, which serves as a centralised repository of ESG legislation where ESG reporting is concerned, as well as the relevant domestic legislation relating to a sustainable work force. In this way, all our obligations are catalogued in the one place, allowing us to see compliance at a glance. It is further a unique way to assure full adherence to our obligations under Irish employment law, for the benefit of all our employees.

A further stand out project is the Litigation Hub, where customer care teams from both entities report to the senior legal counsel through a central litigation hub (also linked to the external legal adviser). This coordination has substantially reduced time lag, cost, and other inefficiencies. Through designing a joint coordinated approach, customer satisfaction in complaints management has ultimately increased and litigation claims are at an all-time low in both entities. Further, the status and cost of the matter is outlined, allowing for cost control and KPI’s to be measured year on year, both internally and externally with our panel law firms.