Team size: 15

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

During the last 18 months we have been focused on several new and exciting projects; supporting and working with startups and emerging businesses in the environmental space; helping to kick start new tech; sustainable and affordable housing projects; and carbon reduction technologies. As such, we have built expertise in our corporate and investment processes and skills. This all feeds back into our group culture of trying to give back and ensure we contribute to the wider environmental challenges.

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?

Balancing commercial risk against the legal frameworks around the world for the group is built upon the trust between the teams. In most cases, it is a question of fully understanding the commercial impacts of the rules and regulations and how to navigate these in a compliant and flexible way.

At the international level, where conflicting standards may (often) apply, the challenge is to understand the baseline requirements for as many jurisdictions as possible and build out from there, with derivations to meet specific local standards. This often adds cost, so that clear understanding and approach is essential, which in turn allows for opportunities to build great products.

How do you see the general counsel role evolving in Ireland over the next five-ten years?

A general counsel’s role is constantly evolving. With new fast emerging technologies – some of which we are developing – the general counsel’s role is increasingly becoming one of being a futurist. Technology often outpaces the regulatory frameworks, and therefore, experienced lawyers and general counsel will be required to spend more time on developing strategies and processes to future proof their businesses and investments.

As businesses develop products, services and tools ahead of regulatory guidance, the general counsel’s role increasingly includes a strong sense of what the likely guardrails will be and how to navigate those expectations into product development.

Getting this right will support compliant growth. Getting it wrong could be costly. But of course, the general counsel’s role must also ensure how certain new (AI) technologies enhance the ability of legal and compliance teams to deliver on tasks. Importantly, the general counsel must ensure that the technologies respond accurately to the business needs and also help support junior lawyers to develop their skills and experiences effectively.