Team size: Ten

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?

The implementation of a process for the execution of legal documents by digital signature was implemented in early 2020. It significantly reduced the time required to arrange for the execution of contracts, letters and various legal agreements. The switch to electronic execution of documents had a corresponding reduction in the use of paper, file storage costs, and time required to scan originals onto our file management system.

It also facilitated the efficient operation of the legal department during the Covid-19 pandemic and has continued to do so since the return to hybrid working. The net cost of the switch to digital signatures is minimal or has resulted in an overall reduction of costs to the business, as it removed the cost of sending original documents by regular or tracked post.

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?

As a climate solutions company, it is very important that our service providers align with our core values on environmental protection and sustainability. Our procurement procedure requires service providers to outline their ESG policies, which form part of their tender assessment.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most? Which have you found most useful in your legal team?

The implementation of cloud-based IT systems has allowed the rapid transition to remote and hybrid working. The use of online conferencing systems such as MS Teams has dramatically changed the way we organise meetings over the past four years. It has almost eliminated business travelling expenses and has contributed to our sustainability goals.