As a general counsel, how do you anticipate and prepare for potential legal and regulatory challenges that may arise, particularly in light of emerging technologies and evolving business landscapes?

Staying up to date is key as a general counsel, whether it is through legal updates via email bulletins, webinars, in person training sessions with the Law Society or law firms. This has been integral in getting up to speed and ready for the impact of AI on the business. Translating and interpreting this for the business is then crucial.

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

Getting to know the business and most importantly, the people, is key. People need to be able to approach their legal team without hesitation and early. This can eliminate many problems before they needlessly escalate.

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

I am a current member of the Law Society of Ireland’s In-house and Public Sector Committee, and I was one of the first in-house counsel to be elected to the Law Society Council, representing in-house lawyers at a time when the in-house profession was expanding rapidly. It will only continue to expand, and I see the proportion of in-house lawyers to those in private practice rising over the next five to ten years as organisations continue to see the benefits of having in-house legal services, counsel and expertise.

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?

AI is the buzz word at the moment, and there are massive opportunities with it for making our work lives more productive and time allocation much better. It is exciting to see the many legal tools coming down the tracks and it, again, will enable in-house lawyers to do more internally, rather than having to utilise external lawyers for certain tasks.

Alternative legal solutions providers are also on the rise and have a massive part to play in enabling in-house legal teams to be more productive, save time and cut costs.

In general, what would you like to see change about the external law firms you use?

It is all about time. The faster the response the better, but that final opinion or piece of advice has to be spot on, so rushing external lawyers or giving them impossible deadlines is never the answer. Patience is required on both sides. It is important to remember an old proverb, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in airing an opinion”. Rushing external lawyers to deliver an opinion can lead to a lack of understanding around the issues or expectations and poor advice. Again, patience is crucial.

Have you used AI in your day-to-day work? If so, how useful do you find it?

I use it most days and find that it is a great assistant and has greatly freed up my time. I think caution is needed, though, as it could lead to wasted time where it is not used correctly or prudently. I have been following this space for a few years now, so it has not come as a shock. I see it as a massive opportunity for general counsel and humanity – that is, if used wisely.