How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?

The pandemic pushed lawyers to enhance their communication and ICT skills. The downside of the pandemic was the increase in workload and the reduced separation between work and private life. But there was a lot of flexibility with deliverables, working times and more.

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

It was a tough year due to the pandemic and the significant reorganisation of Shell. Italy’s legal team has been committed to the provision of legal support to downstream, gas and power, renewable and upstream business, thereby increasing the level of support in the energy transition space and assisting the business in new transactions and opportunities. The energy sector is evolving rapidly, requiring significant efforts from the legal function to adapt to new business needs and to strategically advise the business.

What do you feel are the pros and cons of an in-house legal role compared to a private practice one?

The in-house legal role allows a full integration with business priority and strategy. In-house lawyers are a business partner fully integrated and embedded in the organisation with an ability to understand business priorities and provide prompt advice. The in-house role facilitates the merging of a lawyer’s competence with business manager skills. There is a risk to be less focused on legal developments outside company interest.