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 has undoubtedly impacted the way teams are managed and how they work. The concept of leadership has changed due to long-distance interactions. It has been necessary to find an appropriate balance between relationship-building with co-workers through the adoption of different means, given the reduced number of opportunities for face-to-face meetings. Trust in co-workers had to grow, and the ability of team members to take on increased responsibilities.

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

The legal and compliance team is still deeply involved with the crisis management team due to activities linked to the pandemic and its effects in Italy and south-east Europe – examples of that can be found in the management of changes imposed by emergency regulations that affected both employees’ health and safety and labour relations. Additionally, we implemented a structured support system for national and international commercial contracts – particularly in E&I, introducing negotiation skills and promoting closer relationships with customers.

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

There are many pros to an in-house legal role compared to a private practice one –the opportunity to get to know the company in a more comprehensive capacity rather than focusing on specific needs or tasks; building relationships with colleagues from different teams, and with a different background is a great chance to learn from each other. Participating in the creation of company processes and developing a business-oriented way of thinking; working by developing awareness to risk assessment and management skills, finding the right balance between business risk management and sustainability are all concepts that have the scope to improve the overall customer experience.