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

We played a role in supporting 23 entities over 11 Jurisdictions, with a combined revenue of up to €1bn. We were also involved in supporting three entities in Malaysia, whose activities include operating a global and regional shared service centre, operating three plants across the country including a major chemical plant and a joint venture with a major Korean conglomerate. Furthermore, our team played a role in the acquisition of a majority stake in a company listed on the Korean Exchange for an enterprise value of €728m.

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?

I believe AI will be leveraged to assist in routine legal tasks such, as the review of commonly used contracts and obtain general legal advice and comparative analyses for regional laws. The first law firm to successfully partner with an AI platform for the provision of such services, with certified AI work product, could change the landscape of today’s legal industry.

Furthermore, there is a gap to be filled where record management is concerned. This involves AI automation of document retention processes and automated classification of documents and correspondence, among others.

Automating the contract process – including customizing templates, tracking of obligations and deadlines, executing contracts. The team is already using a global contract management system which aligns the contracting processes globally and facilitates knowledge sharing across regions. Software that intelligently manages document mark-up histories and comments would also be extremely useful; tracking of comments and changes remains an unproductive and menial task.

Improved digital connectivity (such as collaboration on Microsoft Teams and the use of remote meeting software) has already transformed the way we work. We find this particularly useful for negotiations, though it is difficult to replace in-person interaction as a means of building relationships with regional internal clients.

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

We hope to see more firms with the ability to provide cross-jurisdictional advice. For example, a “one-stop” regional coordinator who can understand the nature of our regional business and provide solutions at the group level, as well as a centralised source of advice on cross-border issues and conflicts of laws (which currently involves consulting qualified lawyers in each of the regions and is therefore prohibitively expensive).

Also, tie-ups with consultants for regulatory compliance, such as HR, ESG, HSE or customs consultants who can provide operational guidance at more affordable rates.