Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

E-commerce has surely impacted the role of the in-house counsel. Intelligence and analytics have a lot to provide in coming years and there will be a race to the top towards simplifying legal tasks with artificial intelligence. Perhaps, web conferencing will have the greatest impact by allowing lawyers to negotiate, interact, mediate, and most importantly reach amicable settlements, no matter where they are in the world.

In what ways do you see the in-house legal role evolving in your region over the next few years?

I believe that the role of the modern in-house counsel will evolve towards value creation and extensive business experience. Companies and their projects are constantly exposed to damages, sanctions, and other legal perils that could potentially diminish or decimate future earnings. There is an intense relationship between law and business; in-house counsel should not be mere tools of businesspeople but actual businesspeople that look for how to bring value to a transaction in a business-oriented manner.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

Corporate legal teams need to increase their adaptability to change in general, be it their corporation’s industry, shifting markets or the evolution of the legal practice itself. The legal skills I am most fond of are negotiation and mediation. Negotiation and should be a key priority during the next decade, and always, so that adequate and balanced agreements and settlements are reached.