Team size: 10

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

IT and tech are changing the world around us every day. From banking all the way through to how to pay for our basic living necessities, our lives have changed and the way we do things has changed. The legal industry is not immune to this change, and I have seen significant strides in the way the legal function operates within organisations. We personally are on our own tech journey at BAPCO where we will introduce an intelligent contract management and workflow system to interface with the various business partners. This will allow us to have standardised templates, document repositories, integrated intragroup workflow and an approval hierarchy within our governance framework. As they say change is the only constant, in-house legal teams will need to change and adapt to this new way of working and embed technology within their functions as standard practice to remain efficient and work in an integrated manner with the business partners.

What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?

As a woman in a senior position, diversity, inclusion and gender equality are subjects very close to my heart. This is not only in terms of pay gaps, but also in career advancement and trying to break through the glass ceiling. I have been fortunate in my career thus far, and in my current organisation there is a commitment to transform the organisation at every level with the Board and senior executives determined to foster a meritocratic culture with an emphasis on the output being delivered. However, as an active board member of many organisations, I engage with other in-house legal teams and hear many stories where this is not the case. Although exceptional women tend to be preferred candidates for many roles, they do not get offered the same positions, level of visibility and inclusion, and remuneration that would be typically offered to male candidates.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

As an in-house lawyer, one of the first things we need to do is forget the idea that we only work on legal matters! Organisations are increasingly turning to their legal team to act as trusted business advisers and work with the business teams on numerous fronts. The in-house lawyer of today needs to be able to wear multiple hats to support the organisation, recognise all key stakeholders and work with them in an effective manner whilst retaining the hard-fought base position of trusted legal advisors.

What can law firms do to improve their service to the legal department?

I have been on both sides of the fence, having been a senior lawyer with Clifford Chance and then going on to work in-house. Law firms need to understand the needs and pressure points of in-house teams. We are not all the same and all are at different levels of institutional maturity. My number one criteria for an external law firm is their ability to act as a trusted advisor to the in-house legal team with a sharp focus on our concerns. My suggestions would be to have the right people and expertise on the teams, deliver when they say they will and be available for the client in times of need. If they did this, I am sure law firms would make their clients very happy.