Team size: Three

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

Right now, the most significant advancement is the use of AI for due diligence and contract automation, which can massively save the time of an internal team. I also believe that legal service providers that are able to provide cost-effective solutions to in-house teams, such as Support Legal, have been able to advance due to technology supporting remote working, and clients accepting that people can work remotely, in different time zones and still provide what is needed.

Within our legal team, we are currently implementing significant technology to assist us in delivering high quality legal services to the business. We are creating a legal management system (LMS) to assist us with:

(i) document retention and filing (as well as renewal alerts for matters such as leases, and trade licences);

(ii) matter management to support management of instructions from within the business as well as management of our relationship with external counsel for matters receiving external support;

(iii) contract templates and automation;

(iv) invoicing and cost reporting for third party service providers including lawyers, translation agents, and IP agents;

(v) reporting for internal budget purposes, as well as for reporting to the board and shareholders in terms of external cost, but also in relation to where the most time is being taken by the internal team.

We are also implementing a legal bot, to take low level tasks off our desk such as frequent more administrative type requests, which will be managed through the FAQ replies. This is particularly important as we have a very small team globally. As important, is that we want to improve the experience for our internal clients in dealing with the legal department, making us more approachable and easier to use.

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

I am quite passionate about diversity, and empowering young women in the legal sector. I actively encourage the professional development of young women in law and have acted as a mentor on multiple occasions, including being involved in a women’s mentoring group in Abu Dhabi. My first paralegal undertook her CPE while working for Al Dahra, I then supported her during her LPC, and today was her first day in her training contract with Eversheds Sutherland – amazing! My current paralegal is currently undertaking her SQE, which I also actively encouraged and support.

I myself undertook the ICA International Diploma in GRC this year, to continue my professional development, to set an example, and to demonstrate that we all constantly need to evolve and develop as professionals, and as people.

I have had two team members, who are mums returning to work that we have supported with flexible working.