Team size: 32

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

The exponential rise of e-commerce in the Middle East, especially during the pandemic and the post-pandemic era, requires companies to have robust data privacy compliance frameworks as well as risk identification and mitigation plans across businesses and functions. The legal teams need to understand the data privacy legislations in their countries of operation, carry out detailed vulnerability assessments within the organisations, and work collaboratively with other functions. It also presents an opportunity for advocacy with the governments, to ensure the law makers balance the interest of the data subjects and the concerns of the data controllers and processors, while drafting and implementing the legislations.

The focus on corporate governance is also significantly noticeable in the Middle East. Formidable corporate governance processes are required to be established, and automation is the need of the hour. Automation of contracts, compliance and board affairs will bring in more clarity on risk management and governance processes. Outcoming data of such automation processes will ensure companies can take corrective actions sooner, rather than later.

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

I come from a school of thought that growth should be not only profitable, competitive, and consistent but, most importantly – responsible. This requires organisations to have corporate governance functions which help mitigate financial, legal, and ethical risks. Automation is not just about streamlining the processes; the data that gets churned out can help organisations eliminate problems entirely.

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

a) Understanding of your business and the competitive landscape.

b) A top quartile legal team operates as a business partner and not as a siloed law firm within the business. We empathise with the business, and we speak their language, while ensuring that the business operates within the four corners of law and its self-regulating code of conduct.

c) Continuously learn and adapt to the changes in legislation – be on top of the changes happening around us, be it in the areas of ESG, data privacy, e-commerce or metaverse, to name a few.

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

Understand the business and the end objective that the company desires on any issue. The legal solutions, be it in the space of corporate advice or litigation, should be tailored around that end objective. Very often, the original issue gets left behind on the back burner and the litigations get mired in procedures, which do not aid the end objective.