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

From a purely product point of view, tech addresses the age-old issue of teams having to do more with less. Technology which increases productivity, and which could be in various forms and various stages of legal, regulatory, dispute and contract lifecycles, would have the most significant impact on the role of in-house teams. However, equally important, given the plethora of new tech available and being introduced to the market, and considerations regarding the compatibility of various technologies from different providers: plug-and-play vs customised options, in-house development vs external tech providers and more, effective management of the ecosystem of providers and technologies would be an area of increased focus and resources required by legal teams. In addition, the third generation of the evolution of web technologies, as a decentralised, blockchain-based, cryptocurrency-enabled, autonomous and artificially intelligent W3 is something which lawyers would need to consider and be equipped for the impact such would have on their industry and organisation.

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

Mentoring and addressing diversity in the mining sector. The mentoring of junior lawyers is one of the most fulfilling aspects of a senior in-house lawyer’s career. Traditionally women have been underrepresented in the mining sector. Given the current social developments in Saudi Arabia, at Ma’aden we are in the fortunate position of addressing both issues simultaneously. During the last four years we have increased the percentage of female Saudi lawyers in our department from zero to more than 60%, the majority of whom are between 0 and 3 years’ PQE. The first two new female Saudi law students successfully graduated and went through a 12-month professional development programme in the Ma’aden corporate legal department. They are now in legal counsel positions within the department, we also identified and promoted a Saudi female employee from the human resources department into the first paralegal position in Ma’aden, and have ambitious plans for the future to further recruit, develop and promote young Saudi legal talent.

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

As is the case with in-house roles in other industries, the ability to gain a solid understanding of the business, how it operates, and how revenue is generated is critical in order to provide pragmatic and fit-for-purpose solutions. In the mining industry, with 24/7 operations giving rise to a diverse range of legal, regulatory and business issues, a particular level of dedication, flexibility and ability to deal with chaos is required. Whereas mining companies have traditionally been seen as only antagonists in the ESG space, they are more frequently being recognised as potential sources of the solution, and mining companies like Ma’aden recognize the opportunity to contribute to green energy transition and produce the required raw materials with a lower carbon footprint. A lawyer with more than a mere passing interest in ESG, and a desire to contribute thereto in a meaningful way, would be a sought-after quality for an in-house lawyer in the mining sector.