Team size: 18

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

New software, platforms, and communication systems are transforming the law profession. The increasing workload trend pushed the legal departments to improve their processes, legal technology implementation, analytics and other digitalisation strategies to support the increased workloads. Therefore, the legal landscape is changing, with in-house teams and private practice firms seeking to transform ways of working through technology and well-designed processes. Machines may attain excessive intelligence and exceed human performance in many specific tasks by combining data on a particular legal issue and advice based on that collected information, considering that machines are better at finding relevant information.

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

I was appointed as general counsel and head of legal of Expo Dubai 2020 from 2013 until now, and I was granted the opportunity to handle all legal matters for the transition phase and the new entity that will be replacing Expo Dubai 2020. I can attest that recognition and reputation have been my goals for the past years.

Today, after more than nine years of legal consultancy at Expo Dubai, I have earned wide recognition for my commitment to the representation and support of Expo Dubai while being dedicated to finding groundbreaking solutions to complex challenges. And because of the ongoing and never-ending success of Expo Dubai, my commitment and dedication are now more than ever at their highest level connected to this project and its continuity.

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

In-house successful lawyers in my industry shall share common values of integrity, enthusiasm, persistence and commitment to sustainability. Furthermore, an essential requirement is to work collaboratively with the team by setting clear objectives, developing action plans and organising regular meetings to evaluate the in-house lawyer’s progress. As a further matter, my guideline for added-value services is the constant presence of the general counsel on the company’s board so that they will be aware of the business transactions, adding value not only from a legal perspective but also from a financial and commercial perspective due to their experience in the industry.

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

Law firms shall deeply understand the core of the company’s business, be aware of its major legal challenges to assist the legal department better, stay well connected to them and understand their concerns and legal point of view. Additionally, law firms should be open to developing their technology to communicate better with the legal department, save time, be more efficient and improve the quality of their work.

Finally, in my industry, we follow a timeless philosophy of always asking ourselves, “how could we do this better” to deliver more excellent value in the future. I believe that this philosophy is the key for each law firm to improve its services to the legal department.