Team size: 10 

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

Whilst legal team performance improvement can dramatically changes through one key innovation or technology, it is often difficult to find a silver bullet innovation idea or concept. Rather, it is the incremental and marginal gains that result in transformational change. Simple ideas that are implemented effectively such as contract playbooks, a legal front door or an NDA know how guide are the things that impact the team’s day to day operations and result in improved efficiency in the internal stakeholder-legal department relationship.

How do you balance your responsibilities as a general counsel with your involvement in dispute resolution and M&A matters? 

Having a strong legal team is fundamental to ensuring a legal team leader can manage their day-to-day responsibilities and simultaneously be involved in critical organisational matters. 

When critical matters arise, a strong team allows the general counsel to delegate effectively and with confidence, whilst allowing them to turn their attention to the matter at hand. 

Can you foresee any key developments to the way general counsel work over the next five years? 

The role of a general counsel is constantly evolving and their position within organisations means they are moving from being a company’s legal advisor to that of a fully strategic business partner. 

This means general counsel must work on building their own skills, and that of their teams, to ensure they are able to effectively handle the questions they are being asked and positions within the organisation they are assuming. 

Financial awareness, strategy management, new technology proficiency and an understanding of emerging legal issues in areas such as cybersecurity, AI, and the cloud, for example, will continue to influence and shape a general counsel’s work. 

What emerging technologies do you see as having the most significant impact on the legal profession in the near future, and how do you stay updated on these developments? 

Artificial intelligence is changing the way in-house lawyers operate and the legal profession. Lawyers and legal teams will benefit from greater automation, standardisation, accuracy, and consistency in the way legal advice is prepared and delivered. 

We work with a mix of traditional law firms, legal consultants and alternative service providers who all have a unique and innovative approach to legal technology. Open and regular dialogue, as well as a willingness to be an early adopter or pilot user of new technologies, ensures we stay up to date and at the forefront of those technological advances.