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

As general counsel, I have a lot of competing demands on my time. It is important to set priorities and focus on the most important matters. This may involve delegating some tasks to other members of the legal team.  

It is important to be organised and efficient in order to manage my time effectively. This includes using a system for tracking your tasks and deadlines.  

It is important to communicate effectively with all stakeholders, including my internal clients, the other members of the legal team, and the business leaders. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that expectations are clear.  

As general counsel, I am not able to do everything myself. It is important to delegate tasks to other members of the legal team, as appropriate. This will free up my time so that I can focus on the most important matters.  

It is important to take breaks throughout the day to avoid burnout. This could mean taking a few minutes to step away from my desk, or taking a longer break to exercise or relax.  

Specifically for the M&A and dispute resolution it would be recommended to focus on early case assessment and settlement in dispute resolution matters. This can help to avoid the need for lengthy and expensive litigation. It is also important to be proactive in managing the legal risks involved in M&A matters. This includes conducting due diligence and negotiating favourable terms. You must also build relationships with other professionals involved in dispute resolution and M&A matters. This can help to facilitate communication and cooperation. Further, it is crucial to stay up to date on the latest legal developments in these areas. This will help you to provide the best possible advice to your clients.  

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

In the coming years, there will be an increased focus on risk management. General counsel will need to be increasingly proactive in managing legal risks, as the regulatory environment becomes more complex and challenging. This will involve using data analytics and other tools to identify and assess risks, and developing strategies to mitigate them.  

There will also be a greater emphasis on compliance. General counsel will need to ensure that their organisations are in compliance with a wide range of laws and regulations, including those related to data privacy, cybersecurity, and ESG. This will require them to work closely with other departments, such as IT and HR, to develop and implement effective compliance programs.  

General counsel are increasingly being seen as strategic partners to the business, rather than just legal advisors. This means that they will need to be able to think more broadly about the legal implications of business decisions, and to help the organisation achieve its strategic goals.  

Technology is transforming the legal industry, and general counsel will need to embrace it in order to remain competitive. This includes using technology to automate tasks, improve efficiency, and gain insights into legal risks.  

More diverse workforce. The legal profession is becoming more diverse, and general counsel will need to be able to build and lead teams that reflect this diversity. This will require them to be more inclusive and understanding of different cultures and perspectives.  

In addition to the trends mentioned above, some other developments that could impact the way general counsel work in the next five years include the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). AI and ML have the potential to automate many legal tasks, freeing up general counsel to focus on more strategic work. The increasing importance of data privacy and cybersecurity will also impact the work of the general counsel. In-house lawyers will need to be increasingly knowledgeable about these issues and how to protect their organisations from data breaches and other cyberattacks. General counsel will also need to help their organisations comply with ESG regulations and to develop sustainable business practices, as well as being able to understand and navigate the legal landscape in multiple jurisdictions.