Team size: 78 

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?  

I have made it a part of the Legal Department’s vision and mission to innovate in ways that bring about efficiencies and optimise value for our stakeholders without compromising on legal risk management.  This includes standardising documentation across various businesses and functions, developing legal risk management policies and frameworks, simplifying processes through the implementation of standard operating procedures, and providing training to internal customers.  Moreover, I have also spearheaded award-winning projects that leverage technology to enhance customer experience.  One such project involved the development of a smartphone application where complex cross-border advice is delivered to FAB employees in respect of a number of key jurisdictions.  This smartphone application delivers instant advice that is regularly updated so that the bank can rely on it and it is also embedded in the bank’s risk management framework.  Another example is the development of a Legal Chatbot, which can answer frequently asked questions thereby freeing up the bank’s lawyers to perform more value-added tasks.    

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

For disputes and M&A activities, I not only rely on members of my legal team who have relevant experience, but I have also put in place an escalation framework where they bring material developments, issues and questions to me so that I can get involved if necessary and provide strategic direction.   

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

To stay relevant, GCs will need to leverage innovation to upgrade how legal services are provided.  In doing so, however, GC’s must remain mindful of the risks that such innovation brings and put controls in place to manage such risks.  Artificial intelligence is a very exciting example of this – it can help GCs keep abreast of draft laws and regulations, for example – but it can also contain biases and misinformation.  

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?   

The recruitment and selection process that I have implemented is based solely on merit.  Furthermore, I have created a performance framework that is objective, and I ensure that it is applied without any bias.  The result of the forgoing is the creation of a gender-balanced, ethnically and racially diverse team, with members coming from a wide range of countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Egypt, India, Jordan, Lithuania, Malta, Morocco, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, the UAE, the UK, the US, and Zimbabwe.  The cultural diversity of the team is frequently celebrated, with our Legal Department Social Committee providing various cultural opportunities, such as conducting Arabic classes over the lunch hour.