Team size: Six 

Major legal advisers: HFW, Clifford Chance, BDM, DLA Piper, Ince 

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 implemented innovative compliance procedures for due diligence processes in our shipping business, by combining internal and externally sourced procedures and tools. We use an innovative combination of tools (from our external providers ControlRisks, MCAAS and Descartes) with whom we have negotiated favourable packages. These are based on our usage for different aspects of the screening processes for customers, shippers, consignees, and partners. We therefore can use internal tools and methods, balanced with external screenings where required. The expenses are limited as we only use the screening where necessary and we proactively filter and manage this in the legal department. 

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

On dispute resolution, I allocate the disputes and arbitrations to one of my legal team who will have full responsibility for the case management along with our P&I Club (insurers) and external lawyers handling the case. I maintain oversight of each case with monthly reporting to our CFO, which allows me to focus on the big picture and strategy as a general counsel, while allowing my team responsibility for the day-to-day case handling. 

On larger M&A matters, I co-operate with our head office group M&A team at DP World, who bring expert guidance and assistance, along with selected external lawyers. This will allow me to focus on the relevant operational and specialist parts (for example, shipping and logistics industry aspects) and strategic parts of an M&A matter, which fulfils my role as a specialist general counsel. 

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

Yes, I foresee the general counsel becoming even more of an all-round adviser and business partner with responsibility for the whole range of corporate affairs (including insurance, claims, compliance, company secretarial, data privacy, contract management, export control, investments, and M&A). This seems to be already happening in some of the larger corporations and shipping companies, such as Maersk. This will mean having more of a broad approach to tasks and reliance on specialist and skilled internal and external teams.  

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? 

I believe that AI (artificial intelligence) will have the most significant impact, as the technology industry advances its tools for AI assisted work – including areas such as compliance tasks, drafting of contracts, case management and legal research and advice. Our business in shipping is already using AI tools such as Chat GPT for data privacy, charter-party negotiation, and handling and HSSE advice. This will doubtless find its way into the legal profession and impact our ways of working. I stay up to date on these developments by close collaboration with the technology and IT team at our company and our IT legal advisers.