Team size: 14 

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?  

One of the lowest-cost forms of innovation implemented has been the more effective use of software already present and used within the company. Before looking outward to acquire more sophisticated and expensive legal tech solutions, our company-wide access to the Microsoft Office 365 platform has been deployed to implement specific legal innovations, including automation, data and matter management. 

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

A general counsel is no longer a senior transaction or disputes lawyer who can afford to be buried in every minutia of drafting a warranty in an SPA of a particular claim. Your intelligent and effective use of experts within your team and external counsel allows you to drive the strategy, negotiations and execution of these matters while having the necessary bandwidth to discharge your wide range of GC responsibilities. 

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?  

From a purely product point of view, tech addresses the age-old issue of teams having to do more with less. Technology that increases productivity and could be in various forms and stages of legal, regulatory, dispute and contract lifecycles would have the most significant impact on the role of in-house teams. However, equally important, given the plethora of new tech available and being introduced to the market, and considerations regarding the compatibility of various technologies from different providers: plug-and-play vs customised options, in-house development vs external tech providers, and more, effective management of the ecosystem of providers and technologies would be an area of increased focus and resources required by legal teams. In addition, the third generation of the evolution of web technologies, as a decentralised, blockchain-based, cryptocurrency-enabled, autonomous and artificially intelligent W3, is something lawyers need to consider and be equipped for the impact such would have on their industry and organisation. 

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?  

During the last four years, we have increased the percentage of female Saudi lawyers in our department from zero to more than 60%, most of whom are between 0 and 3 years’ PQE. The first two new female Saudi law students successfully graduated and underwent a 12-month professional development programme in the Ma’aden corporate legal department. They are now in legal counsel positions within the department; we also identified and promoted a Saudi female employee from the human resources department into the first paralegal position in Ma’aden and have ambitious plans for the future to further recruit, develop and promote young Saudi legal talent.