Team size: 26

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Our legal department has recently been involved in several key themes and dossiers. We are supporting the launch of new businesses in areas adjacent to telecommunications. These new ventures cover both B2C (business to consumer) and B2B (business to business) markets, including smart buildings, smart cities, and use cases for 5G applications. Many of these new businesses operate within highly regulated sectors, which require rigorous legal oversight to ensure compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.

We are engaged in various infrastructure-related business operations, including sale and leaseback transactions, shared investments, and other strategic initiatives. These activities require thorough legal analysis to ensure compliance with current legislation and to protect the company’s interests.

Our legal team is actively involved in judicial processes related to administrative offenses and tax matters. These cases are of high financial value and complexity, demanding extensive legal knowledge and well-crafted strategies to defend the company’s interests.

Finally, we are implementing technology to streamline and enhance our legal processes. This includes the use of legal tech solutions to improve efficiency, accuracy, and compliance in our legal operations.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

To be successful as an in-house lawyer in our industry, several unique qualities are essential:

The ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and demands is crucial. Our industry is dynamic, with constant shifts in technology, regulations, and market conditions. An in-house lawyer must be able to pivot and respond to these changes effectively.

Successfully managing a wide range of topics and working with diverse groups of people is fundamental. This includes addressing various legal issues, collaborating with different departments, and understanding multiple perspectives to provide comprehensive legal advice.

Keeping up with both national and international academic forums and professional associations is vital. This ensures that an in-house lawyer remains at the forefront of legal developments, industry trends, and best practices, allowing them to bring the most current and relevant knowledge to their role.

Embracing and driving innovation is key, particularly through the use of technology. Our industry is in a state of constant evolution and transformation, and leveraging technological advancements can significantly enhance legal processes and outcomes.

Being agile allows an in-house lawyer to respond swiftly to emerging challenges and opportunities. Ambition drives continuous improvement and the pursuit of excellence, pushing the lawyer to go beyond standard solutions and seek out innovative approaches.

In summary, a successful in-house lawyer in our industry must be flexible, adept at handling diverse issues and people, well-informed through continuous learning, innovative with a strong focus on technology, and both agile and ambitious in their approach. These qualities enable them to navigate the complexities of our evolving industry and provide exceptional legal support.

How have you fostered a closer collaboration between the legal department and your business counterparts?

Fostering closer collaboration between the legal department and our business counterparts has been a priority for us, and we have implemented several strategies to achieve this, such as regular communication channels, proactive engagement, cross-functional teams, and shared goals and objectives. By implementing these strategies, we have become more effective at teamwork, and achieved better outcomes and greater success for the organisation.

Do you have a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I trust in the power of modernising and transforming legal work, enabling legal professionals to take on real tasks of legal creation, elevating and valuing their contribution beyond the bureaucratic and administrative fields.

I also believe that the knowledge of legal professionals should stretch the boundaries of the legal sphere and even go beyond mere legal compliance, expanding into the areas of technology and economics, which will allow them to get closer to the heart of organisational growth and development.

More globally, it seems to me that companies have a responsibility not only to deliver results, but also to serve as beacons of exemplary employment practices, fostering an environment where individuals can thrive both professionally and personally.

In short, by prioritising the holistic well-being and development of legal professionals, including through technology, we not only improve our organisation’s performance and productivity, creating a model of organisational excellence, but also demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility and ethical leadership.