Team size: Six

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved the way your legal team works and did not come at a huge cost? 

Since I joined PAID in 2020, one of my top priorities has been to improve the digitisation of corporate documents, litigations, and legal endorsements of claim files. This objective has already been implemented with the existing internal resources, resulting in a significant improvement in corporate legal productivity and efficacy.

I am also part of the team currently implementing a document management system at PAID. We expect this solution to be implemented in 2024, and it will help to greatly reduce paper usage within the company.

Since 2021, I have been coordinating the legal team within the Mass Claims Project. The participants in this project are all insurers underwriting housing insurance in Romania. The project’s aim is to prepare the operational capacity of the insurance market in the event of an extended natural disaster, especially in the case of an earthquake affecting 200,000 homes.

What are some of the key developments that have affected your business over the last year?

The international environment has been significantly affected by major natural catastrophes, which have had adverse effects on the NAT CAT insurance and reinsurance market. Given these circumstances, particularly considering the size of PAID’s reinsurance program (1.1 billion euros), we have actively played a role in influencing changes to the law governing Romanian mandatory housing insurance. The new law includes a substantial expansion of the State’s involvement to extend insurance coverage to more homeowners as well as other significant changes aimed at further strengthening the housing insurance market.

The law was successfully adopted and will enter into force in November. I played a key role in drafting the changes to the law, working closely with the Romanian insurance regulator (ASF). This included participating in the debates of a parliamentary committee, drafting the application norms, and implementing the changes in internal policies and operations

How do you think the in-house legal role will evolve in the coming years?

The evolution of the in-house legal role is closely connected to recent technological advancements and the increasingly complex compliance and regulatory issues. As a result, general counsel needs to adapt not only their traditional roles but also the operations of their teams. They should seek new ways to deliver more value to the business and prepare for new challenges, such as implementing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. This also involves automating repetitive and less complex processes as much as possible and focusing on providing strategic advice based on the analysis of legal data.

Do you use any “legal technology” products and, if so, what areas of your work do you find it most useful for?

Legal technology products are essential tools, especially in regard to case law, jurisprudence, contract drafting, and contract lifecycle management. We use an online platform that provides us access to consolidated legislation and case law.