Team size: Six

How do you see the general counsel role evolving in South Africa over the next five-ten years?

I see the role of the general counsel role rapidly evolving and growing over the next five-to-ten years as a result of the growing demands from business based on economic and trade pressure, industry bodies, changing regulatory landscapes, labour and workforce demands, as well as geopolitical conflicts. General counsel are and will be required to lead strategically and manage high performing teams that deliver quality output, enhance legal operations, manage lean budgets and practice and implement rigorous risk management controls continuously over the timeline. At the heart of this evolution is leadership. Upon completing my MBA dissertation in 2023 (Topic)- “The effectiveness of the Servant Leadership style in leading in-house legal counsel within two private companies in the automotive and technology sectors” at Regenesys Business School, and taking from my experience as a legal director and team leader at other multinational companies prior to joining BMW, it became even more apparent that success and synergies in managing, motivating and sustaining a successful legal department lies in the effectiveness of leadership strategies employed with one’s own legal team, and as a leader within business itself. In other words, the role of the general counsel has evolved beyond the realm of legal expertise and is required to be an agile influential leader (capable of managing and leading diverse teams), that is a commercially and technically astute advisor, capable of pivoting and balancing the many risks and challenges the company is faced with.

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

Apart from the advancement in the regulatory landscape both in South Africa and internationally, topics such as hybrid working policies, energy, semi-conductor and infrastructure crises have been some key developments that have affected my team over the past year. Interaction and lobbying with the public sector and various working groups to strengthen private-public sector partnership has been a further key development in navigating the various crises. Businesses looks to legal teams to understand and advise on various policies and regulations in these cases. Legal teams who are offered the chance to work in hybrid environments will require support, guidance and strong leadership to ensure that they continue to deliver at a high level, whilst remaining resilient, and are able to continue with their own growth and development plans that benefit from face-to-face interactions in the virtual work world. Technology and AI have a crucial role to play in connecting the business and the legal teams. The implementation of AI into a business can allow for low value repetitive tasks to be set aside to make way for time spent on supporting a company with their strategic objectives.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?  

Strong relationships with stakeholders and business partners are critical for general counsel and their teams to provide the required level of support and advice within the business. I have found that proactive, transparent and consistent communication, learnings and interactions help to build these strong relationships. Business partners and legal can work towards finding compliant solutions to problems or topics that arise. In building these relationships, general counsel and their teams should always maintain a high set of ethical standards and integrity in working with business partners which will lay a foundation in line with the company values and strengthen relationships. There is an inherent stigma and unconscious bias that may surround the purpose and value of legal teams, but this can be overcome through authentic collaboration, transparency and consistency.