Team size: Three

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?

We created a webpage that serves as a one-stop-shop service portal to our colleagues. Whilst still a work in progress, the website contains information on issues that we regularly engage on. This has empowered our colleagues and has made their engagements with us deliberate and direct, which allows us to be more efficient in the way we work and saves time on when and what we need to be engaged on.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most? Which have you found most useful in your legal team?

Definitely artificial intelligence; things like ChatGPT are becoming customised and will soon be able to deliver advice on limited-risk matters. I truly believe that in time, this can be a tool that allows legal teams to progress matters faster as their clients and business partners can become more empowered. However, this also means that in-house lawyers should evolve and ensure that they are able to work with AI to futureproof themselves.

What are some of the main trends impacting your industry in South Africa?

Economic growth of the country and nationalisation of healthcare in South Africa. With continued economic pressures, residents are dealing with a lot of strain, including on healthcare expenses. This decreased ability to spend on health services have had hard-hitting consequences on the healthcare system at large.

Our industry and the country are eagerly awaiting the roadmap on the implementation of NHI and keen to understand whether NHI will be the solution to the provision of healthcare.

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

In-house lawyers should not take a siloed approach to their business and should see themselves as part of it – become another business partner who brings a different skillset. Ultimately, all colleagues have the same goal – but different approaches – and as in-house lawyers we should be bold in showing our commercial acumen.

To do this, in-house lawyers need to understand the business. By showing an appreciation for your organisation and industry, business partners start to appreciate that in-house lawyers are providing advice to help the organisation.