What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that you have been involved in over the past year?

I managed to successfully complete some key divestments in a challenging operating environment. The transaction involved navigating both legal and non-legal issues, including the overall political challenges associated with it. 

What innovations have you made to the way your legal team works in the past year?

We started the digitisation of our backend legal contracting and record-keeping with the aim of enhancing efficiency in the delivery of legal services while also meeting the requirements of users both within and outside the department. This involved analysing existing practices, simplifying processes, and removing unnecessary steps in a digital environment. It required many hours of painstaking collaboration with all end users of legal services, from IT and Finance to Procurement.

Based on your experience, what is the key to collaborating successfully with business partners?

You need to understand what the end objective of the business partner is and work to achieve that objective as best you can.

Which political, economic or regulatory changes have impacted your work the most in the past year?

There is increasing emphasis by regulators on the need for enhanced reporting and compliance for publicly listed companies. This has led to a greater focus on activities in areas such as privacy and data security, ESG, and anti-bribery and anti-corruption. 

Are the effects of AI on the legal world overplayed, or underplayed?

It is somewhat overplayed at the moment. There is no doubt that great strides are being made by AI in its ability to handle legal matters, but it is still a long way from being a trusted tool.