Team size: 28

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience? 

There are three aspects to this generally. Firstly, logistics and business continuity. In the case of Covid, for example, it was necessary to closely consider with the entire management team how to arrange the building and work activities in a safe and effective way. This involves various legal issues such as data protection, labour laws, health and safety, and governance.  Secondly, it is necessary to consider the commercial implications of any crisis and the impact on the business, which involves working closely with the relevant units to minimise and mitigate disruption. For example, this may include renegotiating with suppliers and customers. 

Finally, it is necessary to focus on leadership and management of the legal team itself through the crisis, ensuring they receive the support and guidance they need at the personal level, in line with overall corporate policies and strategies.

What emerging technologies do you see as having the most significant impact on the legal profession in the near future, and how do you stay updated on these developments? 

AI has the potential to radically transform the legal profession. It will change the way we work, automating many routine and research tasks. Additionally, it will create many legal issues that are entirely new and unprecedented, particularly in the media and information sector. My team and I regularly attend conferences on these new innovations, monitoring new technologies with our engineering colleagues, and generally keeping abreast of all market developments. We are constantly considering how we might incorporate these new opportunities into our day-to-day work and what kind of legal framework might be most appropriate for our sector to harness its potential and safeguard our interests.

How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?

We are an international organisation with a team of lawyers from multiple jurisdictions and legal cultures. My recruitment strategy also pays close attention to diversity and inclusion more broadly, which begins with a check on gender-neutral language for any job advert and continues throughout the process with the aim of building a balanced and diverse team. We work together in a flat structure.