Running the legal department for one of the most recognisable luxury fashion brands in the world is not all glitz and glam. Harveen learns about how the industry\u2019s leading in-house lawyers overcome challenges arising from advertising, copyright and counterfeit.<\/p>\n
To celebrate the launch of\u00a0GC<\/em>\u00a0magazine\u2019s special report In-House Technology in Europe, produced in conjunction with World Services Group,\u00a0GC<\/em>\u00a0assembled a selection of elite general counsel from across Italy to discuss the results and debate the impact it stands to have on legal departments across Europe.<\/p>\n Chairing the debate was\u00a0GC<\/em>\u00a0magazine editor-in-chief Alex Speirs, together with Francesco Gianni, founding partner of Gianni, Origoni, Grippo, Cappelli & Partners.<\/p>\n Across Europe, and for that matter the world, in-house legal departments are catching the wave of technology \u2013 both specialist legal tech and otherwise \u2013 and using it to modernise their function within the businesses they work for.<\/p>\n At the top of the list for in-house counsel in Italy was efficiency, with all of those in attendance who utilised technology solutions saying that was their number one consideration made during procurement phases \u2013 one which resonated both with in-house and the wider business. In the face of shrinking budgets and growing workloads, that efficiency would be of primary importance won\u2019t come as a surprise to many.<\/p>\n A number of those in attendance were also using technology to manage their partner law firms down to granular detail, keeping tabs and metrics on everything from billable hours to case assignments.<\/p>\n \u2018These new processes will certainly influence change within in-house departments and law firms alike. Focusing on where time is best spent and developing a strong base objective is only the tip of the iceberg as these developments continue,\u2019 said Gianni.<\/p>\n \u2018The key for decision makers will be to strategically choose and implement systems and processes that unlock the true potential of their teams. It will require a change of mindset.\u2019<\/p>\n All of those in attendance agreed that technology was a potential game changer for the legal industry, but most said that the time was still a few years away.<\/p>\n \u2018I think the real moment will be when we get genuine artificial intelligence working to help us with everything from researching cases to helping to make more informed decisions based on factors we may not even consider at present,\u2019 opined one general counsel.<\/p>\n \u2018We\u2019re not there yet at my company and I don\u2019t think there\u2019s many in the industry who are, but that moment is coming and we need to be prepared.\u2019<\/p>\n