What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?

In 2024 a focus has been on complex energy projects to decarbonize industrial energy and steam demand of production sites in several countries across the globe, involving innovate legal structures such as physical and synthetic long-term power purchase agreements. Other key topics in the past year concerned legal and advocacy work under WTO rules on non-tariff trade barriers restricting market access to certain countries in Asia and the EU as well as advice on comprehensive research and development agreements with large fast moving consumer goods company and within the framework of multi-party consortium agreements, some of them partly funded by EU and US agencies, in the field of product innovation.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

Modern in-house counsel needs a diverse set of attributes to navigate today’s complex legal and business environments effectively. Most importantly, in-house lawyers should have a profound understanding of the company’s business model, strategies, risk landscape and industry dynamics to align legal advice with business needs and objectives. Other important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to support business are communications skills, adaptability, and competence to leverage IT technology to enhance efficiency and quality.

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?

General counsel can foster a corporate culture that support ESG principles and compliance, by establishing frameworks to ensure adherence to ESG standards through developing and rolling out policies and guidelines on ethical governance as well as implementing reporting and auditing mechanisms to track and disclose ESG performance. In parallel, legal department can promote ESG values within the organization by offering education and training on ESG principles and encouraging collaboration across departments to integrate ESG principles into various aspects of the business as well as establishing channels for feedback and suggestions to continuously improve ESG practices.