Team size: 4

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?

Abbey is an AIFM that manages and sells funds in many different jurisdictions. The funds we manage are domiciled in Ireland, US, Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Malta. Managing legal risks during periods of instability or crisis – such as geopolitical events or regulatory shifts – requires a responsive and jurisdiction-sensitive approach.

Our legal strategy begins with a swift analysis across applicable domiciles to assess regulatory obligations, governance considerations, operational impacts, and investor protections specific to each regime and structure.

We coordinate closely with internal stakeholders, local counsel and service providers to monitor developments, maintain compliance, and ensure that Abbey and the funds continue to operate in accordance with applicable legal frameworks.

Crucially, our legal response is aligned with the firm’s broader business continuity and risk management strategy. We work together with distribution, investment, operations, risk and compliance teams to provide integrated guidance that protects Abbey and the funds while enabling commercial and operational agility.

This legal-business alignment helps maintain investor and counterparty confidence, meet regulatory requirements, and safeguard the firm’s reputation across markets. This also ensures the Legal team can support the long-term stability and strategic objectives of the business.

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

A modern in-house counsel must balance legal acumen with strategic and interpersonal skills. Technical expertise matters, but today’s in-house counsel must ultimately be a trusted business partner — strategic, agile, and solution-oriented. The most important attributes include sound judgement: the ability to assess complex risks and make timely, pragmatic decisions that align with business goals and risk profile. Responsiveness is also key – acting swiftly and decisively in fast-moving environments, particularly in periods of change or commercial sensitivity – as well as communication skills – translating complexity into clear, actionable advice or comments for internal and external stakeholders. In-house counsel must also have commercial awareness, understanding the business and industry, and how legal advice and contractual structures impact operations and strategy. They must also be adaptable, reacting to and managing competing priorities and staying ahead of evolving regulations and technologies and applying legal principles flexibly across jurisdictions.