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

Knowledge of the business, in addition to understanding the strategy, financial metrics, and operational priorities, is key. In-house lawyers are no longer just legal gatekeepers; they are seen as strategic partners for the business. The legal team, therefore, needs to be able to balance their commercial advice with keeping their legal independence. Assessing risk proactively and acting on it is essential. 

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on, of which you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful? 

As with many industries, AI is the topic of conversation in all boardrooms and strategy meetings. I believe there is a lot that AI can do to contribute to simplifying and reducing workload for lawyers in-house, particularly in contract review. I am keeping an eye on what is best in class, weeding out a lot of ‘AI-washing’ of basic automation tools.