Increasingly, the legal function is being called upon to act as a business partner. As a result, the identification of risks is no longer presented merely as legal advice, but as part of the solution in structuring the business. In this context, the lawyer’s role has evolved from that of a traditional advisor to a true business partner.

This shift has raised expectations for legal professionals, particularly in terms of how deeply they are embedded in the business, their ability to understand and anticipate commercial needs, and their active involvement in negotiations beyond purely legal risk considerations. It also requires the use of clear, accessible language, enabling contract managers to understand their rights and obligations without needing legal interpretation, as well as the ability to align internal teams and external counsel to operate in the same way.

Finally, any legal function that is unable to structure and leverage its data as a decision-making tool will struggle to effectively advise internal clients or make informed litigation decisions. This is coupled with the ongoing need to adopt technological solutions, including AI tools, that enhance the efficiency and accuracy of legal work.

The first priority is to ensure that the team consistently delivers work of the highest technical standard, while also being capable of acting as true business partners. In practice, this means that in-house lawyers must be able to translate legal risks into the specific business context in which they operate—whether advising internal clients or handling judicial or arbitral disputes.

Ensuring that legal teams genuinely understand the business and its needs is essential to mitigating future risks. Alongside technical excellence, curiosity and a proactive mindset are equally important, as they drive professionals to develop tailored, commercially viable solutions. In a dynamic environment such as ours, standardised, off-the-shelf approaches are simply not sufficient.