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

Over the past twelve months, my key projects have centred on two themes: high-volume commercial contracting across our divisions and changing how the legal team operates through process improvement and the responsible rollout of AI tools.

On the contracts side, I’ve supported multiple Bosch divisions on customer and supplier agreements, from standard frameworks to complex bespoke negotiations. One that stands out was a demanding deal where the counterparty dynamic was difficult. I led it day-to-day, and the lesson was about setting clear timelines, holding firm where it mattered and being pragmatic. We signed on the business’ timeline while keeping a professional working relationship with the counterparty, which I’m just as proud of as completing the deal itself.

The other big piece has been legal operations. I built two tools for the business on BRYTER (an NDA generator and a Power of Attorney generator) after spotting that the legal team was spending disproportionate time on these documents. I taught myself the platform alongside my day job, ran user testing, and rolled the tools out. The NDA generator has become the business’s default and has saved the legal team over 250 hours in its first eight months.

The last year has shown me how much relationship building still matters in an increasingly tech-driven role, and how quickly a new tool can become a key part of process.

What are the most important attributes of the modern in-house counsel and what advice would you give to those aspiring to be an in-house lawyer?

Two key attributes of the modern in-house lawyer are business fluency and emotional intelligence.

The most useful thing an in-house lawyer can do is understand the commercial reality their advice lands in: the product, the customer and what stakeholders are measured on. Working across multiple Bosch divisions has shown that the same advice needs to be delivered differently, and will land differently, depending on the audience. Being able to understand the business you are advising and what their commercial pressures are is what gives an in-house lawyer their value-add to the advice (rather than listing off the same standard advice on a legal topic each time).

On emotional intelligence, whilst I am an advocate of technology in the legal sector, the more work technology takes on, the more the human side of the role matters. Especially in-house, you want to be someone people want to pick up the phone to, who stays composed when others don’t, and who knows when to hold firm and when to give ground. Being a lawyer is as much a ‘people’ business as it is a technical one, so maintaining strong relationships and reading a room are essential skills.

My advice is to start thinking commercially now, before you’re in the role. If you’re a student, read the annual report of a company you’d want to work for, follow the news and think about how a lawyer would advise their business on it. If you’re a paralegal or trainee, sit in on business meetings and ask what your client sells. Curiosity about the business, and being able to frame advice within it, is invaluable.

Beyond your legal role, is there a cause or initiative you are especially passionate about?

I’m especially passionate about opening access into the legal in-house sector to people earlier in their careers.

There’s still an assumption that in-house is where you go for a quieter life after private practice. I don’t recognise that at all. The advice is strategic, you sit next to the decision-makers, and because the business is always doing something new, there’s never a dull day.

As Bosch’s first trainee, I was given real commercial work across different areas of law from day one, advised all levels of the business, and had numerous development opportunities. It’s one of the reasons I’m still here and excited to build my career in-house.

I currently mentor a few aspiring lawyers, and am honest about what the role looks like day-to-day and what skills help. I recently spoke about my route on the House Rules podcast, which I hope reaches people who haven’t yet considered in-house as a serious early-career move.

I’d like to see more in-house teams opening paralegal and trainee roles for early-career joiners, and I’d ask any current or former in-house lawyers to publicise their experience and mentor those looking to enter the sector – there’s still a real gap in advice and transparency online.