Team size: Eight

How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?

Flügger Group operates with companies and factories in about 15 jurisdictions and exports to over 50 countries. It is an international business that has always relied upon teams, skype, or phone meetings. During the pandemic, given the travel restrictions, the turn to technology has increased. The legal department has engaged in several M&A transactions, carried out both through virtual meetings and old-fashioned travels. Even though increased regulations followed the pandemic, the sale of paint in Europe was not negatively affected; on the contrary, business continued in Flügger. In-house legal counsel are essential to handle large amounts of existing, as well as new legislation and regulations in an ever-changing world. I do not necessarily see Covid-19 as changing the role of the general counsel or the in-house legal function — we must always be ready to adapt to the specific needs of the business.

What will be the main focus for the company in the next 12 months and how do you intend to assist with this?

Flügger is on a green journey. We are very well situated for this agenda, and we have already had this focus for several years. Now, we need to keep going in the right direction, continuing with our ESG and CSR efforts both in the original parts of the Flügger Group and in all our acquisitions. The legal department plays a multilevel role in this schedule concerning communication, reporting, and marketing. Moreover, in accordance with our M&A strategy, we will keep looking for new opportunities in the current and new markets. Another focus of Flügger and its legal department is the eCommerce sector, in which we recently acquired Malgodt —a primarily online operating Danish company.

What do you feel are the pros and cons of an in-house legal role compared to a private practice one?

Unless you are part of an extensive legal team, in-house lawyers often need to be generalists instead of the more specific legal area of law experts in private practice. External lawyers often assist several clients – whereas an in-house lawyer only has one. Internal lawyers need to be much more than legal experts; that makes the role extremely interesting to me. The in-house lawyer needs to understand the business and all the stakeholders. At the same time, they must develop a good understanding of project management, people management, finance, IR, production, and sales to support the business. I have worked in Danish top-tier law firms and enjoyed it very much. But since I changed to an in-house role, I have realised that it is precisely all these other and additional requirements to the in-house legal position that I find challenging, engaging, and fulfilling.