Team size: Seven

What are the most significant cases or transactions that you have recently been involved in?

I, along with other members of our legal team, work closely with team members to draft, negotiate, and complete contracts ranging from key strategic contracts governing important company relationships and transactions to simple contracts governing minor engagements. I also provide ongoing advice and guidance with respect to strategic issues and compliance, including guidance with respect to multiple privacy and data processing laws, in the US and in many other countries, environmental management, corporate governance, banking and insurance issues.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

Building and maintaining strong relationships with business partners is a requirement for success as an in-house lawyer. It is important to take the time needed to learn about the business, to engage with team members to understand the key drivers for business success, and to identify and understand important business and customer relationships, and to listen to the ideas and concerns of team members. A willingness to listen coupled with reasoned guidance and a willingness to explain the basis or rationale is helpful to building confidence with team members and business partners. Operating and managing a business always has challenges and an in-house attorney that has a clear understanding of the business, that listens attentively to team members, and that consistently provides well-reasoned guidance will earn the trust and respect of team members and business partners and having such trust and respect is critical to serving as an effective in-house lawyer.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

Going forward, corporate legal teams will serve a critical role in helping business leaders navigate a continuously changing and evolving business environment. Corporate legal teams will, of course, continue to provide support and assistance with the drafting, negotiation, and completion of contracts as well as legal advice and guidance on a variety of matters. In addition, advances in technology will continue to present both great opportunities and new risks that in-house legal teams will need to continuously monitor and evaluate. Data processing and data security will continue to be important, if not more important, in the years ahead and in-house legal teams will need to work to help business team members understand the importance of data security. In-house legal teams should anticipate increasing regulatory requirements and the need to develop or acquire sufficient subject-matter knowledge to comply with environmental, privacy, social and corporate governance regulations of each country their business operates in as well as the various regulations that are specific to the activities of the business they represent. In-house legal teams will also need to be prepared for continuing geo-political challenges and the impact that geo-political events will have upon their business.