Team size: Eight

What has been the number one challenge that has impacted you over the past year?

I am a relatively new starter at TechnologyOne, having been in the role for about ten months. Over the past year, my number one challenge has been settling into the role and company — after nearly ten years with BOQ — uplifting the team from a resource perspective, systems, processes, templates and team culture.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

The extent to which ChatGPT and equivalents and automation for standard form documentation replace FTEs and reduces the size of legal teams. There is a long way to go here, but there is no question that some form of AI will play a relevant role for in-house legal teams in the future.

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

In-house lawyers in any industry these days need to be more than just providers of sound legal advice. Sound legal advice is just the backbone; to really excel, there needs to be a deep understanding of what the business does and its strategy and a proactive desire to further that strategy. In-house lawyers must be able and willing to provide strategic and commercial insight and support on matters they are involved in, understand the desired outcome of the business and be laser-focused on achieving it. We have a number of skillsets which translate well into non-legal areas. While maintaining our professional duties and acting ethically at all times, we must also be comfortable in that space. In a nutshell, lawyers are good problem solvers generally, and that skillset needs to be applied broadly.