What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months?

Allianz Austria’s legal team performs work in various legal areas covering insurance law, insurance supervisory law, civil law and corporate law. We are principally responsible for, and oversee all, corporate legal issues. Further, we provide board support, and we support General Meetings and Supervisory Board meetings. Also, we provide legal consultation and support for all operating departments.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

A modern in-house counsel needs to understand the business. By “business”, I mean the business needs comprising of the business opportunities and how they can be pursued. Also, I mean the risks a business faces and the ways to mitigate them. In-house counsel need to be able to translate these business opportunities and risks into the legal environment and vice versa. Further, in-house counsel need to have the ability to interpret and rephrase complex legal rules into concrete to-dos and recommendations for the business.

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on, of which you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful?

The development of artificial intelligence certainly needs to be very closely watched. Artificial intelligence will most likely enhance all legal tech products and in particular legal research tools. The legal world should therefore aim to use these tools in the most productive way possible.