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

Over the past 12 months, I’ve been heavily involved in several high-impact projects across the EMEA region. These have included leading the legal workstream on a number of strategic M&A transactions — ranging from cross-border acquisitions to divestitures — ensuring regulatory compliance, due diligence, and post-deal integration. I also played a key role in major corporate restructuring initiatives, including entity simplification projects and intra-group reorganisations aimed at driving operational efficiency and aligning with evolving business strategies.

In parallel, I’ve focused on team development and resource optimisation, ensuring we maintain a high-performing legal function that can effectively support our business partners. This has included mentoring team members, streamlining processes, and working closely with external counsel to manage risk and deliver consistent value to the business.

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

In my view, a modern in-house counsel must be more than just a technical legal expert — they need to be a strategic business partner. Legal acumen is, of course, foundational, but the ability to apply that expertise in a commercially pragmatic, risk-balanced way is what really adds value to the business. Strong communication skills, both with legal and non-legal stakeholders, are critical, as is the ability to influence and build trust across diverse teams and cultures.

Given the pace of change and the complexity of today’s regulatory environments — especially across multiple jurisdictions like EMEA, the US, and APAC — agility and a global mindset are essential. An effective in-house counsel should also be tech-savvy, able to leverage legal operations tools to drive efficiency, and comfortable with data-informed decision-making. And finally, leadership — both in managing teams and in setting the tone for integrity and ethics — remains a defining attribute, particularly as legal teams are expected to play a central role in shaping corporate governance and ESG strategy.

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?

Over the past year, several key trends in both the legal and business landscapes have stood out, and I believe they’re important for in-house lawyers to stay on top of.

One notable trend is the increasing importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. Businesses are being held to higher standards in terms of sustainability, ethical governance, and social responsibility. This is not just about compliance; it’s about understanding the broader strategic implications, particularly as stakeholders — from investors to customers — are placing more pressure on companies to align with these values. In-house counsel play a pivotal role in ensuring that these efforts are not just legally sound but also integrated into the company’s business strategy.

A second is the use of technology in legal operations continues to evolve. From AI-driven contract review tools to legal project management software, technology is revolutionising how in-house legal teams operate. Embracing these tools can drive efficiencies, reduce costs, and allow legal teams to focus more on strategic, value-added work.