Team size: 3

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

One of the most significant projects in the past 12 months (and arguably in the company’s history) was the acquisition of ecosio by Vertex Inc. Navigating one of the largest exits in Austria posed considerable challenges but also presented a truly unique opportunity. The legal team was deeply involved throughout the entire M&A process, from due diligence to closing, all while ensuring the continued delivery of critical legal services to internal stakeholders.

Following the acquisition, our attention has shifted toward the accelerated roll-out of e-invoicing services worldwide. With the current wave of new e-invoicing mandates taking effect across the globe, the legal team ensures compliance with diverse and fast-evolving regulatory frameworks.

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

While it may sound straightforward, modern in-house counsel must be willing to roll up their sleeves and take a proactive role in the business. The days of reactive legal departments that waited for problems to come to them should be behind us. Today’s most effective in-house counsels are those who embed themselves deeply within the organisation, develop a thorough understanding of the company’s products and services, and collaborate closely with teams across all functions. This enables them to actively seek out legal weak spots and eliminate them before they turn into a problem.

Legal teams should no longer be seen as risk-averse blockers, but as risk-minimising enablers. This requires them to level with other functions and translate any required legal advice into one that businesses can easily understand and follow.

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?

One of the most significant trends I have observed, and which has not yet fully caught the eye of legal departments, is the growing importance of automation. Compared to other business functions, legal teams traditionally operate with highly manual and time-consuming workflows, whether in contract management, contract negotiations, compliance tracking, etc. While the advent of legal tech has certainly put more focus on it, the progress seems to remain slow.

Although artificial intelligence dominated the headlines in 2024 and will undoubtedly continue to shape the legal landscape in terms of automation, among other sophisticated automation tools, many teams could already unlock substantial value through more accessible, small-scale automation. Often, existing tools already offer built-in automation features that remain unused. Leveraging these capabilities can reduce free up resources and ultimately drive significant cost savings without increasing headcount.