Team size: 17

What are the most significant cases, projects, or transactions that you and your legal team have recently been involved in?

Acquisition of business locations and the sale of a group subsidiary.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Within our legal team, two counsels are always assigned to specialise in specific areas of law and complex regulatory matters, supported by external legal advisers where necessary. The most important aspect is communicating legal developments to the relevant departments at the earliest possible stage.

For large organisations, the period between a regulation entering into force and becoming applicable is often too short. The challenge lies in implementing numerous new and complex legal requirements across the business in a timely manner, even though many details are often clarified only later through non-binding guidance, FAQs or Q&A documents.

We have found it effective to establish project teams involving all relevant departments. This ensures that the necessary information is available to assess risks accurately, define implementation measures and ensure compliance with legal requirements.

What strategies do you employ to ensure the successful digital transformation of a legal department while maintaining compliance with your country’s data protection laws?

We maintain close cooperation with our IT department and have legal specialists within our team, complemented by external experts in IT and data protection law.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

Competition and antitrust law, arising from SPAR Austria’s market position.

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

Strong service orientation, risk awareness, a sharp focus on identifying the core legal issue within complex matters, a solution-oriented mindset, and excellent communication skills.