About

The role that I have at Microsoft is uniquely structured, as it gives me the opportunity to closely collaborate with business decision makers and customers, to be involved in a wide range of external activities and bring a contribution in the market, to put my fingerprint and break the local paradigms and barriers.

Soft skills are of the utmost importance for an in-house lawyer, who must act and be recognised as a trusted partner. Thus, collaboration with internal clients is essential – to properly support the business, you have to listen, understand and then act.

While I can’t say that some soft skills are
more important than others, I would like
to mention:

Critical thinking – you face different scenarios everyday – thus the ability to understand objectively and devise solutions that might challenge the vision of different clients is paramount for offering the right advice in every situation.

Listening – one cannot offer the best support, without in-depth listening abilities.

Resilience in front of internal challenges – as decisional processes are not always smooth.

Inclusiveness – being inclusive, involving various teams in the project, will help by bringing different views and solutions.

Empathy – being able to emotionally connect to your peers and clients is the key for gaining trust.

While practicing all of these on a day-to-day basis, do not forget, however, your role. Being thoughtful while acting with respect, it is important to be bold and advocate for your beliefs – if these are the ones which, in the long run, will protect the company and its interests – no matter how difficult may be to convey it.

As a tech lawyer, I am always interested in the newest technology which can augment my capabilities in my role. At Microsoft, we use artificial intelligence to help us in our role and help our business colleagues as well in finding quick legal support.

We have developed a legal bot that can be easily used by everyone in the company to find standard information about contracts, compliance and privacy – so the legal community can focus on the activities where they add real value.

What advice would you give to any peers or colleagues working in the Romanian market for the first time?

The Romanian market can be challenging for a newcomer, because of the multiple and permanent changes of the regulatory environment and the constant lack of predictability. I would say, however, that these changes make the job even more exciting and keep one alert and engaged.

Understanding the local legal environment is essential. Partnering with an outside counsel who knows the market, understands the industry and the business, is of instrumental help.

Collaboration with business partners – internal clients, understanding their needs – helps tailoring the support and channelling the energy in the right direction.

And if I would have to give one piece of advice
– do not compromise! Be bold. Defend your
position. Do not get intimidated, no matter how difficult it might be. Ethics is essential in our job.
Put trust first.

What can law firms in Romania, and the wider
CEE region, do to win more business from
you?

For a law firm to provide the right counsel, understanding your business – not only your industry – is mandatory; only in this way they
can provide pragmatic and personalised
support. Also, desire and courage to change
the status-quo, enthusiasm to engage in areas
that were not a focus before, are prerequisite
for potential collaboration. The same as for individuals, do not compromise. No deal and
no amount of money is enough when we talk
about reputation and trust.

IN THE WORDS OF NOMINATORS

Gabriela Popescu is, undoubtedly, one of the most versatile legal managers I’ve ever worked with. She has come from a diverse background, [with experience in] pharmaceuticals and healthcare, as well as IT and technology, and has amassed 23 years of legal expertise. I was extremely impressed not only with her intelligence, level of interest and proactivity but also with the fact that she is always very positive. She works relentlessly and is an excellent leader for her team. As well as the various legal projects she is overseeing, Popescu is also hands-on in promoting her company’s solutions – whether they involve artificial intelligence (AI), cloud or other solutions – to the wider public. She has shown great interest in educating the legal community as regards to the pros and cons of using AI, while advocating for an ethical framework in respect thereof. I consider her one of the finest legal managers there is.