Focus on the role of the legal department in a commercial and industrial company

The legal department’s main contribution to commercial and industrial companies’ performance is being real partners to the business teams. For this, in-house legal teams need to be close to the business teams and need to have a developed business acumen and understanding.

This can be achieved by building trust through teamwork, for which the in-house lawyer’s involvement in the company´s projects, from beginning to completion, is critical. By working daily with the business teams, in-house lawyers can identify risks and prevent them while thinking and proposing innovative solutions in order to help reduce those risks and optimise the company’s results.

By rigorously knowing the company business and working close to the business teams, the legal department will be able to predict and prevent risks, as well as to draft well-crafted contracts and other legal documents, anticipating negotiation difficulties, facilitating closing deals, ruling and improving processes and ensuring the legal and ethical compliance of the company.

In-house lawyers should not avoid all risks, but to identify and advise on potential jeopardise and help the business to understand and decide how much can be accepted and how they can be mitigated, to maximise profits and grow in value.

Legal departments that are close to the business teams, understand business, and advice on how to manage risks, work proactively and deliver promptly and evidence that they share the business´ goals, are perceived as partners and are in fact, valued contributors.