The views expressed below represent personal opinions only.

What measures should be taken to ensure a successful digital transformation of the legal department while complying with national data-protection regulations?

First, strategy and governance: establish a phased implementation roadmap and form a cross-departmental team—comprising Legal, IT and Data Protection—to clearly define roles and responsibilities.

Second, strict compliance: map and classify all data, including contracts, cases and operational records.

Third, ensure lawful basis for every type of data processing, and update privacy notices accordingly.

Fourth, access control and data minimisation: implement strict permission management and adhere to the principle of using only the minimum data necessary.

What factors influence your team’s decision to engage external counsel rather than handle matters internally? How do you assess their performance?

Key considerations include professional expertise, complexity, and geographic coverage. We place particular emphasis on communication ability, responsiveness, and the practicality of proposed solutions.

Looking ahead, what trends do you expect to see in the legal field over the next 5–10 years, and how should companies prepare?

In my view, the future legal landscape will be an ecosystem where technology, law and business are deeply integrated. The companies that succeed will be those able to proactively digitalise and productise their legal functions, embedding data-driven, forward-looking risk management into their organisational DNA.