What do you predict will be the biggest change in the legal market over the next few years?

Digital transformation and automation are critical to the next few years and all legal markets and departments. Businesses have noticed that contract negotiations (standard ones) can be much faster if there are digital tools and keys for interaction with internal and external clients. This avoids workload and saves time and unnecessary reviews and calls.

Artificial Intelligence will be an ally for the next few years in the legal market, and lawyers, especially in-house counsel, will have to leverage the digital transformation of legal services towards the company and in the interactions between internal lawyers and external firms.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will an in-house lawyer need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

Adaptability is essential. A lawyer that does not adapt to the company’s needs or changes in the market rules will encounter many problems — an example was the pandemic.

Digital skills. Being a geek in technology will be a high priority for automating processes, contracts, responses to internal and external clients, and future savings. Some say that lawyers will not be indispensable in the near future. Still, I think the pairing of a lawyer that understands technology and leverages its use and advantages will be key for the future.

Empathy. If we want a committed and compromised team, we must be more empathetic and be team players – coaching and having your team’s backs by guiding them and showing them that mistakes make us stronger and more knowledgeable.