How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

It is of utmost importance that all the people we work with do not only have a clear knowledge of our company’s values, but also, that they unequivocally share them and are consistent in their practice.

Nowadays, in line the compliance manual boom that has occurred in many countries and industries, it is not difficult to find service providers who claim that they have a compliance structure and values that they are rigorous with, possessing zero tolerance towards unethical behaviour. Consequently, the real challenge is contracting with the right people who display their values in everyday work as well as in complex and result oriented given cases.

As we live in a fast-paced world today, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

In-house legal counsel need to master the business of their company and have a thorough understanding of main activities and lines of business.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

Trust. Any type of relationship that is built on trust is a successful one. It is important to be able to trust your firm with your information, as well as with handling the issues entrusted to them, notwithstanding an in-house role of oversight.

Furthermore, long term relationships are key, because a long-standing service provider will have full knowledge not only of the applicable law to my company but also to the transactions, operations, and problems that we might have, which makes their advice that much more valuable.