Career Biography

Jean-Philippe Gille leads legal governance and financing at Lactalis Group, a global dairy industry leader. He also chairs AFJE, representing over 7,000 in-house counsels across France. His expertise spans governance, compliance, IP, contract negotiation, downraids, and public affairs, combining strategic legal insight with professional advocacy.

Recent Legal Engagements:

Prior to focusing on governance and financing, Gille spent six years driving compliance initiatives at Lactalis. These covered anti-corruption, competition law, data privacy, export control, ESG, and legal team development. A key achievement was helping shape a dedicated Compliance Department and mentoring its leadership.

At AFJE, he successfully expanded regional teams, giving the association national reach and reinforcing its role as the reference body for in-house legal professionals in France.

Managing Legal Aspects During Crises:

Gille emphasises the need for dual agility in legal leadership, balancing long-term strategic protection with rapid crisis response. Over the past decade, he has adapted to increasingly frequent disruptions and innovation cycles, navigating both timelines with flexibility and, as he notes, a sense of humor.

Digital Transformation and Legal Privilege:

While GDPR compliance is well-established in France and Europe, Gille identifies a critical gap: the absence of legal privilege for in-house counsel. Digital transformation intensifies this disparity, disadvantaging companies in jurisdictions without such protections. AFJE continues to push for reform to close this legal inequality.

Career Biography

Jean-Philippe Gille leads legal governance and financing at Lactalis Group, a global dairy industry leader. He also chairs AFJE, representing over 7,000 in-house counsels across France. His expertise spans governance, compliance, IP, contract negotiation, downraids, and public affairs, combining strategic legal insight with professional advocacy.

Recent Legal Engagements:

Prior to focusing on governance and financing, Gille spent six years driving compliance initiatives at Lactalis. These covered anti-corruption, competition law, data privacy, export control, ESG, and legal team development. A key achievement was helping shape a dedicated Compliance Department and mentoring its leadership.

At AFJE, he successfully expanded regional teams, giving the association national reach and reinforcing its role as the reference body for in-house legal professionals in France.

Managing Legal Aspects During Crises:

Gille emphasises the need for dual agility in legal leadership, balancing long-term strategic protection with rapid crisis response. Over the past decade, he has adapted to increasingly frequent disruptions and innovation cycles, navigating both timelines with flexibility and, as he notes, a sense of humor.

Digital Transformation and Legal Privilege:

While GDPR compliance is well-established in France and Europe, Gille identifies a critical gap: the absence of legal privilege for in-house counsel. Digital transformation intensifies this disparity, disadvantaging companies in jurisdictions without such protections. AFJE continues to push for reform to close this legal inequality.

Career Biography

Jean-Philippe Gille leads legal governance and financing at Lactalis Group, a global dairy industry leader. He also chairs AFJE, representing over 7,000 in-house counsels across France. His expertise spans governance, compliance, IP, contract negotiation, downraids, and public affairs, combining strategic legal insight with professional advocacy.

Recent Legal Engagements:

Prior to focusing on governance and financing, Gille spent six years driving compliance initiatives at Lactalis. These covered anti-corruption, competition law, data privacy, export control, ESG, and legal team development. A key achievement was helping shape a dedicated Compliance Department and mentoring its leadership.

At AFJE, he successfully expanded regional teams, giving the association national reach and reinforcing its role as the reference body for in-house legal professionals in France.

Managing Legal Aspects During Crises:

Gille emphasises the need for dual agility in legal leadership, balancing long-term strategic protection with rapid crisis response. Over the past decade, he has adapted to increasingly frequent disruptions and innovation cycles, navigating both timelines with flexibility and, as he notes, a sense of humor.

Digital Transformation and Legal Privilege:

While GDPR compliance is well-established in France and Europe, Gille identifies a critical gap: the absence of legal privilege for in-house counsel. Digital transformation intensifies this disparity, disadvantaging companies in jurisdictions without such protections. AFJE continues to push for reform to close this legal inequality.

Career Biography

Jean-Philippe Gille leads legal governance and financing at Lactalis Group, a global dairy industry leader. He also chairs AFJE, representing over 7,000 in-house counsels across France. His expertise spans governance, compliance, IP, contract negotiation, downraids, and public affairs, combining strategic legal insight with professional advocacy.

Recent Legal Engagements:

Prior to focusing on governance and financing, Gille spent six years driving compliance initiatives at Lactalis. These covered anti-corruption, competition law, data privacy, export control, ESG, and legal team development. A key achievement was helping shape a dedicated Compliance Department and mentoring its leadership.

At AFJE, he successfully expanded regional teams, giving the association national reach and reinforcing its role as the reference body for in-house legal professionals in France.

Managing Legal Aspects During Crises:

Gille emphasises the need for dual agility in legal leadership, balancing long-term strategic protection with rapid crisis response. Over the past decade, he has adapted to increasingly frequent disruptions and innovation cycles, navigating both timelines with flexibility and, as he notes, a sense of humor.

Digital Transformation and Legal Privilege:

While GDPR compliance is well-established in France and Europe, Gille identifies a critical gap: the absence of legal privilege for in-house counsel. Digital transformation intensifies this disparity, disadvantaging companies in jurisdictions without such protections. AFJE continues to push for reform to close this legal inequality.