Team size: 550

What are the most significant cases, projects and/or transactions that you and/or your legal team have recently been involved in?

In addition to developing the legal strategy in three cases involving serious railway accidents experienced by SNCF in recent years, the most notable case was undoubtedly one that was won – but has not yet been finalised as the outcome must be consolidated by a legislative provision – in which the financial stakes for the company amounted to €11bn, which SNCF avoided.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

I have a guiding principle: an exceptional situation (and I have experienced many over the past twelve years at SNCF) requires standard treatment…

What strategies do you employ to ensure the successful digital transformation of a legal department while maintaining compliance with your country’s data protection laws?

I always start with the teams’ requests to find the most suitable solution. The reliability and security of the digital tool are also very important.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

Yes, as general counsel for a very large company that operates internationally in 130 countries, I have experienced and had to manage unique and therefore very interesting situations and cases.

Given the current geopolitical shifts and growing uncertainties around international free trade, has your company’s risk profile evolved, and are you taking measures to address these challenges?

As with all other companies operating internationally, our risk profile has changed significantly, and not for the better. We are witnessing the intensification of a veritable global trade war. Our business in the United States has been particularly affected by President Trump’s decisions on the FCPA…

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?

I do more than just keep an eye or monitor certain topics. In terms of tools, the rise of generative artificial intelligence seems essential to me. Next, the developments in European countries regarding duty of care, ESG, compliance in general, and the judicialisation of certain disputes seem to me to be issues that corporate lawyers need to address.

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?

In this regard, it is important to have intermediaries and ambassadors at all levels of the company who can be relied upon to relay information and implement principles. When well managed, this creates an effective network.

AI has been taken seriously as a potentially revolutionary technological change in the legal world for a number of years now. Has it had a meaningful impact in how your legal team works in this time?

The role of AI in transforming businesses and legal departments is no longer disputed. It is a powerful tool that cannot be ignored. However, employees must be convinced to use it and master it. But AI, particularly generative AI, must remain a tool and should not be used for other purposes, such as drastic or permanent staff reductions. Legal work is an intellectual process that requires creativity, strategy, tactics and sometimes humour, which a machine is incapable of.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about? Why is this?  

Arbitration and mediation, because I believe that these are two promising avenues for dispute resolution.

What factors influence your team’s decision to use external legal services versus handling matters in-house, and what criteria are used to evaluate their performance?

I have the best experts on my team in virtually every field, but sometimes we need an outside perspective to validate our options. From time to time, we are also asked for a legal opinion… 

How does your team contribute to the overall business strategy of the company? Can you share an example of a recent legal-led initiative that had a significant impact?

Contributing to the company’s overall commercial strategy and competitiveness is the essence of our work. We do this every day, particularly with our purchasing department and our contract managers. We start from the premise that lawyers should act as facilitators for operational teams. Far from the image of a department that says no to all projects, lawyers must be able to respond to all requests from their internal clients, unless, of course, the operation is illegal.

Looking forward, what trends do you foresee in the legal landscape over the next five to ten years that companies should prepare for?

I am betting on the emergence of the role of the legal professional who, as we can see in the United States, is becoming a very important player in corporate strategy and is systematically sitting on executive committees.