AI has long been discussed as a transformative force in the legal industry. From your perspective as an emerging in-house leader, has AI meaningfully influenced the way you or your team work?

While the discussion around AI’s transformative potential has been long-hyped, it is now delivering tangible, impactful results that are actively reshaping how our legal team operates.

Our present use of AI has moved beyond experimenting into practical application. For instance, during a recent major M&A transaction, we leveraged an AI-powered platform

to analyze complex financial documentation. The tool’s ability to swiftly compare drafts and identify critical issues within extensive agreements proved invaluable. This was not merely a time-saving exercise, it was a strategic advantage that significantly enhanced our analytical precision and risk mitigation capabilities. By supporting the most laborious aspects of document review, AI has enabled our team to shift its focus from standard tasks to matters of strategic importance, allowing us to provide more nuanced and effective counsel to our business partners. In essence, AI currently functions as a force multiplier, augmenting our expertise.

Looking ahead, we envision AI evolving into a proactive, strategic partner. It will likely move beyond reactive tasks to offer predictive and preventative analytics, e.g. monitoring global regulatory changes in real-time, cross-reference them with our company’s international operations, and flag potential compliance gaps before they become liabilities. This will standardise the concept of the ‘augmented counsel’, where AI handles heavy data analysis, allowing lawyers to focus on interpretation, critical judgment, and providing actionable strategic advice.

Looking ahead, which developments or challenges do you anticipate will shape the legal profession over the next 5–10 years, and how do you believe rising in-house leaders should prepare for them?

The legal profession is at an inflection point, shaped by two powerful forces: the maturation of AI and the increasing complexity and fragmentation of the national, EU and global regulatory landscapes.

Firstly, AI is rapidly moving beyond a mere efficiency tool. The primary challenge for in-house counsel will be twofold: mastering AI-powered analytics to provide data-driven, predictive legal advice, while simultaneously navigating the novel legal issues that AI itself creates.

Secondly, the volume and divergence of national and international regulations have fundamentally expanded the in-house role. We are no longer just advisors on established law but have become navigators of a complex, sometimes contradictory, web of rules. Our role is increasingly about advising on a compliant and strategic way through a fragmented legal landscape.

To prepare, rising in-house leaders must become “T-shaped” professionals. While deep legal expertise remains the foundation, we must cultivate a broad horizontal skill set encompassing technological literacy, data analytics, and business acumen. The future in-house leader is less a lawyer in a business, but a business leader with a law degree, capable of leveraging technology and data to drive the company forward, strategically and compliantly.