<Strong>In an increasingly complex global environment, how are you helping your organisation navigate risk while still supporting growth?</strong>

This starts with understanding the business, not just the law. In an increasingly complex environment with evolving regulatory frameworks, lawyers are often required to go beyond identifying rules, restrictions and risks, and take the time to clearly understand the commercial objectives and operating context of the organisation, including how similar activities are carried out by peers and competitors.

Only with that understanding can legal advice be useful and effective. Rather than approaching issues as a binary “can or cannot be done”, I focus on framing options and, where possible, identifying how a proposal can be adapted or structured to achieve the underlying objective within the relevant legal and regulatory framework.
This means acting as an adviser, rather than simply a gatekeeper. By focusing on practical solutions and workable options, legal can support the business in moving forward in a controlled and informed way.

<strong>How has the role of General Counsel evolved in recent years, and where do you see GCs creating the most value today?</strong>

The role of the General Counsel has evolved significantly in recent years, reflecting changes in the business environment, technology and stakeholder expectations, as well as the speed at which these changes occur. Legal teams are increasingly operating within leaner structures, requiring greater breadth of knowledge and a more agile and flexible approach. As a result, management skills, prioritisation, and sound judgement have become increasingly important.

At the same time, legal teams remain fundamentally people facing, and major decisions are still made by senior management, the CEO, and the board. The ability to instil confidence, calmness, and clarity through effective communication remains as important as ever. In my view, GCs create the most value through communications that resonate with the minds of decision-makers, helping to guide and shape outcomes.

<strong>Looking ahead, what do you see as the main opportunity or challenge for in-house legal teams?</strong>

One of the key developments is the increasing use of AI within the legal function. The challenge is not simply adoption, but understanding and clearly communicating both its strengths and limitations, so that it can be used effectively to improve efficiency while continuing to create value.

AI presents clear opportunities to enhance productivity, but it also reinforces the importance of human judgement and oversight. We have seen examples of AI hallucinations. In addition, many of the legal issues that matter are not black and white, and often involve trade-offs or further deliberation.

AI should be seen as a tool to support legal work, rather than replace it. The role of in-house lawyers remains to ensure that advice is not only technically correct, but also appropriate and workable in real-world situations.