Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

It would be interesting to watch how AI advancements will impact the role of in-house teams.

Depending on how reliable tools, such as ChatGPT, will become, shapes whether such tools will be adopted by legal departments.

The more dependable and reliable such tools will become, for example, as an indicator of judicial trend, the more these tools will be used to save valuable resources and time and provide a rather quick indication that may support formulating a policy or strategy. They can support the legal team’s guidance to various departments as to how they perform their function or overcome a challenge.

Contrary to concerns raised by some members of the legal profession, I do not believe these can replace in-house teams, but rather, support us in providing better service and bringing more value in a more efficient management of our resources.

Another area that could potentially expedite and add ease to the workflow would be improvements to the contract management systems and their implementation. The more they become user friendly to all functions of the company they can alleviate some of the challenges of in-house legal teams.

These are more significant as more and more companies will have a global presence, include multiple locations, and incorporate hybrid or remote work models

What would you say are the unique qualities required to be successful as an in-house lawyer in your industry?

On top of excellent capabilities as an attorney, it is required to develop a varied skillset and display creativity that will enable an in-house lawyer to perform in different contexts and fields.

Being able to adapt quickly, constantly learn, and keep up with the most current legal, compliance and regulatory frameworks, as well as being capable to discern nuanced intricacies, is crucial in order to navigate the healthcare sector.

I strongly recommend the legal team to learn about the company, including each department, their activities, challenges, and goals. Understanding these will assist to assess where support may be needed and build cooperation with all functions of the company. Moreover, this will enable the legal department to take a wider perspective and to develop and lead a better legal and compliance policy.

An excellent in-house attorney within the healthcare sector should also demonstrate a high level of integrity and take a proactive approach. This will assist in implementing policies that will lead the company through challenges and ever-changing regulatory and business landscapes.

What can law firms do to improve their service to the legal department?

Law firms are valued partners of legal in-house departments. The most effective ones can provide a short analysis of the main legal issues and questions you should consider when you approach the matter in question. Preferably in an expedited manner.

Setting and meeting the shared expectation with the legal department is also key. Legal departments will not appreciate being surprised by discovering that a larger than expected team was working on a task or that there were additional unexpected steps required.