How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?

The pandemic forced the legal function to redefine internal rules of engagement, as well as other company’s functions – cooperation and collaboration to preserve work-life balance for team members and keep in-house lawyers greatly engaged. The necessity to find new ways of collaboration while supporting employees has been a priority at PayPal. The institution of a monthly wellness day has had a good impact on people and brought extremely positive results.

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

PayPal has been recently involved in various transactions. The most relevant are the global partnerships with Wix and Prestashop, both providers of shopping cart services. In addition, we expanded our presence in the pagoPA payment platform in Italy thanks to the partnership with Paytipper.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

It is crucial for in-house lawyers to understand how to become trusted advisors in their companies. There is the need for an in-house lawyer to develop business acumen and expertise along with legal knowledge.