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

My main role as legal counsel for Carlyle in Luxembourg is to try to anticipate the legal changes, both at international and national levels, that may potentially affect our industry and our firm, assess which actions need to be taken and work alongside the different operational teams to implement the necessary measures.
What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

Modern in-house counsel need to have an in-depth understanding not only of the relevant legal and regulatory framework, but also of the business’s needs and operations. A big part of our job is to translate complex and ambiguous legal concepts into more concrete and numerical facts to enable the firm’s business segments to make the most appropriate decisions. Another very important attribute is to be able to be flexible and sometimes robust in the advice provided to the relevant teams to best fit the risk-based approach of the firm.
How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?

The first and easiest step is having general counsel, in collaboration with the compliance team (if any) putting in place policies, such as a governance and/or HR policy, supporting ESG principles, such as gender equality. The organisation of compulsory awareness trainings is also key.