Based on your experience, what is the key to collaborating successfully with business partners?

I love this question! General counsel have an important (sometimes underestimated) role to play in the relationship with business partners, and the way certain contracts are negotiated can say a lot about the business dynamics between the two partners.  The goal is always paramount for me: we’re here for a common project. A lawyer must therefore demonstrate great ability, diplomacy and reflect this both in his behaviour and in the legal positions he proposes. 

Which political, economic or regulatory changes have impacted your work the most in the past year?

The energy sector and company law have not undergone many changes (from a legislative point of view). In any case, legal compliance work must always be done with a view to anticipating and adapting to each situation. Open-mindedness, creativity and adaptability are the soft skills that need to be continuously developed (and which cannot be replaced by AI!).

We are now living in a changing geopolitical environment, with increased sanctions and export controls over the past two to three years. Does this affect your work, particularly regarding your risk management duties?

The key strength of a good in-house lawyer lies in their ability to stay alert to what’s happening around them, both locally and internationally. Being aware of the world’s dynamics helps to better anticipate the impacts of these changes on the company. Increased sanctions and export controls have indeed increased, making it all the more important for lawyers to be particularly adaptable.  Legal professionals need to be aware of these risks from the outset, remaining vigilant to ensure compliance and protect the interests of the company. They need to be aware of potential risks, vigilant in their practice to ensure compliance and protect the company’s interests.

Apart from legal matters, has the team worked on other company initiatives you would like to highlight?

 We often work together on initiatives to improve collaboration and encourage teamwork. In this way, we contribute to the implementation of processes, even if they don’t directly concern the legal profession, because in the end, everything is linked. 

How do you motivate and manage the other members of your legal team well?

I’m fortunate to work in a sector aligned with my values and on projects that make real sense, working in a company that produces electricity and drinking water is very nourishing. The people I work with are driven by the same desire to see these projects come to life. I’m a collaborative person, and I’m convinced that each person has an asset from which everyone else can benefit. By identifying each person’s qualities and putting them to good use for other team members, we can make progress and achieve our goals. Team motivation isn’t a one-off thing; I see it more as a harmony that needs to be put in place for projects to run smoothly.

Are the effects of AI on the legal world overplayed, or underplayed?

AI is a real revolution, and those who think it’s overplayed may not yet imagine the progress it can bring to the legal world, whether in research or in the day-to-day work of in-house lawyers. Indeed, AI will enable us to go faster, and consequently further, for those who are passionate about the law! We’re all short of time, with so many different tasks to manage daily. AI offers us a precious opportunity to refine our analyses.

The challenge now is to master these tools in the best possible way, and I aspire to contribute to the evolution of AI in the legal field, helping lawyers make the most of it.