Team size : 3 legal counsels (including myself) and 1 risk and compliance manager

What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past twelve months?

Over the past twelve months, I have been involved in a number of strategically significant and operationally complex matters in addition to business as usual – spanning commercial, regulatory, and organisational dimensions within Ringnes and Carlsberg.

I have invested in building a legal function fit for a growing and increasingly complex business. Over the past years, I have successfully expanded the in-house legal team from one to three lawyers and have played a central role in establishing the Risk and Compliance manager function. In addition, I have researched and implemented Legal AI tools to enhance the efficiency and output of the legal function. These structural and technological investments have materially strengthened the legal and compliance capabilities of Ringnes.

I have also been delivering on commitments towards the Norwegian Competition Authority. Ringnes is subject to behavioural commitments towards the Norwegian Competition Authority. I have played a key role in the company’s engagement with the authority, coordinating across the company to ensure that regulatory reporting requirements are met and that the conditions set out by the authority are effectively implemented and adhered to. An important part of the work has consisted of assisting the business to enable efficient contracting with our customers.

I have been the lead legal adviser on Ringnes’ transition from direct distribution model to a primarily wholesaler-based distribution structure for the retail part of our business. This has been an operationally critical project, encompassing contract negotiations and drafting, compliance with relevant regulations, and the development and implementation of updated internal procedures to support the new distribution model.

I have been proactive in relation to driving Group-wide initiatives within the Carlsberg legal community, which comprises approximately 120 legal professionals. I have in particular engaged in the following: active participation in the development of the Group’s Legal Digital Roadmap; leading and supporting contract negotiations with strategic partners across multiple markets, including those beyond the Norwegian jurisdiction; and providing substantive input to the advancement of the Group’s compliance agenda.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel?

A modern in-house counsel should be a business-minded lawyer who understands that legal advice exists to enable the business. The ability to cut through complexity and communicate clearly is essential. I value practical problem-solving over theoretical perfection: finding workable solutions. Equally important is the willingness to embrace new technology. Legal AI is already transforming how in-house teams work, and those who actively develop with it will deliver more value, faster. The best in-house counsels today are perceived as valuable business partners.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into legal teams, and the pressure grows to ‘do more with less’, how can GC balance efficiency, quality and human judgement?

In my opinion, the key is knowing where AI belongs and where it does not. AI is a powerful assistant — ideal for automating repetitive tasks, accelerating research, and handling the straightforward work that does not require nuanced judgement. This can free lawyers to focus on what only humans can do: applying experience, reading context and giving advice that is grounded in accountability. Legal advice is fundamentally different from AI output. The GC’s role is to ensure that distinction is not lost.