How do you manage legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis, ensuring that your legal strategy aligns with the broader business?

During periods of instability or crisis, my priority is to ensure that legal strategy directly supports business resilience and continuity. Legal teams must rapidly identify and prioritise the most material legal risks, regulatory, contractual, financial, and reputational, focusing resources where exposure is greatest.

For this action plan to be successful, Legal Team must have I maintain close alignment with executive leadership to understand evolving business objectives and constraints, ensuring that legal advice is commercially informed and enables decision-making rather than restricting it. In crisis situations, legal must act as a strategic partner — balancing risk mitigation with operational flexibility.

Ultimately, my approach centers on proactive risk management, clear communication, and pragmatic solutions that protect the organisation while supporting its broader strategic goals.

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

I consider that the most important attributes an in-house legal advisor must possess are adaptability, critical thinking, and creativity.

Artificial intelligence systems are currently advancing rapidly and have a significant advantage over human capabilities in terms of data analysis and processing. However, they are still unable to create something from nothing, which is where the role of the in-house lawyer becomes particularly relevant.

The corporate world is constantly evolving in response to business needs and client requirements, making it essential to be able to adapt quickly and effectively in order to address and resolve emerging issues.

Likewise, in-house lawyers must have the ability to exercise judgment based on experience and critical thinking when evaluating the outputs provided by AI, as these are not necessarily accurate. The ability to question results, contrast them with third-party opinions, or rely on key professional experience is fundamental to maximising the value of technology.

Finally, creativity is essential in order to identify practical solutions to complex problems that arise on a continuous basis. The ability to think outside the box is vital for today’s in-house legal professionals.