Are there any particular challenges for which in-house counsel should be preparing in 2026?

In 2026, in‑house counsel should be preparing for a landscape marked by the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into business processes, which raises complex questions around governance, data usage and liability, while also managing an increasingly intricate regulatory environment—particularly in the financial sector, where regulators continue to expand compliance obligations at a faster pace than most organisations can operationalize them. At the same time, legal departments must contain costs despite steadily rising outside‑counsel fees, forcing in‑house teams to optimise legal operations, leverage technology more strategically, and balance risk mitigation with budget efficiency as they build more well-organized teams.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into legal teams, how can general counsel ensure the successful incorporation of these tools without compromising the human element?

I believe that general counsels can successfully integrate AI by drawing a clear and non‑negotiable line: AI must remain a tool that enhances legal work, not a replacement for human judgment. With that principle in place, in-house counsel can deploy AI to handle repetitive tasks and expedite the analysis process while ensuring that strategy, accountability, ethics, and informed decision‑making stay with people. Framing AI as an aid that frees lawyers to focus on higher‑value counsel helps preserve the human element and strengthens the role of the legal team and allows us to improve the service we provide to our internal clients.