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 significant strategic transactions and organisational initiatives. These included the acquisition of a portfolio of 36 convenience retail parks in Poland, as well as the acquisition of a portfolio of five warehouses in Poland. The latter transaction was the culmination of intensive personal involvement, covering not only the legal aspects, but also playing a significant role in business negotiations, transaction and corporate structuring, funds flow, bank financing, and tax strategy.

I was also involved in the divestment of a warehouse building in Slovakia and assisted the treasury team in securing bank financing for the above transactions. In the ESG area, together with external legal counsel, I contributed to the creation of template agreements for renewable energy investments across the CEE region, laying the groundwork for standardised legal documentation in this area of the business.

In addition, I supported the integration of the CEE GCP teams and processes with Ares following Ares’ acquisition of the GCP International business in March 2025.

What are the key trends that in-house counsel should be monitoring in 2026?

Technology and innovation will remain the leading strategic focus for in-house legal teams, particularly as new legal risks continue to emerge in relation to data protection, especially through its use by AI, and regulatory compliance in areas such as AI, sustainability, and data governance. These developments are creating new and increasingly complex legal challenges.

At the same time, general counsel will continue to evolve beyond their traditional risk mitigation and compliance functions to serve as core strategic partners, shaping business decisions, guiding ESG priorities, and supporting digital transformation across their organisations.

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

Modern in-house counsel must be confident in navigating new technologies, including AI and digital workflows. They are expected to understand the business as deeply as the law, as commercial insight is now essential to acting as a strategic partner rather than solely as a legal adviser. To succeed, in-house counsel must continuously adapt to an ever-changing business and regulatory landscape, responding promptly to new legal requirements and enabling the business to operate seamlessly.

As the role of in-house counsel expands into that of a strategic business partner embedded across multifunctional teams, strong emotional intelligence and excellent relationship management skills are equally important. These qualities enable effective communication with non-lawyers and support the development of legal solutions that the business can readily understand, adopt, and implement.