Team size: 5

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

Over the past twelve months, my work has been focused on supporting the strategic development of a global marketplace business operating across multiple jurisdictions, with particular emphasis on transaction readiness, group governance, and regulatory resilience, particularly in response to evolving EU directives affecting digital platforms, consumer protection, and data governance.

A core aspect of my role has involved advising the shareholder and management team on complex corporate and transactional matters linked to both organic growth and external expansion opportunities. This has required close coordination with external advisers, as well as a careful balancing of legal risk, commercial objectives, and long-term structural considerations.

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

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across legal and business functions will be one of the most significant trends in 2026. While AI can deliver efficiency gains in areas such as research, document review, and contract management, it also raises issues around data protection, confidentiality, accountability, and transparency. In-house counsel will play a central role in defining appropriate governance frameworks, ensuring human oversight, and managing regulatory expectations. In addition, there is heightened scrutiny of transactions and corporate structures, particularly regarding transparency, beneficial ownership, and regulatory approvals. Legal teams are increasingly required to anticipate regulatory concerns earlier in the transaction lifecycle. An important key trend is the continued convergence of regulatory regimes. For organisations operating digital or cross-border business models (like G2A.COM), areas such as data protection, consumer law, competition, and sector-specific regulation are increasingly interdependent. In-house counsel must therefore assess regulatory exposure holistically rather than through isolated legal workstreams.

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

The most important attribute of a modern in-house counsel is sound judgment exercised in a commercial context. In-house lawyers are rarely asked to provide purely technical legal opinions, they are expected to advise when information is incomplete, timelines are compressed, and business considerations are closely intertwined with legal risk. The ability to assess proportionality and to distinguish between theoretical and material risk is therefore essential. An effective in-house counsel must be sufficiently embedded in the business to understand its objectives, goals or business strategy, while remaining independent enough to provide clear, sometimes unwelcome, advice. Trust is built and value is delivered when stakeholders recognise that it aligns with the organisation’s long-term interests rather than short-term convenience. A further critical attribute is the ability to communicate complex legal issues in clear business terms. Senior management and boards do not require exhaustive legal analysis, they require an understanding of options, consequences, and risk trade-offs.

The in-house counsel’s role is to frame those issues to support informed decision-making. Finally, modern in-house counsel must be comfortable operating across disciplines and jurisdictions. As regulatory, transactional, and operational risks increasingly overlap, legal leaders need a working understanding of finance, governance, technology, and regulatory policy, and must be able to coordinate effectively with both internal stakeholders and external advisers.

AI is increasingly being integrated into legal teams to maximise efficiency. How can in-house counsel ensure the successful incorporation of these tools without compromising the human element?

AI can be a useful tool for legal teams, but only if it is applied with clear limits. It works best for repetitive, structured tasks such as document review, legal research, or contract analysis. It should support lawyers in their work, not replace judgment or responsibility. A critical part of successful implementation is the security environment in which these tools operate. In-house counsel need to ensure that AI systems are used within properly controlled settings, with clear safeguards around data protection, confidentiality, and access rights. Sensitive information should never be processed through tools that are not fully vetted or aligned with the organisation’s security standards. It is also important to be clear about accountability. AI can assist with analysis, but decisions must always remain with people. A qualified lawyer must review, interpret, and take responsibility for any AI-generated output, particularly in areas involving legal risk or strategic decisions.

Finally, efficiency should not come at the expense of human interaction. Face-to-face discussions with management, business teams, and external advisers remain essential for understanding context, building trust, and resolving complex or sensitive issues. The time saved through AI should be used to strengthen these interactions, not reduce them. Used thoughtfully, AI can make legal teams more effective. Used without proper safeguards or human involvement, it can quickly undermine both trust and judgment.

Special attention should also be given to junior and early-career lawyers. Many tasks that are most easily automated by AI are traditionally part of how young lawyers learn the profession. Legal teams need to be mtindful of this and ensure that efficiency gains do not come at the expense of training, mentorship, and judgment development. Face-to-face work, shadowing senior colleagues, and direct involvement in matters remain essential for building legal skills and professional confidence.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I am particularly passionate about building sustainable governance structures in fast-growing businesses, especially in environments where growth can easily outpace legal and ethical frameworks. I believe that well-designed governance is not an obstacle to innovation, but a prerequisite for long-term success. In practice, this means ensuring companies grow in a transparent, accountable, and resilient manner—both internally and in their interactions with regulators, partners, and users. I am especially interested in how governance, compliance, and responsible decision-making can be embedded early, rather than retrofitted after issues arise.

I also care deeply about developing the next generation of lawyers, particularly in in-house roles. As legal work becomes more automated, it is increasingly important to invest in mentorship, practical training, and exposure to real decision-making, so that young lawyers develop judgement, independence, and a strong sense of professional responsibility.

Ultimately, the cause that motivates me is helping organisations — and the people within them — build structures that support responsible growth, sound decision-making, and long-term trust.