How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

IKEA unique culture and values are at the heart of our way of being and doing things. Throughout the years, IKEA has stood by a set of values that shape everything we do. These values are deeply embedded in our business and create a strong culture that makes IKEA unique, both as a workplace and a brand. Our values act as a compass during times of change, driving us to renew and improve, while keeping us true to ourselves. Togetherness, simplicity, led by example, caring for people and planet are only a few examples.

We want to run our business honestly and with integrity, meeting high ethical standards in our interactions with each other, our customers, visitors, suppliers and partners.

We work with hundreds of partners to help run our business – from companies providing construction, security and cleaning services, to home delivery providers and law firms. We choose to work with partners who share our values, uphold our standards and seek to have a positive impact on societies and communities. So, this is a major aspect when we choose our external lawyers and will impact any decision on this matter.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most? Which have you found most useful in your legal team?

The fourth industrial revolution, the digital one, is having a major impact on legal functions and it will continue to have in the future as all legal teams will face a revolution in what regards the way of doing and working within a legal function. Robotics process automation, AI, clouds, smart contracts, the internet of things, digital new platforms and new ways of connecting business and customers provide us with various solutions and enables us to do better and go further. Liability and data protection issues, intellectual property topics, cross-borders questions also arise, but as these technologies continue to improve, they will become even more integrated into legal practice and will and are having a significant impact on the way in-house legal teams work.

Commonly used technologies in the legal industry include document management systems and communication platforms are already a must have, and we are now developing a platform to manage contracts, processes, requests of any kind and within it we can control all the life of the requests and manage KPI’S. The purpose is that legal should no longer be a cost center but a revenue generator.

We are currently developing a digital way to evaluate the company’s legal and regulatory compliance. Conducting a legal audit using digital tools can make the process more efficient, accurate and effective. This new way will help IKEA identify and address potential legal risks and compliance issues, which will ultimately help mitigate legal liabilities and ensure the company’s long-term legal health.

As we live in a fast-paced world today, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

Our legal team gives support not only to IKEA Portugal and its five major stores and seven plan and orders points, but also provides services to the other Portuguese companies in Ingka Group: Parque Eólico do Pisco (a wind farm), Designer Outlet Algarve and Ingka Centres Portugal

There are three meeting places in total, owned by Ingka Centres Portugal – MAR Shopping Matosinhos (180 stores), MAR Shopping Algarve (120 stores) and Designer Outlet do Algarve (53 stores). The legal department provides full assistance regarding all legal aspects of the operation, with a focus on tenant relationships, services to the shopping, events and other initiatives. With that being said, we need to be extremely organised to be able to support properly.

The legal team support and identify legal risks taken by the company as a whole and ensure that IKEA’s many activities are not only legally compliant, but also compliant with IKEA’s even more demanding values. IKEA brand is widely regarded as an example by co-workers, partners and consumers, in both compliance and customer friendliness, and this perspective is an integral part of the IKEA brand.

The digital world, the emerging challenges of a global scale and consequently regulatory overload present questions and opportunities. The pressure on in-house legal functions to enhance quality and speed to the companies while addressing costs is making function become even more creative about how to empower the business colleagues to act preventively. Therefore, providing legal training has a central role in the organisation.

Equipping business functions with knowledge, practical skills and a more detailed understanding of a variety of legal matters will have an impact on risk management and compliance within the companies. Success in business requires ever more an understanding of the Law.

Also, and obviously an accurate and precise legal monitoring, due to the proliferous regulatory work done by the EU and the local governments, is something that needs to be optimised in any legal department that wants to work successfully.

In regards the role of the general counsel, which was previously focused primarily on legal and compliance matters, we can now see an evolution, since the GC role has evolved to include more strategic and business-focused responsibilities. So, the GC by being more involved in the business operations of the company, can help ensure that legal and ethical considerations are integrated into the company’s decision-making processes, and that the company operates in a manner that is both legally compliant and aligned with its strategic goals. As a country legal manager, I work with IKEA’s several stakeholders to enable decisions with a clear perspective of the business contingencies and legal frame, giving also a practical input, since I truly believe this is the future of the role of a GC in any organisation. We have moved from the role of legal adviser to the role of strategic business partner.