What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

David Epstein eloquently said that — “specialisation is obvious: keep going straight. Breadth is trickier to grow.” Being part of a business that delivers best-in-class service across multiple product lines to a diverse set of customers internationally certainly helps. The legal team’s diversity across cultures, technical skills and experience has been the foundation of its successful delivery of commercially focused legal solutions to the business. The team has been involved in M&A, finance, property, corporate, compliance, insurance, projects, dispute resolution, intellectual property, employment and transactional matters, in at least ten different jurisdictions, in the commodity trading environment involving hundreds of millions of dollars over the last 12 months.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house industry?

During the last three years, the world has taught us all that perseverance, flexibility, curiosity, creativity and communication skills are critical to survival, if not success. This is true for the modern in-house industry as well. While history often rhymes, the current business environment rapidly presents new, complex situations that will be a platform for the innovative and resilient to flourish.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

It is often said that you will reach their mind if you speak with a person in a language they understand. You will reach their heart if you speak with a person in their own language.

Be a keen listener and be genuinely interested in the business. Take every opportunity to learn more about the company enthusiastically. Understand what is being said and how it is being said. Then speak. Above all, deliver more than you promise.