What are the most significant cases, projects and/or transactions that you and/or your legal team have recently been involved in?

I have structured and negotiated numerous strategic commercial outsourcing agreements with key pharmaceutical players, empowering them to outsource core operations to DKSH. These complex deals, covering critical aspects like personnel transfer, commercial operations, and quality/pharmacovigilance, are instrumental in driving efficiency, optimising resource allocation, and facilitating long-term growth for our clients.

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crisis to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

Business partnering is crucial, especially during disruption. Staying close to the business, you enable it to meet its objectives and ensure a stronger future, because instability and crisis are temporary.

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

Being a true business partner is critical. This means going beyond the traditional role of a lawyer and understanding the business, its operations, its objectives, and even those of its clients.

How can general counsel foster a corporate culture that supports ESG principles and compliance across all levels of the organisation?

There is nothing more powerful than the example we set. Our consistent and sincere behavior, words, and attitude are critical. Inconsistency or insincerity will dull the impact of any well-intentioned policies or actions.

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?

The obvious answer is generative AI. Lawyers should embrace the change and become experts in using these tools. Don’t, and risk being left behind or outgunned by those who are.