First, can you please give us an idea of the sort of work your team has done recently (cases, transactions, projects)?

My team and I have been responsible for preventing several legal issues with 25 countries in Türkiye, the Middle East, and Africa. Our support to the business varied from reviewing hundreds of contracts to managing commercial and strategic litigation, providing innovative legal counselling, and avoiding disputes. We have been giving legal training to the business to aid in closing a critical M&A deal. Additionally, we had an essential role in advising on new legislation, corporate and criminal matters, digital projects, and ethics and compliance issues. It has been a challenging year, but it has been gratifying personally and professionally.

How do you feel the pandemic has changed the world of work for in-house counsel and the function of the general counsel?

It did not have a specific impact on the way we conduct business — we have been working remotely for at least two years now. It has repercussions in stakeholder management, given the lack of personal interactions. It has required significant effort from my side to keep the team and clients close to each other; I have been taking advantage of every opportunity to promote face-to-face meetings and create virtual memories.

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

It is crucial to be open and candid; you must not be afraid to speak up. A simple ‘hi, how are you?’ can make a real difference. I think of it like the first days when you start a new job — you would walk around, introducing yourself and greeting everyone. Another critical element to building strong relationships with business partners is understanding their expectations and cooperating to pursue a common goal.