In-house Counsel Inside

General Counsel, Senior Legal Counsel, and legal departments as a whole are now expected to achieve the impossible: to be all-knowing, infallible, and unwavering under intense pressure. When a company seeks guidance, they are the first point of call. Their skillset needs to extend beyond just long-term strategic planning or the implementation of ongoing projects and processes. They are also tasked with navigating ad hoc developments that demand swift comprehension and decisive action, all of this in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. This renders the role uniquely stimulating and persistently challenging.

Nevertheless, people working at legal departments are still only human, with each having their own quirks and perspectives. This short interview series presents candid reflections from several European company lawyers, revealing not just what inspires them within the profession today, but also the alternative paths they might have taken, had they chosen to forgo the legal field entirely.

Waldemar Koper

President
Polish Corporate Lawyers Association

1. What three words would you use to describe what it's like being a General Counsel/Senior legal counsel in your country today?

Business Oriented.Quick.Trusted.

2. Who inspires you in the legal world, and why?

I am inspired by meeting other GCs : from various colleagues met at local conferences till authors of Linkedin posts having same challenges, same roles, same aspirations.

3. What is the one major challenge lawyers face today that you think is underestimated?

Efficiency and speed of legal service delivery processes

4. What is your go-to move when presenting difficult issues to management?

Do not use the terms like “risk” or “you can do it, but…”

5. Can you briefly describe a moment in your career where you had to pull off a 'GC/legal superpower'.

While presenting a difficult legal problem to CEO being at the airport and shortly before departure

6. What part of the job do you find most stressful — and how do you manage it?

Too many tasks to do at the same time – prioritising is the key !

7. If you were not in the legal department, what career path would you like to have taken?

Sportsmen agent😉

8. What is your favorite color?

Navy

Silvia Bonacossa

Senior Legal Counsel
Xerox

1. What three words would you use to describe what it's like being a General Counsel/Senior legal counsel in your country today?

Key resource, Sharing Liabilities, Fast.

2. Who inspires you in the legal world, and why?

Some General Counsel I meet and listen in Conferences and other meeting, mainly within AIGI and ECLA.

3. What is the one major challenge lawyers face today that you think is underestimated?

Interdisciplinary understanding

4. What is your go-to move when presenting difficult issues to management?

To propose first a solution and eventually after to stress that it is important to follow the path indicated to avoid difficulties

5. Can you briefly describe a moment in your career where you had to pull off a 'GC/legal superpower'.

To take the lead with an investigation authority, preserving the GM from the difficult first approach, and stopping the investigation before real start of it.

6. What part of the job do you find most stressful — and how do you manage it?

Do not permit to the anxiety of internal clients to change the priorities you fixed. I manage it explaining one internal client that the priorities you fixed are correct for the company and you’ll be back in time for its needs.

7. If you were not in the legal department, what career path would you like to have taken?

Architect

8. What is your favorite color?

Green

Richard Bacek

General Counsel
Siemens, s.r.o.

1. What three words would you use to describe what it's like being a General Counsel/Senior legal counsel in your country today?

Regulations, changes, technologies.

2. Who inspires you in the legal world, and why?

All my colleagues in Legal Siemens and Czech Company Lawyers Association who are looking forward and do not hesitate to share new ideas.

3. What is the one major challenge lawyers face today that you think is underestimated?

New regulations on modern technologies coming from EU and their implementation in different countries.

4. What is your go-to move when presenting difficult issues to management?

I am always trying to find and explain how the issue can help and promote the business.

5. Can you briefly describe a moment in your career where you had to pull off a 'GC/legal superpower'.

External legal services – no way to hire external lawyer without Legal.

6. What part of the job do you find most stressful — and how do you manage it?

When I need to give negative feedback. Always trying to say something positive not to loose motivation. But sometimes it is not possible and hard decision must be made.

7. If you were not in the legal department, what career path would you like to have taken?

Communication department.

8. What is your favorite color?

Dark blue.

Eric Lennerth

Senior Legal Counsel
Optimizely

1. What three words would you use to describe what it's like being a General Counsel/Senior legal counsel in your country today?

Open minded, structured, pragmatic

2. Who inspires you in the legal world, and why?

The constant changes in the law(s) and the intellectual mindset of fellow colleagues

3. What is the one major challenge lawyers face today that you think is underestimated?

AI and its future as well as the capacity of new lawyers coming from law school.

4. What is your go-to move when presenting difficult issues to management?

Present with a smile and be open to constructive ideas and criticism

5. Can you briefly describe a moment in your career where you had to pull off a 'GC/legal superpower'.

When presenting a legal action plan to the management of a Luxembourgish bank, and I had to use all my knowledge and "skills" during that presentation

6. What part of the job do you find most stressful — and how do you manage it?

I honestly do not find my job stressful.

7. If you were not in the legal department, what career path would you like to have taken?

Travel agent or party maker.

8. What is your favorite color?

#3338FF

Laure Lavorel

Senior Associate General Counsel
Broadcom inc.

1. What three words would you use to describe what it's like being a General Counsel/Senior legal counsel in your country today?

Business influencer

2. Who inspires you in the legal world, and why?

Tech CEO are a great source of inspiration for the GC - their vision helps to move legal practitioners to embrace the 21st century challenges

3. What is the one major challenge lawyers face today that you think is underestimated?

Digital transformation of all industries which implies new regulatory matters, advanced AI tool adoption and change management challenges

4. What is your go-to move when presenting difficult issues to management?

Transparency and solution oriented messages

5. Can you briefly describe a moment in your career where you had to pull off a 'GC/legal superpower'.

Never happened to me

6. What part of the job do you find most stressful — and how do you manage it?

The main challenge is to manage important matters v/s urgent tasks : to me this is the n° 1 challenge of Legal Director. I do manage this challenge by recurring re-assessment and high level of flexibility.

7. If you were not in the legal department, what career path would you like to have taken?

I would have been a diplomat

8. What is your favorite color?

Red - it was the symbol of power and majesty during ancient Greece - in Europe during middle age it became a religious symbol as well as the allegory of love ( wedding dresses were red). It gives me energy.

Stéphanie Fougou

SVP – General Counsel & Board Secretary
Technicolor
President, ECLA

1. What three words would you use to describe what it's like being a General Counsel/Senior legal counsel in your country today?

Agile, forward looking, keep cool head

2. Who inspires you in the legal world, and why?

Simone Veil 1st President of Euroepan Parliament from 1972 to 1982 defnding human rights and European integration and peace between France and Germany

3. What is the one major challenge lawyers face today that you think is underestimated?

All types of transformation simultaneously (Techological, ecological, economical, political) requiring lawyers to remain a point of reference and assurance for CEO’s and requiring lots of nerves

4. What is your go-to move when presenting difficult issues to management?

Honesty, pragmatic, managing risks and keeping some level of humor

5. Can you briefly describe a moment in your career where you had to pull off a 'GC/legal superpower'.

Have some employees get away from a risky country on a boat not scaring anyone that the geopolitical situation was bad

6. What part of the job do you find most stressful — and how do you manage it?

With my colleagues and team support, collectively, keeping a smile and reminding ourselves not to take ourselves too seriouslya nd keep a bit of distance

7. If you were not in the legal department, what career path would you like to have taken?

Pop singer

8. What is your favorite color?

Blue for europe !

Mark Cockerill

Senior Vice President, Legal – Corporate, M&A and International Development
ServiceNow

1. What three words would you use to describe what it's like being a General Counsel/Senior legal counsel in your country today?

Business-focused, Leader, Partner

2. Who inspires you in the legal world, and why?

Lawyers that are playing a wider role in their organisations beyond solely their legal role. Our training prepares us to have great business insights and problem-solving skills and be a bigger part of the business leadership team and we should all lean in to that.

3. What is the one major challenge lawyers face today that you think is underestimated?

Internally – being pigeon-holed or designated as ‘just a lawyer’. Externally - navigation of an uncertain world and seeking to provide clear, logical thinking and advices to problems that are more existential in nature.

4. What is your go-to move when presenting difficult issues to management?

Articulate the problem and the business impact succinctly. Consider that less is more, so hone in on the core issue – not all that you know. Then proffer as many options or solutions as you have, together with your recommendation or suggestion. Don’t be afraid to have an opinion and offer it. Leave the finger-pointing and politics alone, be laser-focused on the issue and what we need to do to address it.

5. Can you briefly describe a moment in your career where you had to pull off a 'GC/legal superpower'.

Building out an international team from scratch. We can be the greatest lawyer and individual contributor in the world, but truly being a great GC involves building a team, developing them and investing in their future. Finding the right talent and importantly the right culture fit is critical to success.

6. What part of the job do you find most stressful — and how do you manage it?

In prior roles, I used to struggle with incompetence in different parts of the business. I expect a lot from myself, my team and those I work with. The job and progressing the business becomes so much harder if you are dealing teams who are not performing at the same level. Simple management of it is to find the right high-performance culture and growth company and know that all are held to the highest of expectations.

7. If you were not in the legal department, what career path would you like to have taken?

Sports commentator.

8. What is your favorite color?

Blue (unless it’s on a football team!)

Joel Cohen

Group Commercial Director
IE7 Group

Legal Director
Peach Loves

1. What three words would you use to describe what it's like being a General Counsel/Senior legal counsel in your country today?

Sisyphean, Inspired, Exciting

2. Who inspires you in the legal world, and why?

Alan Epstein, Willkie Farr – works for most of the major talent and is unbelievably calming, grounded and filled with humility.

3. What is the one major challenge lawyers face today that you think is underestimated?

The constant requests and demands placed on them.

4. What is your go-to move when presenting difficult issues to management?

Asking them to reflect on it first.

5. Can you briefly describe a moment in your career where you had to pull off a 'GC/legal superpower'.

When a JV collapsed, I had to handle it directly to stop it cascading into the public domain.- diplomacy and mediation.

6. What part of the job do you find most stressful — and how do you manage it?

Getting the boss to make decisions – we have 18 companies in the group and 100 employees but he is the major decision maker. He is not around to discuss major decisions but as a private office those decisions rest with him – I have to find where he is and go to him to ensure matters are handled promptly.

7. If you were not in the legal department, what career path would you like to have taken?

Airline pilot.

8. What is your favorite color?

Tropical Sea Blue