How Legal Departments can Strategically Contribute to Corporate Success

Christian Haitz, Senior Group Counsel, HERITAGE B

“Historically, the in-house counsel position was considered a dusty professional legal service essentially dealing with dispute resolution; rarely was the in-house counsel expected to be involved in strategic thinking”. When this statement was made in 2003, it was definitely correct for the past. Over the last 14 years, there has been a tremendous development of in-house legal services and its providers, the Legal Departments Form today’s perspective, it is undisputed that the role of Chief Legal Officers and General Counsel still undergoes a shift from reactive to proactive advice, from mere providing legal advice towards joining the business team and participate in business decisions. Today, in-house counsel must not only demonstrate the technical mastery of the law but are required to take a long-term perspective, which further require knowledge of history, culture, human nature and institutions.