General counsel have given their vision of the law department of the future in the run-up to the GC Futures Summit 2016. A general counsel at a large financial institution described it as 'savvy, business aware, operating at the heart of and with the business, the fulcrum of risk mitigation and opportunity enabler. Regarded by the business as part of the business and not as an ivory tower or cost centre, comprised of individuals who are regarded as trusted advisers and who have a known internal and external profile, respected, relied upon and invaluable to the business.'

Technological advances

The head of legal at an international energy company said that the department should be 'lean but highly capable, taking full advantage of technological advances. A true business partner,' whilst the general counsel at a leisure company described the future department as having 'flattened structures combining different skills and capabilities operating in the company as business partners of the business side.' The lawyers should be 'efficient translators' between the business reality and the legal practice, and 'guardians of the necessary balance between business progress and entreprenurial risk.' 

Innovation

The GC Futures Summit  will look at innovation in the department of the future, with speakers including Phil Auld, Head of Legal, Digital & Specialist Commercial, Lloyds Banking Group; Will Scrimshaw, Head of Skype Consumer Legal; Ruth Murphy, Chief Counsel, Business and Public Sector, BT; Umar Yasin, Director, Quislex and Alessandro Galtiere, Legal Director, Corporate Law and Data Protection, Colt. For further information, please email benmartin@globalcitymedia.com.