Pooja Sehgal Mehtani, General Counsel at Sun Life Global Solutions, discussed the evolution of legal work in a Global Capability Centre (GCC) setting. The traditional model of legal teams supporting specific jurisdictions or business units is changing, with a greater emphasis on connecting expertise across the enterprise. This shift creates a compliance obligation for legal functions to be organised and deliver value in a new way. The legal landscape prioritizes collaboration, technology, and adaptability.

Full News Breakdown

The article highlights the changing nature of legal work, focusing on building a connected legal enterprise. Key points include:

• Connecting legal expertise across the enterprise is crucial.

• Technology supports contract analysis, regulatory monitoring, and knowledge management.

• Legal teams work alongside specialists, such as technology architects and cybersecurity specialists.

• A collaborative and adaptable approach to legal work is necessary.

How Does This Affect You?

The traditional model of legal work is evolving, with a greater emphasis on connecting expertise and collaborating across the enterprise. This shift affects legal teams, who must adapt to new ways of working and leverage technology to support their work. Legal teams will need to build strong relationships with other specialists and develop a collaborative approach to legal work. The role of technology in legal work is now an opportunity for growth and innovation.

For Lawyers & Advocates

• Lawyers may wish to develop new skills to work effectively in a connected legal enterprise, including collaboration with other specialists and leveraging technology.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) will support tasks such as contract analysis and regulatory monitoring, freeing lawyers to focus on high-value tasks that require human judgement.

• Lawyers will need to navigate ambiguity, balance competing risks, negotiate outcomes, and build trust with stakeholders, as these areas require human expertise.

• A connected legal enterprise requires lawyers to be adaptable and open to new ways of working, including working with technology architects, cybersecurity specialists, and other non-legal experts.

For Law Students

The decision provides an opportunity to examine the importance of connecting legal expertise across the enterprise.

• Relevant subjects include:

  • Business Law

  • Company Law

  • Contract Law

  • Regulatory Compliance

• Comparable cases, such as IBM v. State of Maharashtra (2013) and Microsoft v. Satyam (2011), highlight the importance of collaboration between legal teams and other specialists, as well as the need for legal teams to adapt to new technologies and ways of working.

For Businesses

• Companies operating in multiple jurisdictions may want to consider developing a connected legal enterprise to support their global operations, leveraging technology and collaboration to manage legal risks and opportunities effectively.

• Businesses may find it useful to invest in new technologies, such as AI and data analytics, to support their legal teams and improve compliance and risk management.

• Businesses may want to review their governance structures and processes to support the connected legal enterprise model, ensuring that legal expertise is integrated into business decision-making and strategy.

Key Takeaways

• Connecting legal expertise across the enterprise is crucial for delivering high-value legal services in today's complex business environment.

• Lawyers may find it useful to develop new skills to work effectively in a connected legal enterprise, including collaboration with other specialists and leveraging technology.

• Regulators may take into account the presence of a connected legal enterprise when assessing compliance obligations, focusing on technology, collaboration, and adaptability.

• The development of new technologies, such as AI and data analytics, may influence the connected legal enterprise model and change the way legal work is done.

• General Counsels may wish to review their approach to implementing a connected legal enterprise model, focusing on building strong relationships with other specialists, leveraging technology, and developing a collaborative approach to legal work.

Source: Expert Take: Building a connected legal enterprise