The role of a company lawyer and/or legal director and the role of a legal department has always been at the centre of Bignon De Keyser’s activities.

In the course of the last few years, we have seen a large number of changes to the role of legal within companies. In the past the relationship between legal and the business has not always been easy and has sometimes been affected by a lack of trust and mutual understanding.

With the increasing importance of the law, the relationship has evolved. It is today more and more recognised that law is a key instrument in the competitiveness of companies and serves as a key tool in realising strategic objectives.

We notice :

• Numerous environmental changes that impact the role of the company lawyer (new types of legal rights and obligations and issues, digitalisation, globalisation)
• The increasing role of legal and that the resulting wider scope for intervention by lawyers
• An improved positioning of legal departments in the company governance
• New roles for lawyers (especially in connection with the digital transformation) and the expected competencies
• New specialisations and new work methods
• Changed relationships between company lawyers and law firms (make or buy)
• A desire to increase the profile of company lawyers (the profitability and the value creation are also relevant to company lawyers)