“There is big pressure on the specialisation of in-house lawyers and pressure on the GC to cut external expenses.”

An interview with Csaba Csorba, Deputy General Legal Counsel at Skoda Transportation in Czech Republic.

How would you describe the state of the GC Community in your region? How has it changed since you first moved in-house?

According to my experience, companies are realising more and more that it is good for them to create and keep a reasonably large legal department. This was not always the case in the Czech Republic as many companies, even big ones, relied solely on external lawyers. In recent years I have also seen big pressure on the specialisation of in-house lawyers and pressure on the GC to cut external expenses as much as possible.

Why is expanding your network important to you? What kinds of connections or discussions would be most valuable to you?

Expanding the network is important for me to share valuable experience. Much of this is in recognition of the above-mentioned pressure on specialisation and internalisation of the largest possible amount of legal work. Expanding the network is also beneficial to keep open eyes on other work possibilities in other companies.

What do you want to achieve by collaborating with other GCs and senior in-house lawyers? Are there specific topics, challenges, or experiences you’d like to share or learn more about?

Please refer to my previous answers. I will also add that it is necessary to also share how to motivate the legal team, how to prevent high employee fluctuation and also generally to share legal related HR-trends.