The Global Stage - Reason for a Change in the Role and Understanding of the Legal Department?

Martin Wagener, Attorney at Law, Audi, Germany

Globalisation requires that we take a different view of the role and significance of a legal department of a globally acting enterprise. This thesis is represented here. The authors reflect on the original way of looking at a legal department, point out the reasons for a change of that point of view and prove by using practical examples how such change has influenced our thinking and acting.

The authors are Dr. Martin Wagener, General Counsel of the AUDI AG, and Jochen Buff, Counsel. Both are members of international legal associations and have work expertise in several jurisdictions.

AUDI AG is a world-wide leading manufacturer of premium segment cars. It has more than 50.000,00 employees in Germany and has a company-wide legal service of about 150 lawyers in all kind of countries