Working in a centralized legal department, providing legal advice for global business

Svenja Partu, General Counsel, thyssenkrupp Polysius GmbH, Germany

In-house legal departments serve as the company’s guardians of risk mitigation and internal regulations, balancing the boundaries set by applicable laws and the company’s individual risk portfolio with the company’s desire to make business. One pivotal question that often arises in the process of setting up the internal legal support system in a globally operating company is whether to establish a centralized legal function by having all members of the legal department installed at the head offices, or to rather follow the opposite approach, i.e., to install in-house legal counsels directly at the company’s relevant local offices. This article discusses some of the pros and cons of the named organizational set-up, based on my own personal experience as General Counsel and Head of Legal of a globally operating engineering and construction company. While performing a detailed analysis of the first, I identified that the centralized set-up does bring along many upsides but also provides for several challenges.

Svenja Partu is a seasoned trilingual senior legal director with over 12 years of in-house legal experience. She excels in leading complex construction contract negotiations across various jurisdictions, including the US, South America, Southeast Asia, and Europe, under both civil and common law regimes. Her expertise extends to managing international legal teams, corporate governance, internal restructuring, M&A activities, and carve-out processes. Svenja effectively bridges legal and business needs, fostering collaboration with C-suite executives, sales, finance, and execution teams. Professional Experience Thyssenkrupp Polysius, Germany As Senior Legal Director at Thyssenkrupp Polysius, Svenja provided global legal leadership within a business unit with an order intake volume of €1 billion and 5,000 employees. She led a team of eight lawyers, focusing on drafting and negotiating EPC and EP contracts, long-term service agreements, R&D contracts, M&A transactions, dispute resolution, and corporate legal matters. A notable achievement was the successful out-of-court settlement of an ICC arbitration under Mexican law, involving complex negotiations with multiple stakeholders. Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, Germany Svenja advised sales, procurement, and contract execution teams on industrial projects in South America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. She played a key role in negotiating a major EPC contract with a Bolivian state-owned company, successfully signing one of the business unit’s major contracts in 2016. Thyssenkrupp System Engineering, Germany In this role, Svenja provided legal advice in the automotive sector for all business divisions of the company. She specialized in drafting and negotiating contracts and provided in-house legal training. Her support was crucial for the Lightweight Solutions unit, particularly in negotiating just-in-time supply contracts with OEMs and managing legal issues during contract execution. Languages German (Native) English (Business Fluent) Spanish (Very Good) Education and Training Svenja is a fully qualified lawyer with education from the Regional Appeal Court in Hamm and the University of Muenster. She has completed specialized training in leadership, corporate governance, and various legal areas. Svenja Partu’s extensive legal experience, multilingual skills, and leadership abilities make her a valuable asset to any multinational corporation. Her strategic alignment of legal and business objectives ensures successful outcomes in complex global environments.

Thyssenkrupp Polysius is a partner and a full range-supplier of the cement industry, leading the way to a more sustainable cement business. Providing green tech, digital and automation solutions, on-site and remote services, thyssenkrupp Polysius is the number one partner for its customers whether in new build plants, products and machines or services.