Ghita says understanding data is a must for tech lawyers
In a global company like software organization BlueCat Networks, being able to navigate legal issues across multiple jurisdictions is a must. Speaking to Lexpert, general counsel Alex Ghita says that this is one of the more challenging yet distinctly interesting parts of his role.
“[It’s] always an interesting challenge with a global company like this,” he says. “Addressing compliance when you have that global presence can sometimes feel like you're navigating a real maze of local regulations and requirements. Privacy, employment, export regulations, sanctions, marketing – all of these things have local nuances when you're sitting in a global company.”
Ghita approaches this myriad of challenges by pinpointing the things that “move the needle” – the things that matter most to its people, its partners, and its customers.
“What are the big rocks to focus on because you can't focus on everything,” he says. “We have really good local counsel that advises us in our key countries. Obviously, we comply with the requirements we’re subject to. But one of the things that I always press a local counsel for, and I select local counsel based on their ability to do this, is to give me a practical sense of how other tech companies are thinking about these things and the practical steps they’re seeing. What are they seeing in practice around compliance with these requirements in those local jurisdictions?”
Ghita also stays close to a network of tech peers with whom he regularly discusses these complex global challenges. This helps him better understand compliance across all locations and sectors of the business – something that helps when a large percentage of his workforce operates overseas.
“We have people in Canada, we have people in the US, we have people in the UK, in Germany, Iceland, Serbia, we have people in Japan – all parts of the world,” says Ghita. “That's where the complexity comes in, in making sure that you have a practical way of addressing the requirements that you have in all these different places. You have to understand both what the requirements are, but also in practice what companies in your industry are doing. It’s just as important.”
Staying abreast of all these different regulations is all in a day’s work for Ghita. Being part of that fast-paced tech world means he’s somewhat used to being quick on his feet. And for in-house counsel in tech companies like BlueCat, it’s important to stay agile and adaptive and always keep your finger on the pulse.
“Being in tech as a legal team [means] being close to your product teams – truly understanding what their roadmap is and what they're building because things in tech move really quickly. However, they also move according to a plan. One thing my team and I do is have regular engagement with our development teams to understand their roadmap, what they're building, what their release calendar is going to be – and make sure that we anticipate and we work alongside that.”
One area here that’s moving faster than most is data privacy – especially in the era of cloud services and generative AI. Ghita explains that keeping on top of this is a top priority for both himself and his team.
“It's a key trust factor with all of our customers,” he says. “We are in a pretty privileged position where we do business with some of the largest enterprises in the world. For us, the way we treat their data, the way we protect their data, is fundamental to earn the trust of those customers. We’re very transparent with our customers in terms of how we use their data and what we do with it. [For my team] keeping in touch with customer’s expectations in terms of data requirements is fundamental.
“I think it's almost impossible to be a tech lawyer without understanding that data piece. Data conversations are the ones that you have most often with your customers to explain how you handle their data and how you secure it.”
And, as with all in-house successes, the key to thriving is having a strong and supportive team around you. As Ghita explains, his leadership style is a blend of helping hands and strategic direction.
“I always begin by looking at what our key priorities are,” he explains. “There are times when my team needs an extra pair of hands to help them with the day-to-day work because there’s more work than they can handle. There’s too much stress in the system. I’m always happy to do that.
“It gives me a chance to mentor the team. It also helps me stay connected to what’s happening in our business. So when I have to drive a strategic project, when I have to engage with other leaders, I feel like I have a good perspective across multiple parts of our business – because we touch so many different parts of the business. It’s important to me to stay close to what's happening day-to-day so that I can have that understanding of what's happening on the ground.”
