Legal
Manager of the Year 2022

Antigone Papangelopoulou

GENERAL COUNSEL
SOUTH EAST EUROPE, 3M





As a lawyer, I believe my role can be divided into three areas.

The first is traditional legal work, such as providing legal advice, managing litigation, and drafting contracts.

The second involves managing resources, technology, and ensuring alignment with the company’s goals – this is what I refer to as legal operations.

The third area is where I believe the role of the lawyer is evolving. It involves acquiring an entrepreneurial spirit, understanding and influencing business strategy, and developing emotional intelligence. This is what I call the “new” lawyer.

In addition to these legal duties, lawyers also play a crucial role in shaping a company’s image, which is why compliance and communication skills are so important. Technology has also become an integral part of the legal profession, making many administrative tasks easier and faster, which allows us to focus on more interesting aspects of our work.

Personally, I am fascinated by the potential of artificial intelligence in our profession. Ultimately, I believe that laws are the foundation, but the real challenge is to create a ‘complete’ professional by adopting an innovative approach to our profession.