We are pleased to introduce Alessandro Galtieri, Deputy General Counsel at Colt, a key player in the legal landscape of the telecommunications industry.
Alessandro has played an instrumental role in navigating complex regulatory environments and leading significant acquisitions. With a career that spans both private practice and in-house roles, he offers a wealth of experience and insights into the evolving responsibilities of corporate legal departments.
In this interview, Alessandro shares his proudest achievements, the nuances of transitioning from private practice to in-house, and his vision for the future of in-house legal work. He also provides valuable advice for aspiring in-house lawyers and reflects on the importance of mentorship and continuous learning.
Read on to learn more about Alessandro’s journey.
Since working at Colt, what have you worked on that you are most proud of?
Colt has purchased the EMEA activities of the American competitor Lumen for US$1,800,000,000. I have negotiated the several agreements needed for the acquisition, and my team have obtained 18 regulatory approvals in 15 countries – we’re now integrating almost 50 companies in 28 countries. The complexity was -to say the least- significant, and I am very proud of how my team handled the many unforeseen complications throughout the process.
How does being an in-house lawyer compare with other roles you had previously?
I’ve been in-house too long! I was offered the chance to go in-house very soon in my career and I have never looked back – I respect my colleagues in private practice but I am very happy with my lot!
Looking back on your legal career would you have done anything differently with the benefit of hindsight?
I use to believe that technical skills were paramount, and I strived to be an expert in my field. But at the end of the day businesses are run by people and being good at dealing with people trumps legal technical knowledge hands down every time.
What advice would you give to someone looking to move from private practice to in-house?
Along the same lines of what I said before – disabuse yourself very quickly that you have been hired and that you will be valued because of your legal knowledge. Your job is to understand the business and help your colleagues in other functions to run it effectively, managing legal, regulatory, and -increasingly- reputational risk. You need to be a problem solver, not an issue spotter – there are no medals for that particular skill in-house.
Did you have a mentor at any point in your career? If not – what is your opinion of mentorships?
I did have a magnificent supervising partner when I was a trainee who then became a mentor, and I’ve had also a senior lawyer mentoring occasionally when I was more junior. I now try to give back by mentoring younger colleagues (not necessarily lawyers) and I believe mentoring can be extremely helpful. So is coaching, by the way, and the two are often confused but shouldn’t be – coaching can be an incredible driver of personal (and professional) growth.
How do you see the in-house role changing in the next ten years?
The same way it has changed in the last ten years….going even faster! Jokes aside, I think we’ll see an increase in in-house work – with the capability-enhancing technologies we are seeing, such as Gen AI, in-house lawyers will have less need to use outside counsel for a number of routine, BAU, activities. They will also be able to manage a larger portion of important deals, as there will less need for the large numbers of lawyers that at the moment only outside counsel (or alternative providers) can offer.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I have just completed an MBA so I did not really have much time! But now that it’s done, I can go back to my preferred pastimes: jogging, reading, and cooking (not necessarily in this order!).
You are interested in travel, what places are still on your list to visit and what is your most enjoyable type of break?
I love discovering new places – my list would be faaaaar too long for this article! But top of the list are probably Japan and China. I also have a soft spot for some places I’ve visited and loved – Barcelona, Norway, and Alsace spring to mind.
