The business lawyer in the age of AI:  Between legal expertise and strategic understanding

When I started my career 26 years ago, legal value meant identifying solid legal grounds, building arguments, and effectively synthesising information. Today, much of this can be automated. More and more clients I work with say the same thing – they want lawyers who also understand business. Without this, legal advice risks becoming disconnected from actual business decisions.

This realisation led me to pursue an Executive MBA. I was admitted to SDA Bocconi in Milan, ranked among the top three business schools in the world (Financial Times, three years in a row), and for the past two years, I’ve been part of a programme designed to prepare future CEOs – leaders with a transversal, systemic understanding of organisations.

I was the only lawyer among 200 managers. That made me reflect: how committed are we, as lawyers, to learning business thinking? Do we value this competence as part of our future? Are we ready to push past our comfort zones to build this interdisciplinary bridge?

This journey gave me a dual perspective. I came to understand both the limits we face as legal professionals. and the untapped potential of our work when those limits are strategically addressed.

Why do I believe the future of business law is multidisciplinary?

1. In a world flooded with information, value lies in connecting insights across domains, not in mastering a single one.
2. Relevant solutions arise at the intersection of legal, financial, commercial, and operational expertise.
3. To truly understand why a client is asking something ­– not just what – we need insight into their internal logic, dynamics, and motivations.

This transformation isn’t easy:

1. Revisiting math, accounting, and financial concepts can be tough for lawyers trained in the humanities, but it’s essential for understanding corporate decisions.
2. Balancing this learning with a demanding legal career (and often family life) requires discipline and clarity of purpose.
3. EMBA team projects show how the legal function fits into a broader vision. It’s a constant exercise in adaptation, collaboration, and humility.

What does an elite EMBA bring?

• It pushes you to overcome mental limits and learn new, applicable skills;
• It shifts your mindset: success becomes a team achievement, not a solo performance;
• It builds intercultural fluency in a diverse environment;
• It fosters genuine, lasting relationships ­– deeper than those formed at any networking event; and
• Most importantly, it teaches that real value lies in relevance: delivering legal advice that truly serves business needs.

In the end, staying relevant in business law today is about more than mastering legal language or English. It’s about understanding the language of business: how organisations think, decide, and act. This takes effort, and is the price we must pay to bring real, perceived value to the clients we serve.

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As Founding Partner of Hategan Attorneys, Ioana Hategan is responsible for managing the firm and is the Leader of the M&A and Private Equity Practice.