Adam Synnott
(Oic: EY Law)
In an era defined by trade wars, sanctions regimes, climate obligations, global conflicts and sweeping technology regulation, geopolitics has moved from the margins to the mainstream of corporate strategy, writes Adam Synnott.
For Ireland’s general counsel (GCs), this shift is not theoretical, it’s operational.
According to this year’s EY Law General Counsel Study, 83% of Irish GCs say geopolitical tensions are already reshaping their roles, demanding a new kind of legal leadership that is proactive, strategic, and globally attuned.
Irish legal departments are today facing increasing complexity; from AI regulation to ESG compliance, the pace of change is accelerating.
‘More with less’
Yet, GCs are expected to do more with less; navigating risk, advising boards, and driving transformation, often without the resources or mandate to match.
Our recent survey also revealed that, while many GCs recognise the need for change, few have the bandwidth to lead it.
The survey also found that 70% of Irish GCs cite regulatory change as a major challenge, and 73% are concerned about AI and automation, both areas deeply shaped by geopolitical forces.
These pressures are not just legal or technical; they are strategic, and they demand a broader, more agile response from the legal function.
This is not just a legal challenge; it’s a strategic one. The growing role of geopolitics in influencing how businesses operate has in turn changed the mandate of GCs: their role is evolving from legal adviser to strategic enabler.
Legal leaders must now interpret global volatility through a legal lens and translate it into actionable business decisions.
GCs ‘uniquely influential’
The impact of geopolitics for businesses is subtle and systemic, showing up in rules, frameworks, and reporting obligations that cover areas such as tariffs on imports, restrictions on cross-border data transfers, evolving sustainability standards and sanctions on counterparties.
Each requires legal interpretation, rapid adaptation, and clear guidance for senior management.
This positions the GC as a uniquely influential actor who, unlike other executives, sits at the intersection of law, regulation, and corporate strategy.
Boards and chief executives are increasingly relying on GCs to monitor global developments, distil and articulate key messages, educate leadership teams, and forecast implications for strategy and operations.
Remaining compliant isn’t enough anymore; it’s about anticipating disruption before it strikes.
Collaboration
The breadth of geopolitical impacts is too wide for many in-house legal teams to cover comprehensively.
Sanctions updates in Washington may ripple into a procurement contract in Dublin; a new EU sustainability rule may change disclosure requirements in New York; an AI regulation could alter governance practices globally.
Developments that once took years now arrive in months. Even the most capable and well-resourced GCs will find it challenging to track, assess, and operationalise all of these developments in real time.
This makes collaboration essential. Increasingly, GCs are working closely with external specialists who can bring insight and expertise across multiple domains and geographies.
The challenge for the GC is to integrate those insights into the business, providing the board with clear and actionable guidance.
From challenge to action: four priorities
Geopolitical change will remain a defining context for business. Legal leaders cannot afford to treat it as background noise. They must be at the centre of the response, shaping strategy as much as compliance.
For Irish GCs and the wider executive teams, four priorities stand out:
1) Build early warning systems by putting structured processes in place to track regulatory and geopolitical developments in real time and translate them into actionable insights for the board.
2) Invest in multi-disciplinary collaboration. No single legal team can monitor every risk vector, so drawing on external expertise and cross-functional input from compliance, tax, technology, and ESG is essential.
3) Elevate the GC’s voice in strategy. The GC should not be seen as a compliance gatekeeper or a brake on innovation, but as a proactive contributor to board-level discussions on risk, growth and resilience.
4) Plan for agility, not just compliance. Contracts, supply chains and governance frameworks must be designed to flex as global rules shift, ensuring the business can adapt quickly without sacrificing integrity or competitiveness.
For GCs, this is both a challenge and an opportunity: to step up as interpreters of global change and position the legal function as a strategic enabler of resilience.
For chief executives and boards, it means leaning on their GCs – not just to keep them out of trouble, but to help them anticipate the future.
This was echoed at the EY Ireland General Counsel Forum round-table, which took place on 22 October, which explored how the GC can lead a business through geopolitical complexity and shape strategic resilience and competitiveness in this rapidly changing world.
The GC’s evolution into a trusted business adviser is not just a trend, it’s a necessity in today’s global landscape.
Adam D Synnott is partner and head of corporate, M&A, and structuring at EY Law Ireland.