Q&A with Former Chief Legal Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery
We caught up with Savalle Sims, former Chief Legal Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery in New York, to get her take on some of the hottest legal questions in the market right now. She shares her perspective on how the General Counsel role is evolving, how legal teams are keeping up with new technology and growing regulatory demands, and what all of this means for junior lawyers and those coming up through the ranks.
How has the role of the General Counsel evolved in recent years?
The role of the General Counsel has evolved significantly from that of a traditional legal advisor, to a core strategic partner within the business. Today’s GCs are expected not only to identify and mitigate risk, but also to help evaluate, shape, and enable key business initiatives and strategic priorities.
This shift reflects a broader expectation that GCs bring a commercial mindset to their work, balancing legal considerations with business objectives and helping organisations move forward thoughtfully and efficiently. In many cases,
the GC now serves as a trusted advisor to the CEO and board, with a voice in decision-making that extends well beyond legal issues to encompass governance, reputation, and long-term strategy."
At the same time, the role has expanded in scope, often including oversight of areas such as compliance, ESG, risk management, and government affairs, further reinforcing the GC’s position as a valuable senior contributor to the enterprise.
What skills and capabilities are currently most in demand for in-house lawyers?
Many organisations are seeking in-house lawyers who pair deep subject matter expertise with strong business judgment. The ability to prioritise, focusing on what truly matters, and to make sound, practical decisions in real time is critical.
A growth mindset is also essential, as legal and regulatory landscapes continue to evolve. Equally important are collaboration and communication skills, translating complex legal issues into clear, actionable guidance across the business.
What legal trends have you observed as particularly significant?
Three trends stand out:
- The rapid evolution of legal and regulatory frameworks around AI, requiring companies to navigate novel risks while enabling innovation.
- The continued expansion of privacy and data protection regimes globally, with increasing complexity and enforcement.
- A marked rise in international regulatory and reporting obligations, demanding greater coordination and consistency across jurisdictions.
What excites you most about AI, and what risks or challenges do you think it introduces?
From a legal perspective, what is most exciting about AI is its potential to take on time-consuming, lower-complexity tasks, freeing up lawyers, particularly more junior team members, to focus on higher-value, more strategic work. It also creates the opportunity to provide faster, more accessible support to internal clients, whether through streamlined responses to routine questions or more efficient generation of standard agreements and compliance materials.
At the same time, AI introduces meaningful risks. Issues around accuracy, confidentiality, attorney-client privilege, and data privacy remain top of mind...
as does the need for clear governance around how these tools are deployed and relied upon. Striking the right balance between innovation and control will be critical.
How do you see AI impacting legal teams in the future?
AI is likely to reshape the structure and workflow of legal teams. It may reduce the need for hiring junior lawyers to handle routine tasks, while also changing how junior talent is trained and developed as traditional learning opportunities evolve.
At the same time, AI has the potential to significantly reduce workload by automating repetitive work, allowing legal teams to operate more efficiently and focus on higher-value, strategic matters. The challenge will be ensuring that teams continue to build judgment and expertise while adapting to a more technology-enabled model.
What are your projections for the legal industry over the next five years?
The legal industry will likely continue to become more technology-enabled, with AI driving greater efficiency and reshaping how routine work is performed. Legal teams are likely to become leaner and more strategically focused, with increased emphasis on business partnership rather than pure legal analysis.At the same time, the regulatory environment may become less predictable, rather than uniformly more complex, particularly in the U.S., while continuing to expand in other jurisdictions. This divergence will place a premium on judgment, adaptability, and the ability to operate across shifting and sometimes inconsistent frameworks.
As a result, the most effective lawyers will be those who can combine legal expertise with commercial insight, navigate ambiguity, and provide steady, practical guidance in an evolving landscape.
We’d love to hear your thoughts. If anything here resonates. If you are looking to add to your legal team with high-impact talent who are on the forefront of the changes within the UK Legal Market, reach out to our specialist team who can provide guidance and tailored insights. Alternatively, explore our dedicated Legal hiring page to learn about some of the hiring briefs we’ve already successfully delivered for clients.
