Legal Project Manager at the European Company Lawyers Association (ECLA)
Ruud van Herpen is the Global Chief Legal Officer at Xebia, a global AI-first consulting, software engineering, and training company. Based in the Netherlands, the interview touches on the role of legal and on the in-house profession in general.
In recent years, the European Commission has taken a proactive stance in approving state aid measures aimed at bolstering strategic sectors across Europe.
* Executive Order: Trump revoked security clearances and federal contracts for law firm Perkins Coie on March 6. * Motive: The directive targets the firm's 2016 representation of Hillary Clinton and ties to the Trump-Russia probe. * Pattern: Follows a late-February order targeting Covington & Burling over its association with Special
* ABA Condemnation: The American Bar Association (ABA) formally criticized the administration's systematic intimidation of judges and lawyers, warning of severe threats to judicial independence and the separation of powers. * Judicial Interference: The administration is utilizing baseless corruption accusations and impeachment demands to influence court rulings and foster political
* EU Sanctions Helpdesk: The European Commission launched a compliance and due diligence platform for SMEs navigating EU restrictive measures. * Platform Constraints: Targets responses within 5-10 days. Excludes third-country sanctions. Advice carries no official EU legal liability. * Sanctions Expansion: EU policy shifted from targeted individual penalties to broad, sector-wide economic embargoes
In the global legal landscape, the role of the General Counsel (GC) is evolving rapidly, driven by advancements in technology and shifting corporate demands. e-Estonia—a pioneer in digital governance and innovation—offers fertile ground for reimagining what the next generation of General Counsel can achieve. As the nation continues
These landmark decisions will not only set the tone for future DMA enforcement but can also affirm the Commission’s readiness to act decisively against gatekeepers who fail to meet their regulatory responsibilities.
For European counsel, the episode offers a stark, transatlantic illustration of how legal institutions—long assumed to be neutral instruments of justice—can become entangled in political retribution, in particular in a country that has long praised itself as a bastion of freedom.
The European Commission has escalated its regulatory scrutiny of TikTok, with multiple investigations now converging under the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The European Union has unveiled a sweeping International Digital Strategy aimed at redefining how the bloc engages with the digital transformations of the wider world
The cases concern separate sectors, the online food delivery industry and the pharmaceutical ingredients market.
This has led courts to be overwhelmed by hallucinated case law or non-existent authorities being used as part of legal arguments. Additionally, the case shows that the judiciary themselves also might not fully understand the technical functioning of AI.