Artificial intelligence, data protection, digital resilience, ESG requirements, compliance obligations and new accessibility standards are just some of the legal challenges facing a universal bank like Spuerkeess. Against a backdrop of ever-expanding regulation, the legal function has become far more than a guardian of compliance—it is now a key enabler of transformation.

"Today's legal professionals are expected to go well beyond providing legal advice in isolation," says Marilène Marques, Senior Vice President & Head of Legal Department at Spuerkeess. "Our role is to anticipate regulatory developments, support technological innovation alongside IT, business and risk teams, and contribute to transformation projects from the earliest stages of their design."

Behind every new digital service, customer onboarding journey or technological innovation lies extensive legal work, from interpreting regulations and anticipating future requirements to coordinating stakeholders throughout the transformation process.

From gatekeeper to business partner

The legal function has evolved considerably in recent years. Once viewed primarily as a control or approval function, it is now an integral part of driving change. As European regulations continue to multiply and technology evolves faster than the legal frameworks governing it, legal teams have become true transformation partners. "Our role is not to slow projects down or stand in the way," says Marilène Marques. "We see ourselves as facilitators, helping our colleagues navigate regulatory complexity while remaining pragmatic and solution-oriented."

We see ourselves as facilitators, helping our colleagues navigate regulatory complexity while remaining pragmatic and solution-oriented.

Marilène Marques, Senior Vice President & Head of Legal Department, Spuerkeess

Much of this work remains invisible to customers, yet it directly shapes their banking experience. Delivering simple, intuitive digital journeys requires banks to integrate an ever-growing range of regulatory requirements, from Know Your Customer (KYC) obligations and fraud prevention to data protection and transaction security.

Making compliance simpler and more transparent

"When we ask customers to provide documents or specific information, there is always a reason," says Marilène Marques. "These requests stem from regulatory obligations designed to protect customers, safeguard their transactions and preserve the trust that sits at the heart of the banking relationship."

The challenge is to make these requirements as clear, transparent and frictionless as possible. "We place great emphasis on making our documentation easier to understand, simplifying processes and clearly explaining regulatory requirements," she says. "Our objective is to help customers understand what is expected of them while making every step of the process as straightforward as possible."

This approach, often referred to as legal design, focuses on making legal communication more accessible while designing processes around customers' needs. At the same time, the bank continues to standardise and automate selected procedures to deliver a smoother customer experience without compromising compliance or security.

Building compliance into every process

"The key is finding the right balance between regulatory requirements and user experience," says Marilène Marques. "By working alongside project teams from the outset, we can explore how new technologies can simplify processes while strengthening security and ensuring consistent controls."

Legal teams have become trusted business partners, helping bring new products and services to market within a robust regulatory framework. Increasingly, compliance is embedded directly into the bank's processes and systems rather than added afterwards. "We follow a 'compliance by design' approach," she explains. "Our aim is to integrate regulatory requirements as early as possible in the process, reducing operational risk and limiting manual intervention wherever it makes sense."

A legal function that is transforming too

The transformation extends to the Legal Department itself. Automation, centralised knowledge management, improved workflow tools and the exploration of AI are reshaping the way legal teams operate. "Whether through artificial intelligence, digitalisation or automation, technology is helping us become more efficient—not only within the Legal Department but across the bank," says Marilène Marques. "It enables us to automate routine processes, accelerate legal research and manage our activities more effectively. As a result, we can shorten response times and handle a greater volume of legal matters."

She is equally clear, however, that technology must be introduced responsibly. "These tools need to be deployed with sound judgement and appropriate governance. While technology enhances efficiency, it can never replace legal judgement or professional responsibility. In a banking sector built on trust and compliance, accountability for legal analysis, decision-making and professional judgement will always remain with people."

Broadening legal expertise

These technologies are creating new opportunities across the organisation, and the Legal Department plays a central role in ensuring that new use cases comply with regulatory requirements and support the bank's broader activities.

For legal leaders, this means expanding their own skill set. "The modern legal professional needs to be far more multidisciplinary," says Marilène Marques. "They must understand emerging technologies, collaborate effectively with technical teams, anticipate risks and translate complex regulations into practical business processes."

Safeguarding trust in a changing environment

This ability to anticipate change has become increasingly important as regulation continues to evolve. "Regulatory simplification is currently high on the European agenda," notes Marilène Marques. "But even where simplification efforts are under way, banks must continue to uphold the highest standards of security, compliance and customer protection."

In this context, the legal function has become one of the bank's strongest pillars of trust. "Trust remains the foundation of every banking relationship," she concludes. "It is built on rules that are understood and properly applied, robust and transparent processes, and innovation that is implemented responsibly. Helping to create that trust is precisely the role of the Legal Department."

Want to learn more? Access all Spuerkeess content here.