Anna Maria Lagerqvist Gahm

As a strategic and forward-thinking legal executive, I lead global initiatives at the intersection of innovation, compliance, and operational excellence. In my role as VP, Head of Global IP, Digital Compliance, and Legal Operations, I oversee a broad and dynamic area including Intellectual Property Strategy & Protection: Driving our global IP strategy to safeguard innovation, enhance competitive advantage, and align with business growth across diverse markets. Digital Compliance & Data Privacy: Leading enterprise-wide digital risk management, working proactively with compliance within the evolving global data privacy and digital regulatory landscape. Legal Operations: Transforming legal service delivery through technology, process optimization, and data-driven decision-making. I champion legal innovation, vendor management, and operational scalability to support a high-performing legal function. Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborating with executive stakeholders across R&D, IT, Regulatory, and Commercial teams to align strategies with business objectives and foster a culture of compliance, innovation and operational excellence.

Head of an international team with global corporate responsibility for IP, Data Privacy and the legal aspects of Digitalisation and our digitalised products and service offering. My teams practice covers both contentious and non-contentious matters, commercial agreements with IP in focus, licensing of IP, commercialization of IP, outsourcing, open source, technology transfer, IoT and cloud computing, software licensing, IP litigation and data privacy as well as an inhouse IP & Digital Law function's everyday tasks such as to oversee prosecution of IP rights, enforcement and litigation, manage the network of outside counsels, setting up and implementing relevant policies and procedures but also setting up the overall strategies for the creation, protection, defence, enforcement and exploitation of IP assets with a focus on aligning IP strategies with the overall business strategies ensuring long term innovation leadership and increased return on investment on IP.

Lawyer, member of the Swedish Bar Association, expert within IP and IT law and head of the IP and IT team in Gothenburg. Over 20+ years of experience advising on intellectual property law and information technology law. Practice covering both contentious and non-contentious matters with a focus on commercial agreements, licensing, commercialization of IP, outsourcing, open source, technology transfer and litigation. Vast experience in setting up strategies for the creation, protection, defence, enforcement and exploitation of IP assets with a focus on aligning IP strategies with overall business strategies ensuring long term innovation leadership for her clients and increase return on investment on IP. Developed and headed several successful IP teams and is a frequent speaker at international IP and IT forums.

Senior IP Counsel at Volvo Car Corporation with global corporate responsibility for providing legal advice on all IP related matters within Volvo Car Corporation. Standing member of Volvo Car Corporations cross-functional Core Business Alliance team coordinating all alliances within Volvo Cars building up and negotiating cooperation agreements with external partners, with a special focus on IP and tax strategies as well as technology transfer with the purpose of mitigating risk and positioning IP at every stage of the deal-making process. Setting up new strategies for the creation, protection, defense, enforcement and exploitation of IP assets with a focus on aligning the IP strategy with the business strategy ensuring a long-term innovation leadership for Volvo Cars. Evaluating and reporting trends and risks in the constantly changing competitive landscape of the automotive industry and improving and upgrading internal and external processes to drive value, to gain commercial advantage and increase return on investment on IP. Reviewing and improving strategies, routines and guidelines for data and trade secret management, driving and coordinating IP litigations and assertions and support procurement, legal, R&D and tax on various contracts such as supply, outsourcing, development and collaboration, licensing with a focus on software, advisory and consultancy agreements etc.

Senior Partner and part of the executive management team. Actively participating in the long term and short term overall business development and responsible for the management of key accounts.

Manager of the Legal Department with overall responsibility for budget, financial result, staff, recruitment, quality, routines and division of work. Direct responsibility over the department’s local managers including salary, individual development plans, resource management etc. and the overall responsibility for the department’s marketing and sales. Member of Valea’s management team and participate in the long term and short term overall business development and act as advisor to the senior management. Responsible for training and team building activities for Valea’s entire staff during our yearly conferences with business development as a primary focus.

Responsible for building and establishing legal services and legal departments in Verisign Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway and France.