Global lessons on disrupting differently with Alice Flacco

For Alice Flacco, General Counsel at MicroPort Scientific Corporation, disruption isn’t about breaking the system – it’s about making it work better. After starting her career in private practice between Rome and Paris, she’s learned that law is shaped by the people, pace and culture around them.

“Rome is this old lady that welcomed me and gave me structure and roots. Paris gave me curiosity and flair.”

That balance of structure and curiosity has guided her through her career, which has taken her to Luxembourg, London and to her current role at MicroPort Scientific Corporation. But wherever she’s worked, her goal has always been simple – to make law clearer, simpler and more useful to the business.

“When you stop talking about contracting clauses and start talking about timelines, impact and business goals, that’s when legal becomes an accelerator.”

In other words, disruption to Alice is about breaking down complexity through simplification – less noise and grand gestures, and more clarity that helps everyone move faster.  

Understanding culture before creating change

In the different cultures, countries and companies she’s worked in, Alice has learned that each organization has its own identity and way of managing things, and that you can’t just come in and assume your way of working is universal.  

“You have to study what the company is like. You need to understand the risk appetite, the way teams work together, the kind of communication thresholds, who you need to talk to. The first month should be about what you’re dealing with.”

Alice echoes a sentiment that’s emerged in many of our Legal Disruptor spotlights so far – that understanding the business you’re in is the first step towards making change.

When joining a new business, Alice often keeps a low profile during the first month, working quietly behind the scenes to speak with stakeholders, identify pain points and map out where legal can support and simplify.

It’s a deliberate move to avoid being overwhelmed by requests too early and give herself space to understand the business from the inside out. But just as lawyers need to immerse themselves in the business, the business also needs to meet legal halfway, and translating legal advice into business terms has been one of Alice’s challenges that she has worked on throughout her tenure:  

“A modern lawyer needs to think like a businessperson with a legal brain, not the other way round. You need to think that the advice you’re giving is for your own startup – you really need to care about it.”

For the younger lawyers, Alice’s advice in this area is to seek out the practical, pragmatic business strategy and get exposure to the real-life business world – and then, instead of waiting for a seat at the table, bring your own chair and make yourself valuable.

Do your housekeeping, simplify and then multiply

We asked Alice where technology plays a role in helping her, and other in-house lawyers, be valuable and more business focused.

While many legal teams rush to adopt new tools and technology, Alice takes a different approach, and this is what has led to her success with technology.

“You can’t get too excited too fast – you’ve got to do your own housekeeping first. If your processes are already messy, AI and tech will only amplify that.”

Before introducing a new tool, you need to do your housekeeping first:

1. Audit what’s already working, and what’s not – understand where the real bottlenecks are.

2. Simplify broken processes – fix the current system before layering on new tools

3. Then multiply – use technology to make the good parts of your workflow faster and smarter.

By studying how the business truly operates and identifying what slows people down, you’ll build a stronger foundation, one that ensures new layers of automation or technology that simplifies your complexities rather than multiply them.

But will tech and AI replace lawyers?

At the heart of it is using tech not to replace the meaningful parts of legal work, but to free up time for them.

“The million-dollar question is, will AI replace lawyers? No, it won’t, but it will expose which ones are adding value.”

In legal terms, that means automating the mechanical so lawyers can focus on the strategic, the human and the high-impact. This mindset shift – from avoiding tech to using it as a force multiplier – is what sets modern legal teams apart, but we all know that curiosity isn’t enough. Once you’ve decided to introduce something new, how do you actually go about adopting it?

Creating a culture of transformation

For technology adoption to take place, it can sometimes mean a complete mindset shift for many companies. Alice thinks this mindset shift is intertwined in the company culture and growth. True transformation, she says, requires bandwidth – both mental and organizational – and a willingness to be uncomfortable.  

“Transformation is also about culture – it’s about silently influencing. You need the capacity to do that, and you need project management skills. Legal teams are often natural project managers, but without space and structure, transformation can slip away.”

For lawyers looking to lead change, Alice’s message is clear: it starts with you.

“Chase evolution and growth – every career step should expand how you think, not just what’s on your business card. Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself when comfort starts feeling too comfortable. Life is about growing.”

If you yourself are an image of transformation and change, your team and the legal culture will naturally follow too.

Keep learning with Alice

Whether you’re just starting out or stepping into leadership, Alice’s advice is to stay curious, stay human and stay bold. Disruption isn’t about noise – it’s about clarity, courage and creating space for better ways of working.

To learn even more from Alice about her career and her learnings, follow her on LinkedIn for sound advice, vital for any lawyer looking to also disrupt and embrace a transformational mindset.

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