The Doc. Authoring / Legal Services Execution station defines who has the authority to draft, amend, approve, and execute legal documents, and under what conditions those actions may occur.

In a mature legal operating model, legal documents are not simply files to be edited. They are codified risk positions, reflecting approved legal policy, precedent, and organisational risk appetite.

This station is about protecting that integrity. It ensures that only appropriately authorised individuals can change legal positions, and that execution of legal documents occurs within clearly defined governance boundaries.

Where this control is weak, legal risk proliferates silently and as such it is an important consideration in defining the nature of the Internal Client Line.

The Doc. Authoring / Legal Services Execution station should define and control:

◼️ Authoring Authority: Who can draft legal documents.

◼️ Amendment Rights: Who can change approved legal positions.

◼️ Template Integrity: Protection of pre-approved templates.

◼️ Delegated Editing Rights: Limited, controlled deviations where permitted.

◼️ Approval Requirements: When legal approval is mandatory.

◼️ Execution Authority: Who can sign and bind the organisation.

◼️ Version Control: Ensuring the correct document is executed.

◼️ Alignment with Mandate & Policy: Consistency with legal authority frameworks.

◼️ Auditability: Clear records of changes and approvals.

◼️ Exception Handling: Escalation where documents fall outside norms.

The Doc. Authoring / Legal Services Execution station is considered a Specialist resource within the GLS Legal Operations model.

A Foundational Resource: Is responsible for determining the overall performance capabilities of a “critical” legal function. If it is not optimised, the function can never be optimised. 

A Repeater Resource: Supports the performance of multiple "critical" legal functions and as such represents a "ripple effect" productivity intervention point. 

A Specialist Resource: Is responsible for driving the performance of a very specific part of an individual legal function. Its productivity contribution is limited to that single legal function. 

The best practice features of effective Doc. Authoring / Legal Services Execution include:

◼️ Clear Authority Models: Drafting, amending, and executing are explicitly separated.

◼️ Template Governance: Approved positions are protected by default.

◼️ Controlled Delegation: Limited change rights are pre-defined and documented.

◼️ Alignment with Policy: Authoring reflects Group Legal Policy.

◼️ System Enforcement: Controls are embedded in tools, not reliant on behaviour.

◼️ Audit Trails: Every change is traceable.

◼️ Consistency: Similar documents follow the same rules.

◼️ Ease of Use: Business users are not over-burdened.

◼️ Escalation Discipline: Deviations are elevated early.

◼️ Lifecycle Integration: Authoring aligns with execution and storage.

Clear Doc. Authoring / Legal Services Execution controls deliver business value by:

◼️ Reducing Legal Risk: Approved positions are preserved.

◼️ Preventing Unauthorised Commitments: Only valid signatories bind the business.

◼️ Improving Speed: Clear rules reduce rework and delay.

◼️ Enhancing Predictability: Legal outcomes are consistent.

◼️ Supporting Scale: High volumes do not erode control.

◼️ Improving Audit Confidence: Execution trails are defensible.

◼️ Reducing Disputes: Fewer surprises post-execution.

◼️ Aligning Behaviour: Authority drives discipline.

◼️ Supporting Self-Service Safely: Business can move faster within guardrails.

◼️ Strengthening Governance: Risk and authority are aligned.

For the legal department, this station provides:

◼️ Control of Legal Position: Risk appetite is enforced consistently.

◼️ Reduced Rework: Fewer post-fact corrections.

◼️ Clear Accountability: Responsibility for changes is visible.

◼️ Operational Efficiency: Templates and processes scale.

◼️ Audit Readiness: Evidence is readily available.

◼️ Improved Trust: Legal decisions are respected.

◼️ Better Use of Time: Lawyers focus on true exceptions.

◼️ Foundation for Automation: Controls enable self-help.

◼️ Stronger Risk Posture: Fewer uncontrolled deviations.

◼️ Sustainable Delivery: Quality holds at volume.

Doc. Authoring / Legal Services Execution controls are essential for:

◼️ Business Unit Leaders

◼️ Commercial & Sales Teams

◼️ Procurement Teams

◼️ Finance Teams

◼️ Project & Transformation Teams

◼️ Risk & Compliance Functions

◼️ Legal Operations Teams

◼️ In-House Legal Teams

◼️ General Counsel

◼️ Authorised Signatories

Where Doc. Authoring / Legal Services Execution is weak, organisations experience:

◼️ Uncontrolled Contract Changes: Risk creeps in unnoticed.

◼️ Invalid Execution: Documents are signed without authority.

◼️ Audit Failures: Inability to evidence approvals.

◼️ Inconsistent Positions: Similar deals look different.

◼️ Delayed Closings: Authority issues surface late.

◼️ Higher Dispute Risk: Ambiguous commitments.

◼️ Legal Firefighting: Fixing avoidable errors.

◼️ Erosion of Trust: Legal credibility suffers.

◼️ Broken Self-Service: Tools cannot scale safely.

◼️ Governance Breakdown: Risk is unmanaged.

Supporting Doc. Authoring / Legal Services Execution requires:

◼️ Template Locking: Protection of approved clauses.

◼️ Role-Based Editing Rights: Controlled access to change.

◼️ Approval Workflows: Embedded sign-off processes.

◼️ Version Control: Single source of truth.

◼️ E-Signature Integration: Authority-aligned execution.

◼️ Audit Logging: Immutable records.

◼️ Policy Integration: Direct linkage to legal guidance.

◼️ Scalability: High-volume safe execution.

◼️ Exception Management: Escalation built-in.

◼️ Change Enablement: Controls evolve with risk posture.