The North American legal department for Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, a corporate insurer under the umbrella of German financial services giant Allianz Group, is several months into a reorganization effort that already appears to be yielding promising, replicable results.

The idea seems straightforward enough: Instead of jumping into action when the firm’s various business groups ring alarms as potential legal issues flare up, the AGCS legal team is taking the initiative to reach out and get involved early on in deals and other matters.