The worlds of digital business and dispute resolution seem to collide with increasing frequency these days. Regulatory wrangles over Big Tech’s business practices and the widening reach of EU directives on digital markets and digital services are pushing law firms of all sizes to build digital departments in Europe.

Benoît Barré is a partner and head of the digital department at Le 16 Law, a Paris boutique spinoff from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer that specializes in dispute resolution. A former top member of Apple’s in-house legal team for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Barré spoke recently with Law.com International about the growing need for digital disputes work and the pros and cons of in-house and private practice.

You started your legal career in private practice in Paris, first with Fidal and then with a French firm, Kahn & Associés. What made you decide to go in-house at Apple?