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Features
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‘A fast-evolving phenomenon’: City partners on how GCs can get ahead of the ESG curve
‘ESG is a huge opportunity for lawyers, including in-house counsel, to play a different and more strategic role, and be really plugged into the business. But that is also big change and change can be quite difficult,’ asserts Rachel Barrett, environment and climate change partner at Linklaters.
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Building blocks – real estate lawyers on the property market’s foundations for growth
‘The mood of the commercial real estate market in 2023 was cautious – many investors were in pause mode. However, people seem to be more optimistic about 2024.’
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Seismic changes
At the advent of 2024, in-house lawyers and general counsel are cautiously observing the ramifications of Nick Ephgrave’s new leadership at the UK Serious Fraud Office with bated breath. The organisation has faced intense scrutiny in recent years due to unsuccessful prosecutions and overall inactivity. Yet, with the appointment of the former senior Metropolitan Police …
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Look to the future now
David Halliwell, Pinsent Masons Vario: The world is now seen through a ‘VUCA’ lens – it’s Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. Are the risks that businesses are facing much more uncertain? What does that mean for how you are working in your roles?
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Claim culture – how can GCs stay one step ahead of group litigation risks?
In uncertain times, in-house counsel face mounting pressure to take a proactive approach to contentious issues. And with group actions on the rise, GCs are increasingly aware they must be prepared for such claims, as well as their associated costs.
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Battle of the brands: safeguarding your IP in the social media and post-Brexit era
The task of safeguarding and enforcing intellectual property rights was always challenging but the irrepressible rise of social media over the last decade and political shifts like Brexit have added significant new layers of complication.
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Don’t fear the robots
Nathalie Tidman, The In-House Lawyer and Legal Business: Welcome everyone. We have a fantastic panel of extremely talented and insightful people here this evening. As a starter for ten, what do you see as the real opportunities and benefits for in-house lawyers using generative AI in your day-to-day dealings?
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‘You need to understand the user journey so you can understand the risks’ – what in-house lawyers need to know about fintechs
The rapid progression of fintech from a fairly niche play to the mainstream means that companies across all sectors are increasingly having to incorporate a fintech offering into their business models.
Events
About us
Established in 1992, The In-House Lawyer is the magazine of choice of the in-house counsel of the UK and EMEA. Relied upon and trusted by heads of legal departments, company secretaries and managing directors of FTSE 250 companies for providing authoritative and independent editorial content, The In-House Lawyer boasts the largest and most comprehensive published resources of professional knowledge and expertise.
Latest Issue
Profiles
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Lida Khanverdi, EG Group
Fresh off a train from Blackburn, suitcase in tow, Lida Khanverdi arrives at the interview shortly after closing a new deal for EG Group. Having moved in-house just three years ago, the former Shoosmiths real estate associate is quickly making a name for herself, winning Rising Star In-House Counsel of the Year at the 2023 …
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Alessandro Galtieri, Colt Technology Services
It is fair to say that Colt Technology Services does not look out of place in its trendy environs of Shoreditch, East London. Decorated with the UK’s largest wall mural, which the company commissioned a collection of graffiti and street artists to create, the building comes complete with its own beehive, shortly to produce its …
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Aleksandra Schellenberg, UBS
Aleksandra Schellenberg, UBS’ global head of legal sustainable finance, knew she wanted to be a lawyer from the age of 14, revealing that she made her decision after watching the first episode of American legal comedy drama Ally McBeal, while growing up in Poland in the late 1990s.
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Sebastian Goldsmith, Medigold Health
‘I came into law by accident,’ admits Sebastian Goldsmith, general counsel (GC) of occupational health service provider Medigold Health. ‘I guess it was a second choice. I did Spanish and Portuguese at university, and I was going to work for an investment bank, as I did an internship with HSBC during my year abroad in …
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A wholly subjective (but nonetheless definitive) guide to law firms from a $300m client on how to make a successful pitch*
In 2020, Teva Pharmaceuticals conducted a law firm selection process unprecedented in scale and sophistication within the profession (see ‘On notice: Teva’s entire $330m legal spend could go to one law firm’, The Legal 500, Summer 2019).
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Terra Potter, Hexcel Corporation
Terra Potter (whose middle name is Cotta – IHL has seen the proof) proudly proclaims on LinkedIn that she originally hails from a cornfield outside Chicago and, while many lawyers claim to have had an unconventional path into a legal career, hers has been more so than most. Growing up in Rochelle, Illinois, she started …
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Jelena Madir, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
Jelena Madir’s career to date has been defined by two crises. The 2008 financial crash saw her out of a job and forced to look beyond private practice for gainful employment. Fast forward just over a decade, and the Covid-19 pandemic has spawned the work which she credits as the highlight of her career, and …
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Sharon Blackman, Citi
While she is loath to admit it, Sharon Blackman, managing director and general counsel in Citi’s global legal affairs and compliance division, ‘hated’ her law degree. Clearly this has not held her back though, as her GC of the Year gong at the Legal Business Awards in September testifies.
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Claire Holdsworth, Marathon Asset Management
‘Frankly, what’s a boardroom compared to a regiment of soldiers?!’ Claire Holdsworth is philosophical about her journey from army officer to motorbike-riding GC of Marathon Asset Management.
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Nassib Abou-Khalil
I grew up in Lebanon when there was a civil war. I say this with a bit of embarrassment but, because of the civil war, I never completed a school year. I had to be homeschooled for a lot of the time and the school year was always interrupted. I didn’t really have, like many …
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Elisabeth Sullivan, Waterstones
While some discover an aptitude for law while at university, others have it in their veins. According to Elisabeth Sullivan, recently installed as general counsel of book retailer Waterstones, she very much falls into the latter category.
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Wayne Spillett, Vodafone
Unlike some flightier in-house counsel, Vodafone’s head of legal for commercial operations, IP and corporate secretariat, Wayne Spillett, has stayed loyal to the company for close to 13 years. After a lengthy conversation, it is easy to see why.
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easyJet
‘The pandemic hit the airline sector hard and fast. We went from really being in growth mode, preparing forward-looking projects and a successful year in 2020, to very quickly having to ground our fleet almost overnight. We then had to deal with the implications of that for the company, which were severe,’ says Rebecca Mills, …
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Allan Dunlavy – Schillings
What types of work are you seeing at the moment in reputation management? Have there been any changes post-pandemic? A lot of the work we’re doing at the moment, particularly with corporates and their senior leadership team, is about building resilience into their online profiles – so both the corporate profile and the individuals’ profiles. …
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Sarah Holford – Scania UK
Shortly after completing the Legal Practice Course, Sarah Holford was looking for somewhere to kick-start her career. An opportunity presented itself at Games Workshop, the British manufacturer of miniature war games, with space-themed Warhammer 40,000 among its best-known products.
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Chris Thomas – Brewin Dolphin
‘I do employment law because I love personalities and people, whether they are friend or foe. You can learn from that.’ So speaks Chris Thomas, senior legal director at Brewin Dolphin, who was recognised as an in-house Rising Star at the Legal Business Awards 2021.
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Stephanie Dominy – Snyk
‘There is a creative and artistic side to me but also a very pragmatic and logical one. While I left that creative side behind, sometimes it still wants to get out.’ From speaking to Stephanie Dominy, general counsel of the hyper-complicated, open-source software security start-up Snyk, both her logical and creative credentials are in no …
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Ahmed Badr – GoCardless
Ahmed Badr did not want to be a lawyer. A self-professed ‘huge geek’ at school, he was never happier than when sat a computer doing some programming or web design. ‘You would never find me playing football,’ he reflects.
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Anthony Kenny – GSK
The In-House Lawyer (IHL): Can you describe your career path so far and tell us a little bit about your current role at GSK?
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Philip Price – TP ICAP
The In-House Lawyer (IHL): Describe your career before your current role with TP ICAP and the company today.
Briefings
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Doing business in Bangladesh
Can you provide an overview of environmental regulations and compliance requirements for businesses in Bangladesh? Under section 12 of the Environment Conservation Act 1995, all businesses, in particular, industrial units and/or projects shall obtain an environmental clearance certificate from the director general. Under section 3, the director general shall be appointed by the government and …
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Doing business in Malaysia, the pocket guide
This article provides a high level overview on key topics relevant to establishing business activity in Malaysia. It is intended to be a preliminary guide for transaction planning.
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Doing business in the Maldives
Are there any specific industry-specific regulations or restrictions that global general counsels should be aware of when considering investments or partnerships in the Maldives?
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Doing business in the Philippines
What are the Filipino cultural and business etiquette insights that global companies and their general counsels should be aware of when negotiating and conducting business transactions in the Philippines?
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Doing business in Singapore
Why do business in Singapore? The question you should be asking is: ‘why not?’ Singapore continues to lead the way as the world’s best place to do business and boasts a business-friendly environment and competitive tax regime, making it an attractive destination for businesses looking to expand in the Asia Pacific region – Economic Intelligence …
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M&A in Thailand: key legal considerations for a successful deal
Thailand continues to be an attractive investment destination for multinationals and private equity funds. It is an established and stable economy which offers access to new markets, cost advantages and the ability to diversify your supply chain.
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Brand capital can drive your law firm’s growth
By Sholto Lindsay-Smith, director at Industry, an international brand consultancy. There remains a tendency for law firms to treat ‘branding’ as a one-off initiative, which they look at, on average, every eight years. Sadly, this often results in a great deal of wasted time and money, and consequently a great deal of frustration.
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GC Legal Tech Pulse 2024 – in association with Thomson Reuters
Tech and AI are at the top of everyone’s agenda right now. Legal Business and Thomson Reuters canvassed the opinions of UK GCs and heads of legal on everything from securing budget, to the tech they want and need to invest in and how to best approach CLM implementation. Find out how your team compares in our …
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Significant matters – Winter 2024
Comic Relief appoints Shropshire as interim chair Tom Shropshire (pictured), general counsel and company secretary at Diageo, has been appointed as the new interim chair of Comic Relief. Shropshire, named GC of the Year at the 2023 Legal Business Awards, has been a trustee of the charity since 2018. Alongside his Comic Relief role, Shropshire …
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Environmental marketing claims – regulatory scrutiny and the need for accuracy
Brodies examines the regulatory approach to enforcement against environmental marketing claims and the increased scrutiny businesses face when making such claims in their advertisements.
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ESG regulations and requirements in Ireland
What are the main drivers of ESG regulations?
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Moving towards regulation of AI
Charlotte Halford and Omar Kamal at DAC Beachcroft discuss the global and UK approaches to regulating AI.
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AI policies and governance: A guide for in-house lawyers
Sally Mewies, partner and head of the technology and digital group at Walker Morris, explains the risks of AI and what’s needed for an effective AI policy and governance framework.
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Reflections on acquisition of immovable property in Cyprus by third country nationals
Whether a proponent of Brexit or not, you will agree that Brexit has brought up a number of changes, one of which the ‘stripe-off’ from UK citizens of the ‘European’ citizenship status.
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Commercial real estate in Ireland – ESG, permitting and VAT
Starting with ESG, I am sure it is the case in Ireland as with the UK, that sustainability is continuing to move towards the forefront of corporate agendas?