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Features
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Antitrust renaissance: navigating deals amid agency crackdowns
‘The UK competition practice has been transformed by Brexit’ observes Nick Levy, a partner in Cleary Gottlieb’s London antitrust team.
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To live or die in DC – getting deals done amid US antitrust crackdown
Elite US law firms are stocking up on antitrust expertise as the Federal Trade Commission cracks down on enforcement. Barnaby Merrill speaks to top practitioners about the current deal landscape and the key issues for clients under scrutiny.
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Labour and employment: what the new government means for workers’ rights
Leia Braunton talks to senior employment lawyers about what to expect – and what to be prepared for – under the new Labour Government.
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‘If it frees up my time to be more strategic and more creative, then that’s great’
Generative AI is set to transform the way in-house lawyers work. Legal 500 London editor Cameron Purse moderated a recent panel discussion in Edinburgh sponsored by Addleshaw Goddard in which Candice Donnelly, director of corporate (legal) at Skyscanner and Colin Telford, senior legal counsel, NatWest, joined Addleshaw partner Ross McKenzie and head of innovation Kerry …
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‘Do not wait until creditors are banging down the door’ – why preparation is key as restructurings pick up
New data from the Insolvency Service points to a potential surge in corporate restructurings – so how should in-house legal teams ensure they are prepared?
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The future is now – how tech expertise shot to the top of the agenda
For law firms, tech credentials are perhaps more important than ever before. The AI revolution has captured the imagination of all forward-thinking advisers, with its potential to improve process, save costs, and impress clients.
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‘Is it going to destroy humankind? No. The good parts are worth pursuing’
AI may appear to be a relatively nascent development but in reality this is far from the case. John McCarthy first coined the term back in 1956, and since then we have seen IBM’s Deep Blue and Watson machines beat chess and Jeopardy champions, and Apple create its virtual assistant, Siri. Now, the rise of …
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Power shifts
Earlier this year, IHL and Eversheds Sutherland hosted a roundtable made up of leading in-house counsel to look at navigating energy and renewables in a changing world.
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Eversheds, A&O, and Standard Chartered GC among winners at debut Legal 500 UK ESG Awards
Eversheds Sutherland, Allen & Overy and Womble Bond Dickinson were among the major winners at the inaugural Legal 500 UK ESG Awards 2024, which welcomed more than 400 guests to the InterContinental London Park Lane on 24 April.
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‘Justice for all’: FTSE 100 GCs push for pro bono engagement with UK In House Pro Bono Pledge
With the erosion of legal aid, the cost of living crisis and an increasing business focus on ESG, the role of pro bono legal advice is increasingly in the spotlight. In response to escalating demand, leading GCs have banded together to launch a scheme they hope will rise to the challenge.
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From out in the wilderness to under the microscope – what in-house counsel need to know about group claims
Drawing from discussions with specialists on both sides of class action litigation, Anna Huntley rounds up the key issues for in-house lawyers to be aware of when navigating group litigation.
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Enterprise winners
From AI to ESG and the Post Office scandal to corporate crises, this year’s Enterprise GC event covered all the hot topics for in-house lawyers on the front lines.
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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Gurdeep Boparai, Coventry Building Society
From the age of 10 I knew that I wanted to be a lawyer. The first lawyer I ever met was a close family friend. She had just qualified and spoke so passionately about the work she was doing, Being in and out of court sounded so exciting, the work was varied and fast paced …
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Babett Carrier, Cinven
‘In my view, a private equity firm is one of the most interesting places to work as an in-house lawyer.’ Cinven GC Babett Carrier on food, family, hobbies and private equity.
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Christian Keim, Adobe
The multinational software company’s international legal head on his professional journey and experience working in-house at a tech company.
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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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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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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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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 …
Briefings
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Significant matters – Summer 2024
TfL plans journey with new line-up of legal advisers Transport for London (TfL) is in the process of shortlisting firms for its new legal services framework, as the current roster enters the last year of its existing line-up. The government body is reviewing submissions from firms to draw up a shortlist of bidders to be …
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Competition focus – Türkiye
What are the key components of Türkiye’s competition law framework, and how does it compare to EU competition regulations? Türkiye’s competition law framework, primarily governed by Law No. 4054 on the protection of competition, focuses on prohibiting anti-competitive agreements; preventing the abuse of a dominant position; and regulating mergers and acquisitions. In addition to the …
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The return of PPPs
Katherine Calder and Alison Martin at DAC Beachcroft give their analysis of the return of PPPs in the infrastructure industry and what form they may take.
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‘Ditch the external counsel mindset’: how in-house lawyers can take their careers to the next step
In-house lawyers can sometimes find themselves stuck in a rut professionally, playing the narrow role of technical expert within their organisations. Others struggle to make a complete transition from their previous roles in private practice to being an equal part of a broader team that shares responsibility for their organisation’s overall objectives. Yet there is …
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What to expect from the new Labour government’s net zero and green agenda
The national election on 4 July 2024 ushered in a new Labour government in a landslide vote after 14 years of a Conservative government and on 17 July the King’s Speech set out the new government’s legislative programme. So what does the new Labour government’s net zero and green agenda have in store for us?
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AI in the workplace
The prevalence and influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is nothing short of revolutionary. While it appears that AI does not yet have one official definition, it can colloquially be referred to as technology that allows machines or computers to utilise human-like intelligence to learn, create, analyse, and perform other functions or activities that were previously …
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Mass termination of employees in China for business reasons
China’s labour laws give adequate termination protection for employees. In China, an employer may terminate an employee’s employment contract by mutual termination or unilateral termination. Employers have no right to terminate an employment contract for no reason. To unilaterally terminate an employee’s employment contract, an employer must have one of the causes under the Labour …
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Combatting wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements in the Turkish labour market
Introduction In recent years, the Turkish Competition Board (‘TCB’) has increasingly focused on the labour market, especially on the targeting agreements that may hinder competition, such as gentleman’s agreements and no-poaching clauses. In this article, by analysing TCB’s rulings on this matter, we aim to delineate the criteria of the TCB in regulating labour market …
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Recent developments in employment regulations in Japan
Protection of freelancers In recent years in Japan, more people are working as freelancers in search of more flexible work styles. The increase in the number of workers who want side jobs and the number of companies that allow them after the Covid-19 pandemic has also contributed to the growth of freelancers. According to a …
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Navigating employment rules: Kenya vs Democratic Republic of Congo
Navigating international employment laws is crucial for multinational companies. Employment laws vary widely between jurisdictions, requiring legal counsel to understand each region’s nuances. Non-compliance can lead to legal claims that can damage a company’s reputation. To highlight these differences, in this guide we focus on two jurisdictions, the nascent Democratic Republic of Congo and the …
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Employer of Record – (how) does it work in Poland?
In recent years, Poland has seen significant changes in its labour laws, creating both challenges and opportunities for businesses. One innovative solution for navigating these complexities is the Employer of Record (EOR) model. This model allows companies to hire employees in Poland without the need to establish a legal entity. But how exactly does it …
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Employment law in Hungary
After a significant amendment to the Labour Code in 2023, Hungary has made considerable legislative changes to its laws pertaining to labour, occupational health and workplace safety, platform work and foreign workforce. These amendments impact several key laws and affect both employers and workers generating new challenges seeking to comply with the new legal conditions.
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Employment law in Brazil
What are the key aspects of Brazilian employment law that differ significantly from those in other jurisdictions, and how can global companies ensure compliance with these regulations? The main differences from other jurisdictions is that Brazilian labour rights are deemed to be of public interest and may not be waived. In addition Brazil is widely …
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Employment law in India
What are the key employment laws and regulations in India that companies must comply with? Some of the key employment legislations in India that are relevant to all businesses are as follows: The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947: regulates industrial dispute resolution and conditions for layoffs and closures. The Factories Act, 1948: ensures health, safety, and …
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Balancing ethics and commerciality – the role of the GC
Stuart Ponting, partner at Walker Morris, discusses the top three tips for lawyers’ ethical obligations and how to ensure the business is following their lead.
