The In-House Lawyer - The magazine of choice for counsel
Features
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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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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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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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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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Philip Price – TP ICAP
The In-House Lawyer (IHL): Describe your career before your current role with TP ICAP and the company today.
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Lindsay Beardsell – Tate & Lyle
Lindsay Beardsell is never one to rest on her laurels. She trained and qualified at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer but, as is the case for so many established general counsel, private practice failed to satisfy the need to be closer to a business.
Briefings
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Significant matters – Autumn 2023
BT acknowledges diversity efforts of Addleshaw Goddard BT Group has announced that Addleshaw Goddard has already been appointed to its next legal panel, which will be confirmed in full in 2024. The firm has been recognised as the firm on BT’s existing panel, which has driven diversity and inclusion across all areas of its organisation …
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Personal chemistry, individualism and communication (but not too much): What GCs told Walker Morris they wanted from their law firms
In recent years the role in-house of legal teams has expanded beyond its traditional boundaries. In-house lawyers across the board are becoming strategic partners to their commercial counterparts and are advising on the likes of ESG, digital transformation, and risk or reputation management.
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Perception vs reality: litigation trends GCs need to know about
As an in-house counsel navigating disputes, managing litigation risk and having to communicate those to the board, it’s critical to understand the key trends shaping the legal landscape. It is intended that this insight will allow for GCs to prepare for emerging challenges, leverage new technologies, and adopt strategies that lead to the best outcomes …
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Doing business in France: a litigator’s perspective
Doing business in France for manufacturers and sellers of products or services is becoming increasingly challenging. Indeed, French law but also the way regulators interpret it and the types of claims that are filed by NGOs or consumers/users make it complex for businesses to anticipate all grounds that can be raised against them. Other factors …
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Litigation in Colombia
What are the key steps involved in a litigation case in Colombia? The key steps involved in a litigation case in Colombia are: (i) counseling and evidence collection; (ii) process; and (iii) enforcement of the judgment.
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Taking an important case to trial: jury research
Earlier this year, we spoke with MoloLamken LLP partners Steven Molo, one of America’s leading trial lawyers, and Sara Margolis, a rising courtroom star, to learn how a party in a high-stakes trial might improve its chances of success. Here is a link to that interview.
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Are we heading towards a paradigm shift regarding state liability for relevant errors or omissions in preliminary projects of public-private infrastructure in Chile?
Since the entry into force of the current Chilean concessions law, which dates back to 1996, and its later modification in 20101, which established – among other things – a dispute board mechanism called the Technical Concessions Panel (from now on the ‘TCP’ permanent and institutional, mandatory for technical and economic disputes, although not binding), …
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The continued development of a world class legal system in the United Arab Emirates
A strong legal system protects and encourages social and economic development that in turn comes about by strong domestic and international investment. In the UAE, the rule of law is similarly a cornerstone of its fast-paced ongoing social and economic growth.
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Litigation in India
What is the structure of the Indian legal system, especially concerning litigation matters? India’s court system is primarily divided in three distinct streams, ie Criminal Courts, Civil Courts and Tribunals with High Courts and the Supreme Court exercising supervisory jurisdiction.
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Cyprus, an innovation hub
Cyprus is gaining momentum as the preferred location for entrepreneurs and fintech businesses.
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Administrative enforcement of intellectual property rights in Greece
Greece, as a longstanding member of the EU, has implemented the EU legislation on the enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), including the IPED (Intellectual Property Rights Directive 2004/48/EC). The IPED, providing for civil protection of IPR holders, has been contemplated by the national procedural law and criminal sanctions for copyright and trademark infringement.
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Governing the crypto ecosystem: key challenges faced by regulators in India
Governing the crypto ecosystem: G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration and Communique by G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors ‘While cryptoassets are not yet a significant part of the global financial system, they have the potential to emerge as a source of systemic risk in specific jurisdictions if they gain traction for payments or retail …
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Artificial intelligence considerations for large merchants
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the payments industry, offering new opportunities and challenges for large merchants. AI can enhance various aspects of the payments business, such as transaction processing, customer communications, fraud detection, and innovation. However, AI also poses risks for these businesses, including regulatory complexity, ethical and social implications, cybersecurity threats, and class …
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Scottish banking transactions – national security issues and light at the end of the tunnel
All things being equal, Scottish banking transactions pose no greater a risk to national security than their English counterparts. And yet, how Scots law share security is taken has placed Scottish banking transactions centre of the net cast by the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSIA) in a way not experienced by banking transactions …
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Doing business in Kenya
What is the legal process for establishing a business entity in Kenya? The Business Registration Service (BRS) is the government agency responsible for business entity registration. A person wishing to register a business must do so personally or by an agent. The process is fully digitised.
