When it comes to talking about transport companies, there’s a danger of using too many puns. Describing FirstGroup’s principal legal advisers, general counsel Christy Baker explains “we hitched our wagon to Burges Salmon right at the start of privatisation”. The privatisation of the railways started in 1994 meaning FirstGroup’s relationship with Burges Salmon now spans […]
Zodia Markets made history in 2022 as it became the first crypto trading business to be backed by an international bank and given crypto-asset registration from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority. Backed by Standard Chartered, it was launched as a partnership between SC Ventures, the innovation arm of Standard Chartered and BC Technology Group back […]
Kevin Mercer is something of a legal nomad. Acting general counsel for Houseful (previously Zoopla), his CV is dotted with an array of impressive interim roles that he has taken on as part of his niche for transformation. Having worked for leading tech companies such as New York-based analytics company Verint and networking software leader […]
Priti Shetty always dreamed of working for the UN. “I had such an idealistic view of changing the world. But, I was scuppered by my family which was made up of bankers and lawyers, and I ended up becoming a lawyer. I realised reading law was not as interesting as practising it! But, then when I […]
Few sectors have faced as much change in recent years as commercial real estate. In particular, the way offices are now used looks radically different from only a few years ago. The pandemic emptied them, changing workers’ lives potentially forever. ESG-related demands have seen them ripped apart in a bid to meet current needs. Soaring […]
Despite the company being 52 years old, prior to 2016 Dura-Line had never had a dedicated lawyer. Four years after being bought by chemical manufacturing giant Orbia, it appointed Lucie Grant to its general counsel role. Now a role that is split between the UK and the US, Grant oversees a team of eight. Orbia […]
What does it mean to be a disruptive GC? For Liberis’s Alexis Alexander, being disruptive means being clever with what you already have. Disruption and innovation doesn’t always have to come with hefty price tags and new tech launches. Having progressed from being a head of legal to a GC, she wanted to prove that […]
The Government Legal Department is expanding across the UK. With offices in London’s historic Whitehall, Leeds and Bristol, the service has recently launched in Manchester. It has taken up space in Three New Bailey in Salford, relocating 20 lawyers from other offices. The aim is to fill the premises with 120 qualified solicitors. It all […]
Pennon Group is a giant when it comes to the water industry. Encompassing South West Water (SWW), Bristol Water, Pennon Water Services and Bournemouth Water, it boasted a 2020/21 revenue of £624m and is the largest private sector employer in the south west. But with all that grandeur comes a lot of responsibility and scrutiny. […]
When Maryam Ziarati McLoughlin moved out of private practice, she was not met with the farewell she had hoped for. “When I decided to move in-house, a fellow private practice lawyer told me that they were disappointed that I was taking a step back in my career. I like to think that perceptions of going […]
Leeds has a fantastic financial services sector, but does it have fantastic finance lawyers? That’s what UK Infrastructure Bank’s general counsel Davinder Mann is trying to get to the bottom of.
Energy is at the forefront of our shared consciousness. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raised grave concerns about Europe’s use of natural gas, and emissions from transport and factories the world over are not alleviating the climate crisis we find ourselves in. The importance of green energy is growing with each passing day – and Alight […]