The ex-general counsel of Haleon has announced that he has joined energy and chemicals business Aramco, which is based in Saudi Arabia. Bjarne Tellman was hired by GSK four years ago to prepare the company for the creation of Haleon, one of the UK’s largest corporate demergers in 20 years. The purpose of the demerger […]
Since Katja Roth Pellanda joined Zurich Insurance in 2020, a lot has changed. The GC has broken down the silos in the 700-person legal function, reducing the distance between the regions and the corporate centre. Zurich Insurance is a Swiss-based insurance company that has a presence in approximately 80 countries. With such a large business, […]
BT has further shrunk its panel for the third review in a row having appointed a total of 11 firms to its roster. The panel will run for three years and includes 10 firms that have been reappointed from 2020. Those continuing their relationship with BT after the latest review are the likes of Allen […]
Barclays lost 44 lawyers in its legal team over 2023, almost four times the average number of leavers across the UK’s top banks. The banks with the second highest number of leavers is tied between HSBC and NatWest, with 12 lawyer exits each, according to indicative data. On the other end of the scale, Royal […]
Two Swiss powerhouses have collaborated to offer their in-house legal teams a two-way secondment programme. Private bank UBS and insurer Zurich Insurance have agreed to swap two secondees each for a three-month placement. Intakes happen in the spring and autumn of each year, meaning that four secondment swaps occur per year. The programme is spearheaded […]
European bank Société Générale has lost its general counsel after 17 years at the business. Sarah Linstead has announced that she has left the bank for financial services firm TP ICAP as general counsel for EMEA. Lindsay Sides, chief operating officer in the London legal department at Société Générale, has stepped up to fill the […]
For legal head Judi Gadsby, a lunchtime walk through the Goodwood Estate, with her golden retriever in tow, is one of the many perks of her day job. The 300-year-old estate is the seat of the Duke of Richmond and comprises nearly 11,000 hectares of land in Chichester, West Sussex. As head of legal at […]
“Everyone is a music lover at PPL,” says Camilla Waite, general counsel of the music licensing company. Waite keeps her interests broad: her pre-lawyer days were spent running middle distance for the junior GB team. She details the galvanising process of training for Team GB, likening the bonds created to that of a training contract. Now, […]
Catie Sheret, general counsel at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, admits that she was hesitant to take on a GC role. Having switched from Linklaters to Charles Russell at 2 years’ PQE to get more commercial work and exposure to clients, she became aware of a buzz around in-house IP roles. Her interest drew her […]
Rather than by design, Associated British Foods’ Claire Eldridge found herself in legal operations by default. Though she studied a law degree, Eldridge never had a view of practising herself. Instead, she went down a completely different career path, graduating into the army for four years in Joint Services Intelligence. It was there she ran […]
Santander has cut its UK panel by five following the bank’s latest review of its roster. Originally a panel of 19, the roster of firms has been cut to 14. Firms that have made the cut include Slaughter and May and Allen & Overy, as well as Hogan Lovells and Addleshaw Goddard. A source told […]
Private equity giant EQT is set to review its roster of external advisers this year in M&A, with changes expected in how the panel is structured. Swedish-headquartered EQT has a three-year long panel that comes to an end in mid-2024. The Lawyer has learnt that EQT is lining up to renegotiate its roster, with plans to reduce […]
Energy supplier Eon has awarded three panel spots this year in its first tender process since 2018. DLA Piper and Shakespeare Martineau are the two firms to have won places alongside longstanding incumbent Pinsent Masons. The trio are collaborating under a comprehensive five-year agreement that kicked off in January 2024. According to Eon, they will […]
Four core firms have won places on the inaugural legal panel of Laser Digital, a digital asset business backed by Nomura. The company has named Allen & Overy, Simmons & Simmons, Ashurst, and Jones Day to its roster. Ehsan Haque, head of legal and compliance UK at Laser Digital, ran the panel process with input […]
Today’s savvy General Counsel (GCs) are facing a raft of challenges posed by tech, resourcing, and budget constraints, with in-house teams stretched beyond capacity. While some challenges offer opportunities for GCs to change their organisation’s approach – for example resourcing – how can GCs justify investment in their function when budgets are being slashed? […]
Navigating cross-border disputes demands a meticulous understanding of legal complexities and a skillful use of technology. Join our panel of experts as they explore how technology creates and solves challenges in this context, having become a pivotal tool in cheapening access to justice and improving client experiences in international disputes, whether arbitration, litigation or […]
As technology advances, regulatory environments change, and new risks emerge, law firms and their leaders need a forward-thinking approach to managing risks, one that goes beyond traditional professional indemnity insurance. Supported by findings from a recent report by The Lawyer in association with Howden, this roundtable discussion will equip attendees with insights and […]
In today’s digital era, legal professionals find themselves at the forefront of an ever-evolving landscape where human expertise and technology intersect. Join us for an engaging discussion as we explore: The critical role of lawyers in the digital age Digital horror stories of data breaches and legal mishaps The intricate web of security and […]