Anyone for a latte? As the top lawyer at drinks chain Costa Coffee, Sunita Savjani oversees a vast retail kingdom that spreads out over 40 countries worldwide. Costa’s growth won’t be stopping anytime soon either. This year, the group is likely to open branches in further jurisdictions, with recent franchise launches in 2023 including Azerbaijan and Japan. In her role as general counsel, Savjani is supporting Costa grow to greater scale, a project that accelerated after its sale to beverages giant The Coca-Cola Company in 2019. An important element of this is supporting her team of five UK-based lawyers, who cover a vast array of matters ranging from franchising, brand protection, compliance and IP.
Given how frequently one sees a Costa Coffee shop, there’s plenty of legal matters for Savjani to contend with. Significant projects over the past year saw her assist in Costa’s complex disposal and refranchising of over 130 retail stores in Poland, while growth in the Far East saw her add China’s legal team to her long list of responsibilities.