Name: Jeremy Moreton
Organisation: International Airlines Group (IAG)
Role: Head of Legal (Global Business Services)
Trained at: Berwin Leighton Paisner (now Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner)
Year qualified: 2006
What’s your most vivid memory from being a trainee?
Shortly after I qualified, and while recovering from my stag do the day before, I had to go to a meeting late in the day with a GC in the construction industry to talk through how we’d dispose of a series of businesses for them. We hurriedly pulled together a proposal and it all went well but is not something I’m likely to forget.
What is the thing in your professional career that has terrified you or taken you out of your comfort zone the most?
Dealing with the purchase of 787 and A350 aircraft and a major finance outsourcing shorty after my daughter was born in 2012 was probably the most challenging time for me. Each of them was new and challenging on its own, but the combination made it a steep learning curve.
What is the wisest thing anyone ever said to you (and who said it)?
When I first joined BA I was given the advice to be careful about establishing the facts when dealing with a crisis, especially in the early stages when people can be prone to panic or assumptions. That advice has served me well as I’ve helped to support the business through everything from volcanic ash to cyber to pandemic issues.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get to where you are/do the job you do?
For me, the blend of business and law has been critical: it’s not enough to be an excellent lawyer if you can’t apply it to real world business and help boards, exec teams and colleagues see the full picture and make good decisions. I really enjoy being part of management teams and boards, as well as my day to day role, all of which are ultimately about running a great business the best way we can. I think the key is to remain curious and interested in law, business and broader current affairs.
What’s your best friend from law school doing now?
I met my wife while studying law at Edinburgh. Sensibly she then stayed clear of law and is now a partner at a strategic communications firm. One lawyer in the family is enough!
