Within a month of Mark Cooper joining National Grid (NG)’s in-house team in 2015, things became very busy very quickly. UK general counsel (GC) Rachael Davidson told him that one of the businesses he was looking after – NG’s gas distribution network – was going to be sold off.
In his 1962 work Capitalism and Freedom, the economist Milton Friedman complained that ‘the view has been gaining widespread acceptance that corporate officials and labour leaders have a “social responsibility” that goes beyond serving the interest of their stockholders.’ This ‘fundamental misconception’ about how markets work, argued Friedman, ought to be replaced by the consensus that the only social responsibility of business was to increase profits ‘so long as it stays within the rules of the game’.
Continue reading “Dollars and sense – charting the GC response as sustainability hits the boardroom”
As Deutsche Bank baulks at paying for junior lawyers, is a tough line on ‘paying for training’ making its way across the Atlantic?
Even for City lawyers used to increasingly heavy-handed tactics in panel reviews from banking groups, it proved something of a shock. News earlier this year that Deutsche Bank had notified pitching firms of its unwillingness to pay for trainees and newly-qualified lawyers during its last adviser review sent a jolt through the UK legal market.
Continue reading “Whose dime? – GCs push back against paying for junior lawyers”
In a world where newspapers are branding judges ‘enemies of the people’ and fake news dominates public discourse, these days the media itself is the story.
Continue reading “Fit to print – who’d want the lot of a media and publishing GC?”
The media company’s group legal director discusses how her personal approach took her to the top of her game
At the age of 19, while doing work experience for a duty solicitor, Nilema Bhakta-Jones was called to Nuneaton police station, finding herself in a mostly empty set of cells at 1am. One cell was occupied by the client, a man arrested on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm against his pregnant girlfriend.
Continue reading “Client profile: Nilema Bhakta-Jones, Ascential”
The GC Powerlist returns for its fifth annual report after launching back in 2013 and once more the format has evolved. While partially returning to the rising star model we used back in 2014, the 2017 edition has become a two-hander under the unifying title, The Clients of Tomorrow.
On one hand we have, following months of research, identified 55 outstanding individuals working at established companies active in the UK. This group is focused primarily on the in-house counsel fast establishing themselves in the middle ranks of their teams, typically in their 30s or early 40s.
Continue reading “The GC Powerlist looks ahead to the client redefining the profession”
RPC’s managing partner on the ‘business first’ role of GCs and their opportunities in the current economic climate
2016. The year that turned the world on its head. And when the world is spinning on that axis too, you can bet your bottom euro that good lawyers will be at the heart of the action.
A warm congratulations to all of the nominees at the Legal Business Awards and especially to those of you who have made the GC Powerlist. We’re delighted to sponsor such a prestigious awards ceremony as well as celebrate top UK GCs.
Conduent Legal and Compliance Solutions (formerly part of Xerox) provides integrated data analytics, technology and expert professional services to help solve your litigation, investigations, compliance and business problems, and make the best decisions possible.
Continue reading “Information is your organisation’s lifeblood”
1. Have a plan and be proactive
It is important to have a career plan as the only person responsible for managing your career is you. If you cannot grow and develop within your own organisation (and often you can), think about whether you need to make a move. Talk to other in-house lawyers and if you are junior, find a mentor. A good recruiter will also advise you on career planning and what clients are seeking. Be strategic and keep growing.
Continue reading “Managing your career as an in-house counsel – the four key steps”
