Francesca Yeomans
European legal counsel
Smith & Nephew
During her time with the medical devices company, Francesca Yeomans has established a successfully functioning department after starting out as the company’s sole lawyer outside the US. She reports to the US global legal team, which comprises 16 lawyers, six paralegals and nine IP attorneys.
Smith & Nephew doesn’t have a formal legal panel and the list of firms that it uses is non-exhaustive. External advisers are regularly reviewed. ‘We tend to appoint based on strength and experience of individuals rather than firms,’ she says. ‘If a particularly good individual within a law firm moved on, it may well mean that we might reconsider that law firm. What we’re really choosing is expertise; we’re not going for brand.’
‘If we can make a business case for retaining matters in-house then we will do that,’ she adds. ‘We are under the same economic pressures as everyone else; internal recruitment is as difficult as is managing the external legal spend budget. We try to be creative in finding ways to empower our business customers.’
Law firms used: Baker & McKenzie, CMS Cameron McKenna, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hogan Lovells, Sidley Austin
2008-present: European legal counsel, Smith & Nephew
2002-08: UK legal manager, Smith & Nephew
1997-2002: In-house legal adviser, Smith & Nephew
1995-98: Lecturer, Leeds Metropolitan University