Paul Newton
Group legal director and general counsel
Bupa
Since joining Bupa in 1987, Paul Newton has progressed up the ranks to become the group’s legal director and has seen the legal team grow to 70 lawyers in 11 locations, with an annual legal spend of £6.6m. Given the group turns over £8bn, serves 11 million clients and employs 52,000 staff, the size of the team is relatively modest and Newton has an extensive panel of strong firms that he uses for M&A, litigation, regulatory insurance, media, employment and IP/IT.
As his team is spread across four continents, Newton’s main task has been to ensure that the group’s business units get legal support locally while at the same time the legal team serves the group as a central function. The solution has been to adopt a mix of a centralised and decentralised approach, running virtual legal departments across the group.
Law firms used: Aslan Charles Kousetta, Bevan Brittan, Bird & Bird, Clyde & Co, CMS Cameron McKenna, Covington & Burling, DAC Beachcroft, DLA Piper, Eversheds, Herbert Smith Freehills, Hogan Lovells, Mills & Reeve, Pinsent Masons, RPC, Schillings, Simmons & Simmons, Slaughter and May, Walker Morris, Wragge & Co
2002-present: Group legal director and general counsel, Bupa
1996-2002: Head of legal group, Bupa