Margaret Casely–Hayford
Company secretary and director of legal services
John Lewis Partnership
Margaret Casely–Hayford wins praise from private practitioners for her evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, thinking. During her six years at the partnership, she introduced a more cost-efficient legal services model and effective governance and compliance framework for the business.
She currently manages 14 lawyers and eight support staff and says she seeks approachability, lack of pomposity, a high level of commercial awareness and a sympathetic ethos in any external firm she chooses. Although she will favour her panel firms, she says she will hire specialist help off-panel when needed.
Law firms used: Eversheds, Hogan Lovells, Pinsent Masons, Reed Smith, Shepherd and Wedderburn, Slaughter and May, Wragge & Co
2006-present: Company secretary and director of legal services, John Lewis Partnership
1998-2006: Partner, Denton Wilde Sapte