Nick Grant
Head of legal services
Sainsbury’s
Nick Grant created the Sainsbury’s Legal Community in 2011, which involves multiple firms collaborating to provide advice. Thirteen firms carry out 99% of Sainsbury’s externally sourced legal work, including Linklaters, Addleshaw Goddard, SNR Denton and Bond Dickinson.
According to one law firm partner, this move has brought Sainsbury’s in-house team, which comprises 18 lawyers as part of a 28-strong group, and its external advisers together. The change allowed the in-house team to present its objectives more openly and let firms that are stronger in certain areas collaborate to produce better advice.
Sainsbury’s legal team had a particularly busy summer in 2012. The supermarket sponsored the Paralympics; developed its David Beckham endorsement relationship; and revamped its Nectar rewards scheme and the Brand Match coupon programme.
Law firms used: Addleshaw Goddard, Bond Dickinson, Charles Russell, Cleaver Fulton Rankin, CMS Cameron McKenna, DWF, LG, Linklaters, Shepherd and Wedderburn, Simkins Solicitors, SNR Denton, Winckworth Sherwood
2006-present: Head of legal services, Sainsbury’s
1999-2006: Commercial lawyer, Sainsbury’s
1996-99: Barrister, Francis Taylor Buildings