Dan Fitz
Group General Counsel
BT
Dan Fitz joined BT as group general counsel in 2010 and is described as ‘at the forefront of developments in the international markets for communications and media services’. He arrived at BT just after the company had gone through some tough times, including shedding 20% of its workforce in 2008 and 2009.
Fitz is therefore focused on getting the most out of his team, which comprises 420 people worldwide, with 300 based in the UK. Unsurprisingly he has his eye on every penny of legal spend.
‘Out of every £1 of legal spend we have, we’re monitoring how much is spent on wages, legal process outsourcing (LPO) and on outside counsel,’ he says. He is keen to point out that this doesn’t mean he’s opposed to using outside counsel, and adds that he’s not trying to limit the spend on external firms but it should be reserved for only the ‘highest value-added, rocket science stuff’.
By his own admission, the amount of transactional work doled out by the company has been ‘historically low’ at BT – the company will only pursue the right type of assets. ‘We have tight controls over when work goes to outside counsel,’ he adds.
Law firms used: Bird & Bird, CMS Cameron McKenna, Cripps Harries Hall, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Gateley, Trowers & Hamlins, Wright Hassall
2010-present: Group general counsel, BT
2009-10: Chair of the Association of Corporate Counsel
2003-09: Executive vice president, general counsel and company secretary, Misys
1991-2003: General counsel, Cable & Wireless