Sticking to the rules – the rise of the in-house litigator

Posted on |

As the UK’s financial institutions and leaders in commerce and industry embrace a tougher regulatory landscape, Legal Business looks at the movers and shakers in their disputes and compliance teams.

It’s December 2012 and the world’s third largest bank, HSBC, has just entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice (DoJ). It has been fined $1.9bn (£1.2bn), then the largest ever bank payout to date, over its inadequate anti-money laundering system.

Continue reading “Sticking to the rules – the rise of the in-house litigator”

Profile: Rosemary Martin, Vodafone

Posted on |

Continuous money saving has been the order of the day for Vodafone’s general counsel (GC) and company secretary Rosemary Martin, who has been under continued pressure to cut costs and headcount since becoming responsible for around 350 professionals in the telecom giant’s global legal team spread across 24 countries.

Vodafone, in common with other mobile phone operators and the telecoms sector at large, has faced strong headwinds, including tough economic conditions in Southern Europe, an adverse European regulatory environment and increased competition, leading to a dip in its 2012/13 revenue of 4.2%, albeit to well over £44bn.

Continue reading “Profile: Rosemary Martin, Vodafone”

International in-house moves – Total SA, Global Eagle and Environ bring in new GCs

Posted on |

A clutch of international general counsel moves this week has seen Total bring in oilfield services heavyweight Maarten Scholten as its head of legal while across the Atlantic Jay Itzkowitz has been hired as senior vice president and general counsel (GC) of NASDAQ-listed in-flight entertainment provider Global Eagle and international environmental consultancy Environ has appointed its first-ever general counsel.

At French oil giant Total SA – one of the six ‘supermajor’ oil companies in the world – incumbent senior vice-president and GC Peter Herbel will hand over the reins to Scholten on 1 January after nine years in the role. Continue reading “International in-house moves – Total SA, Global Eagle and Environ bring in new GCs”

Calling time – Nationwide’s innovative GC Liz Kelly to leave after panel review

Posted on |

Having worked her way up Nationwide‘s ranks to group general counsel, Liz Kelly is to leave the building society at the end of the financial year to spend more time with her family.

Kelly was appointed as general counsel in 2009 and has since pulled together what was a fractured legal department, creating a risk-based blueprint for areas where it needed to grow and building it up to around 50 lawyers, including seven litigators.

Continue reading “Calling time – Nationwide’s innovative GC Liz Kelly to leave after panel review”

Comment: More for more – growing pains and questions as in-house comes of age

Posted on |

Confident. That’s the mood as Legal Business conducts its second annual poll of in-house counsel. For all the talk of the ‘more for less’ agenda, our special illustrates that there is robust demand for legal services at most sizeable companies and that the growth story of corporate legal teams continues.

More than two thirds of responding in-house legal teams have seen growth over the last five years. Law Society figures underline the wider extent of that growth with the in-house profession growing by 137% between 2001 and 2011. Law firms continue to feel the pinch in part because in-house teams have become determined to retain matters internally.

Another headline finding: law firms have to a considerable extent listened to client demands on value and service; over 90% of clients believe their advisers offer good or fair value, while 81% believe their advisers are appropriately staffing their matters.

Continue reading “Comment: More for more – growing pains and questions as in-house comes of age”

Bind and drive: Freshfields’ Tim Jones to join England Rugby 2015 as GC

Posted on |

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer corporate partner and former City head Tim Jones has been hired as general counsel to England Rugby 2015 ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup.

Established by the Rugby Football Union, whose current legal and governance director is Karena Vleck, England Rugby 2015 will employ the corporate heavyweight three days a week, beginning on 1 November. Jones, however, will also continue to work on a part-time basis for the Magic Circle firm, and carry on with client matters.

Continue reading “Bind and drive: Freshfields’ Tim Jones to join England Rugby 2015 as GC”

Vodafone develops Indian LPO as former Linklaters lawyer takes over as UK external affairs director

Posted on |

As Vodafone replaces outgoing UK corporate and external affairs director Justine Campbell with group legal director for corporate and commercial, Helen Lamprell, the telecoms giant has been focusing on developing a new relationship with the legal process outsourcing (LPO) arm of Indian law firm Qui Prior Law Associates (QP).

Vodafone in March signed up with QP, which is run by senior in-house lawyer of 20 years Rajiv Sarin, who has worked in senior positions in companies such as Coca-Cola, Unilever and HCL-Hewlett Packard, to initially take on work including basic contract review. Continue reading “Vodafone develops Indian LPO as former Linklaters lawyer takes over as UK external affairs director”

Sector switch: Vodafone’s corporate affairs director takes over as GC of British Gas

Posted on |

Vodafone UK’s corporate and external affairs director Justine Campbell has switched from telecoms to energy, taking on the general counsel (GC) role at British Gas after a revamp of its senior legal team. She will join the company in December after having handed her notice in last month.

The GC title was phased out at British Gas following Melanie Rowland’s departure for Edwards Group last year, since when legal director Jane Forster has headed the legal and compliance function. Continue reading “Sector switch: Vodafone’s corporate affairs director takes over as GC of British Gas”

Building a career structure at 02 and why IQs are rated higher than experience

Posted on |

The in-house legal profession grew by 137% between 2001 and 2011 and with that growth has come new issues of succession and sustainability for legal teams; issues that are already being addressed at 02.

While law firms undoubtedly rely too much on the pyramid model, in-house teams have traditionally been too flat, reliant on recruiting costly experienced lawyers and often able to offer them little in the way of career progression. Continue reading “Building a career structure at 02 and why IQs are rated higher than experience”