Since The Lawyer last interviewed Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group’s co-general counsels James Morgan and Prabhat Kumar in 2020, the globe has witnessed enough significant events to last a few decades. Specifically highlighting Covid-19, the Russia/Ukraine conflict, high inflation and the gilt crisis, the pair have focussed on how they adapt their team to cope with […]
In 1997, Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club was one goal away from collapse. Now, 26 years later and the Seagulls are flying high in the Premier League and have negotiated the group stage of this season’s Europa League, in the first year they’ve ever played European football. Lloyd Thomas joined the club two years […]
Kevin Athow’s first job was making snooker tables in a factory in Lincolnshire. He later worked as a roadie, touring with bands for seven years. His first foray into law was during jury service, which inspired him to qualify as a barrister at 32. As routes in-house go, his is up there with the unconventional. […]
In-house legal functions can often be seen as an added cost to a business. Staff know that lawyers exist in their organisation, but only because of the annual GDPR training or to put out fires when crises arise. They may not really understand what they do. This perception is one that general counsel at the […]
Canadian pension fund investor CDPQ’s location in London’s West End just by Carnaby Street is a deliberate part of the world’s second-largest infrastructure investor’s allure. The firm first launched in London in 2016 but moved to its new, swankily-located, concrete-ceilinged headquarters in January this year as part of a wider image overhaul. “We’ve been present […]
Back in 2020, British satellite company OneWeb was having to pull itself out of bankruptcy. Despite big dreams and big ambition, it had failed to break into the market after its biggest investor SoftBank Group Corp pulled out of funding it. The company was saved via a $1bn equity investment lifeline, injected into it by […]
HSBC’s Digital Business Services Legal team has switched to agile working to maximise its expertise in technology and outsourcing.
This March, Deutsche Bank celebrated its 150th anniversary of opening in the UK. Head to its office and you will find the artworks being removed ready to line the walls of its new Moorgate base, which staff have been relocating to in dribs and drabs. Deutsche Bank’s GC for UK and Ireland Simon Man has been […]
Expert networks are a lesser-known phenomenon, but in an age where data and knowledge is a necessity, the industry has grown into a multibillion-dollar sector. Big names and pioneers of the sector include GLG, AlphaSights and Third Bridge. Their purpose? To connect you with a panel of people who know anything and everything about a […]
When it comes to talking about transport companies, there’s a danger of using too many puns. Describing FirstGroup’s principal legal advisers, general counsel Christy Baker explains “we hitched our wagon to Burges Salmon right at the start of privatisation”. The privatisation of the railways started in 1994 meaning FirstGroup’s relationship with Burges Salmon now spans […]
Zodia Markets made history in 2022 as it became the first crypto trading business to be backed by an international bank and given crypto-asset registration from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority. Backed by Standard Chartered, it was launched as a partnership between SC Ventures, the innovation arm of Standard Chartered and BC Technology Group back […]
Kevin Mercer is something of a legal nomad. Acting general counsel for Houseful (previously Zoopla), his CV is dotted with an array of impressive interim roles that he has taken on as part of his niche for transformation. Having worked for leading tech companies such as New York-based analytics company Verint and networking software leader […]