Practical LawConferences

Natalie is the lead regional lawyer in EMEA for US-listed cloud software provider, NetSuite. She is a member of the EMEA management team and plays a strategic role in advising the business on product localisation and legal developments in EMEA. Prior to her role at NetSuite, Natalie was Group Head of Legal and Company Secretary of Venda, a UK-based eCommerce SaaS provider. As the most senior lawyer in the business, she was responsible for all legal matters and had advisory responsibility across the business from the group’s shareholders and board of directors to executive management. Her three year tenure, which subsequently culminated in leading the successful sale of the business to her current employer, NetSuite, had her working on preparing the business for an IPO, advising on various fundraising rounds and debt restructurings, and working on key commercial projects for the business.

Natalie became Head of Legal of Venda at the age of 27. Before then, she worked in Travelex’s legal team based in London, having trained at international city law firm, Taylor Wessing. She is an active mentor for the Commerce & Industry Group, BPP Law School and Kent Law School, and is chairperson for the Young Alumni Group of the Kent Law Campaign, a £5 million fundraising project to house the expansion of the Kent Law Clinic.

Fergus is General Counsel at Royal London, the UK’s largest mutual life insurance company. Fergus sits at the ExCo and his career has included holding senior roles in compliance and company secretariat in businesses across life and general insurance, asset management and broker dealing.

Stephanie Dominy is General Counsel at Kuoni GTS-GTD, a business division of Kuoni Global Travel Industry Services (listed on SIX Swiss Exchange).   She has held her current role since 2004 when she joined the legacy company Gullivers Travel Associates.  She heads up a legal function of 6 legal staff based in London, Zurich and New Delhi which supports a global travel business of around 3000 employees in over 40 locations around the world.  She advises her directors and business leadership teams on corporate and business affairs, competition and anti-trust, risk and regulatory compliance, data protection, bribery and corruption and intellectual property.   Before joining Kuoni she spent 2 years in the commercial legal team at Cable & Wireless and 2 years in AIM-listed technology PR company Next Fifteen plc.  She qualified into the Corporate Finance team at Theodore Goddard (now Addleshaw Goddard) and was admitted to the Law Society in 1999.  She graduated in Law at King’s College, London and was educated in Singapore and England.

As General Counsel for Mind Candy, Jenifer is an expert at finding business-friendly solutions in ambiguous legal environments, across multiple jurisdictions. Passionate about disruptive businesses, technology and people, she has extensive experience with high-growth tech companies, including roles at Zynga and Yahoo!.

She joined Mind Candy in 2013 and oversees all legal work, from partnerships to M&A, intellectual property and regulatory compliance, employment and corporate governance. As Chief of Staff, she is also responsible for day-to-day operations, strategy, recruitment and HR.

Previously, Jenifer was International Legal Counsel for Zynga, with responsibility for legal work outside of the US, including government relations.

Before that she was EMEA Legal Director at Yahoo!, in charge of ‘product justice’, corporate restructuring, government and EU relations and business and human rights issues, as well as the regular surprises that come with operating in many countries.

She started her career as a City lawyer, focused on IP and transaction work in the tech sector.

Jenifer is a founding member of ALL RISE, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to combating cyber abuse.

Her Moshi Monster namesake is Jen the Hammer Slammin’ Judge.

Jonathan became RPC’s Managing Partner in May 2008, having chaired the firm’s management board for the preceding two years. He is a corporate lawyer with extensive experience of international and domestic corporate transactional work, particularly M&A, private equity and joint ventures.

Jonathan trained at RPC and was seconded to Lazard for a year before becoming a partner in 1998. He is a member of the British Venture Capital Association. Jonathan was also listed in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 in both 2011 and 2014.

Stephen Godsell is Group General Counsel & Company Secretary of PA Group, the parent company of the Press Association, the national news agency for the UK and Ireland and a leading multi-media content provider across web, mobile, broadcast and print. PA Group businesses also include: Sticky Content, the UK’s leading digital copywriting and content strategy agency; TNR, a specialist communications consultancy; and Globelynx, which enables corporate clients to connect with TV news broadcasters around the world.

Stephen previously held senior positions at Clifford Chance as an intellectual property lawyer and at The Economist Group. He has extensive experience of structuring, managing and negotiating acquisitions, digital content deals and other transactions in the media, data and technology sectors, as well as managing cross-border teams.

He is a board director and trustee of The Economist Educational Foundation, a charity that works to inspire and build skills amongst disadvantaged children.

Zoe is a qualified Solicitor and Company Secretary with over 16 years broad financial services industry experience gained within a range of businesses from “magic circle” law firm (Linklaters), to innovative start up (Salaam Halal Insurance) to Multinational FTSE 250 group (Hiscox). Prior to joining OneSavings Bank, Zoe was Legal and Compliance Director at Salaam Halal Insurance and has held senior roles in the Lloyds Insurance Market and Hiscox Plc.

Centaur Media is leading business information, events and media group, listed on the LSE.

Grainne has been General Counsel at Centaur Media since July 2014 and is a member of the company’s Operating Board as well as Company Secretary. Prior to joining Centaur Grainne was General Counsel at CBS Outdoor International where she was part of the management team delivering a successful sale of the division by CBS to Platinum Equity. She remained on the Executive Committee following the sale, advising on international projects and coordinating legal strategy and a team of lawyers across the region. She was also responsible for liaison with CBS Corp legal department in New York, then Platinum legal in Los Angeles. Grainne had previously worked at Yahoo!’s EMEA HQ in London and then Switzerland for 8 years and held various roles including GC Yahoo! Sarl.

Grainne qualified at Clifford Chance in London and worked at law firm Bird & Bird before joining Yahoo!. She has undertaken a broad range of corporate and commercial work in Europe and the USA within media, telecoms and technology industries.

I joined Simplyhealth in 2006 after spending six years in financial services in house roles.

I lead a team of five and it is important that we have a strong understanding of Simplyhealth’s business and the business environment.  To this end we have close proximity with our internal clients and pride ourselves on developing relationships and breaking down barriers with the business.  You must know about the business – understand the way it works, its culture and processes. The key is to understand the bigger picture, so you can advise on both law and strategy.

I have been accepted as a strategic advisor as Simplyhealth has developed and diversified over the years whilst still maintaining its mutual focus and as a member of its senior management team, I am pleased to be part of a company with strong values and a clear vision.

Prior to qualifying I spent many years in operational management and using my extensive business management experience in both the public and private sectors, I have invested in integrating the legal team into the Simplyhealth business and developing deeper insights and understanding of the challenges it faces.

The health sector is an important and exciting arena, bringing its own unique set of challenges and opportunities and I enjoy being part of this team.

Iain Miller is a partner at Bevan Brittan LLP and is head of its regulatory team.  He has advised in relation to legal services regulation since 1994.  His work covers a wide range of advice and litigation involving public and private sector organisations which includes presenting cases to tribunals, appeals and other litigation associated with regulation and discipline.

Iain writes and speaks extensively on legal services regulation and has authored ‘Alternative Business Structures: The Regulation of Law Firms’.  He is named as a leading individual in the Legal 500 in the field of professional discipline.

Jo Anderson is the Change Lead for the Product and Platform Integration programme in Thomson Reuters UK and Ireland Legal Business as well as a Senn Delaney certified facilitator. Jo has held a variety of leadership roles including Head of Editorial Operations and Head of Product Management both at Practical Law Company, now part of Thomson Reuters and as a partner at Mayer Brown. During her time in private practice Jo was seconded to Shell, AstraZeneca and Cable & Wireless. Jo is also a business coach working mainly within the legal sector.

A highly experienced trainer, with many years of practical project and programme delivery. Enthusiastic and adaptable to the delegates’ need and enjoys working with them to develop solutions.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Well-rounded, customer-focused and experienced with a background in Business Improvement, IT Project, Programme, Portfolio and IT Service Management
• Skilled in developing teams and creatively solving problems, defining strategy and identifying measurable objectives and Key Performance Indicators
• Experienced in writing and delivering presentations at conferences and executive meetings. (e.g. itSMF National Conference, The Help Desk Show and Project Challenge)
• Project Management practice maintained through the management of several small business expansions
• Capital Project Management Services PRINCE2® capability development.

John is General Counsel at the TONI&GUY group, having joined the company from Allen & Overy as its first in house counsel in 2003.  John’s responsibilities cover the TONI&GUY and Essensuals hairdressing businesses and the label.m products business.

Sharifa Lakhani is Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary to the Holmes Care Group, a privately owned care home developer and operator with 14 care homes in the UK and over 1000 employees. Prior to joining Holmes Care, Sharifa spent 6 years working in the Legal & Secretariat team of leading consulting engineer firm Ramboll, advising on contentious and non-contentious matters and international projects.

Sharifa is currently an Executive MBA student at Imperial College Business School; she has a passion for business and the role that in-house lawyers can play in business.

Nicholas Eldred, solicitor, is an experienced general counsel and secretary, who was until recently the secretary and group general counsel of Christie’s, the global art people. Before that, he held similar positions at the BBC and O2. He is currently Chairman of the Public Service Broadcasting Trust, an award-winning charity which helps young people help themselves and others.

Bruce Macmillan was Executive Director, Senior Commercial Legal Counsel at VISA Europe until April 2014. Prior to joining VISA Europe, Bruce was the first General Counsel of the Legal Services Board (LSB), the oversight regulator for the English and Welsh legal profession. Bruce moved to the LSB from Dell Computers where he was European Senior Counsel for the Consumer, Retail and Wholesale distribution divisions. Prior to Dell, he was UK Head of Legal for the Swedish listed telecoms group Tele2, and for the private equity owned Alpha Telecom group. At the start of his in house career he worked at ONdigital/ITV Digital and at Cable & Wireless. Mr. Macmillan trained as an auditor with Arthur Andersen before started his legal career at Gouldens (now Jones Day) and also worked for SJ Berwin in Brussels before moving in house. He has been an active member of legal trade associations including the Commerce & Industry Group (where he was chair of the Corporate Governance Committee) and the IT Lawyers’ Forum.

Simon is the senior lawyer in EMEA for Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services. Globally Cognizant currently has 180,000 employees. Simon is responsible for all legal and compliance issues in the UK, Nordics, Middle East & Africa businesses; he has built a team from one to fifteen in six years. Issues range from commercial law, anti-corruption, competition and sanctions law. In addition, he has global responsibility for privacy matters across the organisation. Prior to joining Cognizant he worked for Clifford Chance in London and Amsterdam, followed by Morgan Lewis.

Sally-Ann was the first lawyer to join Metro Bank in February 2012. Her role as General Counsel is to develop the legal function in a fast changing, expanding business.

Prior to joining Metro Bank, Sally-Ann spent nearly 20 years in Manchester undertaking various legal roles with the Co-operative Bank, Co-operative Financial Services and the Co-operative Banking Group.

Sally-Ann started her career in matrimonial and criminal law in Northampton, before moving on to join the corporate transactional team at Manches & Co in 1989.

Dominic is General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for Sigma Broking. He has created, set up and managed legal, compliance and risk teams at a number of financial institutions both in the UK, North America, Asia and Australia including Standard Chartered Bank, Gulf International Bank and CMC Markets. He has also set up a legal, regulatory and risk consultancy company, Squaring the Circle.  Reporting to Sigma’s CEO, Dominic’s remit covers not just the technical aspects of his role but also providing input  on commercial and business decisions and acting as a sounding board for the CEO and also business heads.  He has also been a director of a number of financial institutions and therefore has a unique take on whether GCs should be on Boards – and why.

Paul Boyle is a qualified solicitor in New Zealand, Australia and England, and is currently general counsel of Airwave Solutions Limited, having previously worked in various international law firms in Auckland, Sydney and London for 12 years as a mergers and acquisitions specialist.  Airwave is the owner and operator of the world’s largest TETRA telecommunications network, which provides mission critical telecommunications services to the British ‘blue light’ emergency services where Paul leads the Legal, Risk and Company Secretarial team.  He reports to both the CEO and CFO and also sits on the board and Excom.  Paul currently lives in Beaconsfield and is married with 3 daughters aged 4, 6 and 9.  Paul is an avid reader and a passionate follower of sport.

Clare is Head of Legal for Travelex’s foreign exchange retail, wholesale & partner services businesses in Europe, the Middle East, India & Africa and the Global Business Development function. Clare also has responsibility for Group Services (IT, HR, Procurement) and leads both a team of six based in London supporting EMEIA and Group Services and a wider legal team supporting global business development activities from London, New York and Sydney. Clare has been at Travelex for over 6 years in a number of different global leadership roles, prior to which she was in private practice specialising in Corporate Finance and M&A at two leading City firms. Clare is also a member of the Law Society Council together with its Commerce & Industry Group’s training board and an active supporter of Pure Potential, an organisation that aims to increase the career success and social mobility of state school students. Clare was included in the FT’s Part Time Power List in 2013 and currently works 4 days a week.