Scrum time – Can agile project management deliver for GCs?

Scrum time – Can agile project management deliver for GCs?

Business is full of buzzwords, and among the buzziest of the last few years is ‘agile’. The traditional project management approach is ‘waterfall’. But, in contrast to the dynamism of the term, the waterfall process can be rigid. After a long period of requirement gathering and planning, the project is developed in a linear way, …

From start-up to established: du-ing it the right way

From start-up to established: du-ing it the right way

Of the two telecoms operators in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), du – officially Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company – is the youngest. A publicly listed company, du has a market capitalisation of $7.5bn, revenues of $3.4bn, over 2,000 employees and a customer base of nine million. In addition to the usual telecoms fare – both …

GC to C-suite – How one veteran lawyer crossed the floor

GC to C-suite – How one veteran lawyer crossed the floor

For many lawyers, much of the draw to move in-house is the opportunity to play a more direct role in the business. It is also the chance to develop their commercial acumen beyond the level that private practice allows. The skillset this is cultivating within the in-house team is undoubtedly making the general counsel (GC) …

Start-ups in India – Reaping what you sow

Start-ups in India – Reaping what you sow

2018 was a good year for Indian entrepreneurs. The world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem saw its base expand by 12-15% and investor funding grow by 108% year-on-year, as well as a rise in late-stage funding, according to a 2018 report by industry association NASSCOM and consultants Zinnov. This boom was last year enough to hand unicorn …

Project India – Meet the GCs charged with building on a vast scale

Project India – Meet the GCs charged with building on a vast scale

As the world’s second most populous country, India accounts for 17.5% of the world’s population. And it is rapidly catching up with the number one, China. On an annual basis, India’s population growth rate of 1.2% is more than double that of its Asian neighbour. But while population growth is largely seen as a means …

State of play – In-house tech perspectives

State of play – In-house tech perspectives

Between the reams of paper (literal and virtual) spent discussing how technology will affect the legal profession and the thousands of legal tech companies springing up around the world, technology is on the minds of in-house teams of all sizes and sectors. But often what is not communicated is how in-house counsel feel about the …

Three GC perspectives on change

Three GC perspectives on change

Gloria Sánchez Soriano, head of transformation – legal department, Santander When our group general counsel (GC), Óscar García Maceiras, joined two years ago, he came with the idea of transforming the legal department. But Santander as a business is also in a huge process of transformation. Maceiras had a concern that we in our legal …

Corporations with benefits – Assessing the rise of US public benefit companies

Corporations with benefits – Assessing the rise of US public benefit companies

When looking for good in the world, corporate governance law is not the most obvious place to train your eye. However, there is a sizeable band of corporations – thousands, in fact – who have opted to start just there, using corporate governance as a springboard to the greater good. Shareholder primacy, often cast as …

Tom Johnson, Federal Communications Commission

Tom Johnson, Federal Communications Commission

I have always been attracted to public service. A number of my colleagues from my time at Gibson Dunn had gone on to serve as solicitors general in state attorney generals’ offices. Those offices provide unparalleled opportunities, such as the chance to argue appeals and challenge areas in which the federal government has exceeded its …

No more firsts – Reflections of the first female counsel to the White House

No more firsts – Reflections of the first female counsel to the White House

There can be few legal roles in the US of as much significance and substance as White House counsel. And when Beth Nolan jettisoned film school for law school, she had no idea her eventual career, including serving as White House counsel for President Bill Clinton – the first female to take on the role …