More than 200 general counsel and senior in-house lawyers gathered at Syon Park this week for Enterprise GC, LB’s flagship two-day event focused on the biggest issues facing the profession.
From business transformations, geopolitics, Trump and tariffs to AI and crisis leadership, a roster of leading GCs gathered to discuss how their role is evolving.
The discussions reflected how rapidly the external environment is reshaping the demands placed on in-house legal teams, with a big-name line-up of panellists sharing their perspectives.
The event kicked off with a keynote speech by experienced CEO and chair Roger Flynn (pictured), who has worked in senior exec roles at the likes of Virgin Group, British Airways and the BBC, providing insights on what CEOs and boards really want from their top lawyers and how GCs can position themselves as true strategic advisors within their companies.
The first panel of the event was hosted by Trowers & Hamlins, with partner Simon Edwards joined by Pizza Hut UK CLO Lawrence Grabau, Keyloop GC Craig Duff, interim head of legal and company secretary at MOO Kelly Young and Mulberry Group director of legal compliance and company secretary Alison Beveridge.
The panel discussed everything from risk and compliance to ESG, AI and public affairs issues that are increasingly falling within the GC’s remit, and what it takes to manage these competing demands.
The first morning also featured a panel discussion hosted by Fried Frank on how to lead legal teams through a business transformation. The panel, comprising Starbucks EMEA GC Huma Allana van Reesch, Fremantle chief legal officer Matthew Wilson and Ricardo GC Harpreet Sagoo, discussed how GCs can maintain morale, credibility and performance during transformative events for their business.
After lunch, SSQ managing director Laura Field spoke to Reach group GC Nicki Schroeder, Eagle Club founder Lesley Wan and Nestle UK and Ireland GC Mark Maurice-Jones about the lessons they’ve learned during their careers, how to build influence with the C-suite and key leadership skills needed for the job.
The afternoon also saw a frank and open discussion between Smith & Nephew group GC Helen Barraclough and her go-to outside counsel, Reed Smith partner Ben Koplin (pictured), who examined the ins and outs of a productive adviser-client relationship and what GCs can do when expectations of external counsel are not being met.
The last panel of the day looked at how to handle multi-jurisdictional litigation, with Signature Litigation partner Sylvie Gallage-Alwis joined by Elisabeth Iung, global head of litigation, risks – insurance at L’Oreal in Paris and Hicham Khellafi, GC EMEA at Honeywell Industrial Automation.
Day Two kicked off bright and early with a breakfast fireside chat hosted by Walker Morris competition partner Sarah Ward, who was joined on stage by Daniel Quy, GC and director of compliance and ethics at Royal Mail and Alex Ohlson, GC at Stuntory Beverage & Food GB&I, who discussed how GCs identify emerging compliance risks, stay ahead of regulatory developments and embed a culture of compliance across the business.
The next session looked at how geopolitics, tariffs and Trump have impacted GCs. Gowling WLG of counsel Bernadine Adkins led the discussion with panellists including Lisa Lischak, division GC at DCC Technology and Meghan Foreman-Purves, head of legal for Europe and Asia Pacific at CIBC.
AI was of course part of the agenda, with a panel including E.ON GC Kirin Kalsi, IQVIA GC for EMEA and APAC Simon White and Legora deputy GC Emanuel Björn Bergquist offering insight from the coalface into how new technology is being adopted within legal teams.
Later, Axiom Law’s Lewis Bowman moderated a lively discussion featuring HSBC’s Stéphanie Hamon, Patron Capital GC Kendall Langford and Vodafone’s Ailsa Longmuir, who debated whether GCs really need to know what their law firms are using AI for and how this can be best communicated.
The afternoon featured a keynote speech from Sarah Wynn-Williams (pictured), former director of global public policy at Facebook, as well as a crisis management session featuring a heavyweight line-up including three GCs – Anglo American’s Kate Southwell, Rolls-Royce’s Mark Gregory and Elementis Global’s Hannah Constantine, who covered everything from cyber-attacks to unsolicited takeover bids.
The event was rounded off with two one-to-ones. Gowling WLG partner Ben Stansfield spoke to Hyundai head of legal Shaun Goodman about the realities of building a company-wide ESG framework, and how organisations translate ESG commitments into practical strategy.
The final conversation saw Legal Business reporter Theresa Hargreaves speak to Rio Tinto’s Chris Fowler, who discuss career opportunities beyond legal, such as his current role as COO for legal, governance and corporate affairs, as well as his experience of non-exec roles and what they can add to a GC’s CV.
