About

Team size: 10

Major legal advisers: Carr & Ferrell, DLA Piper, Dentons and Sullivan & Worcester

What are the most important transactions, litigations or other major projects that you have been involved in during the last year?

Over the past twelve months I have cleaned up the litigation register resolving the oldest legal dispute which the company faced settling at 10% of the claim value.

SDL was acquired by RWS Holdings in November 2020. RWS did not have a legal function. In order to ensure that the department was recognised and valued as a key contributor for the organisation I had showcase how legal was not just a cost centre but a value add to the organisation – not just with regards to governance, but also streamlining the sales process mitigating any risk. As a result of RWS agreeing to have a legal function I was given the top job – the first time in 60 years the company had a legal function and head of legal and compliance. As a result we are working with the organisation to implement the right governance framework and efficiencies to optimise legal services.

What were the main difficulties your company faced during the initial Covid-19 lockdown?

The company adapted very swiftly. The IT teams were mobilised to shift equipment around the global to ensure every staff member was able to work and be fully operationally. The legal team was tasked to ensuring export compliance on equipment being transferred across the globe, and ensuring the correct security requirements were in place to continue to support our customer base.

Covid-19 also impacted our clients within set verticals, and the legal team worked with clients to agree payment plans against debts and future receivables. This enabled customers to be fully operational. Where clients faced financial hardship such as the tourism vertical, we worked in partnership with the clients to review terms and pricing options. The legal team had to think out of the box and deliver solutions in order to retain the client base and not increase litigation.

Are there any other of your achievements over the past 18 months that you’d like to mention?

The legal team has adapted exceptionally well over the last 18 months. They have shown to be resilient and focused on delivering a great service back to the business. As well as Covid-19, the team have had to manage the acquisition of SDL (former employer) by RWS and educate the senior management on the need for a legal department. The legal team have continued to operate in an optimised manner ensuring all KPIs and SLAs back to the business have been delivered. As part of the acquisition the legal team have undertaken due diligence in all aspects of the business and created a twelve month roadmap to ensure better governance and agility as we move forward.