Team size: 19
Major legal advisers: Clifford Chance, Osborne Clarke, AA Thornton, Geldards, CMS, Foot Anstey 

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?  

My legal team has recently been involved in a number of largescale matters. These include the sale of our US price comparison business, Compare.com, as well as the acquisition of French InsurTech Luko. We have also been involved in the re-organisation of a UK wide repair garage network, the launch of a new fleet insurance product, and the launch of a new pet insurance product. Finally, we have been involved in a new group cyber response program, in the selection of new group board chair, and a full review of NED remuneration across the group.
 

What do you see as an opportunity or risk over the next six months? 

Talent retention remains top of my agenda, I have built a team of 19 divided between the legal and company secretary team. When I joined Admiral, as a junior lawyer in 2010, the legal team only consisted of a team of four. It takes time to grow a team with the right skillset, potential and cultural fit, and we have since been recognised with multiple awards. However, there is plenty of external competition and I have no doubt that my team are being approached for roles with increasingly attractive packages. I need to ensure that our legal department remains an attractive place to work, that pays fairly and allows for growth and development at all levels. The ideal scenario would be a world where I have achieved this as the opportunities that a happy and motivated team will bring are endless.
 

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense? 

My team has grown quickly, and this corresponds with the growth of Admiral in recent years, in terms of complexity and geography. We have designed a process for onboarding and contracting with suppliers which reduces management time and allows the legal team to focus on high value matters. We have worked very closely with our procurement, information security and data protection team to create a supplier onboarding process that works alongside a new suite of in-house contract templates. Our documents cover anything from material outsourced IT services to agreements for general goods and services. By the time contracts come back to us, the supplier has passed through all our due diligence checks and a list of contentious contractual points has been narrowed down. The business has been empowered to own much of the contract process and the legal team has been freed to advise on more complex matters.