Major legal advisers: Slaughter & May, Garrigues, Baker & McKenzie, Linklaters, Addleshaw Goddard, DLA Piper, Clyde & Co, Bristows, Weightmans, Kennedys, Sullivan & Cromwell, Covington & Burling, Arthur Cox, McCann Fitzgerald, William Fry.  

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

International Airlines Group (IAG) combines leading airlines in UK, Spain and Ireland to provide a truly global experience to our customers. Our airlines include British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and Level. IAG also owns IAG Cargo and IAG Loyalty. The team comprises legal, compliance and company secretariat professionals across the airlines and IAG businesses. The team is based in London, Madrid, Barcelona, Dublin and New York and is involved in a wide range of projects from M&A activities, regulatory, competition and employment law advice, litigation, as well as contracting and commercial advice and managing the compliance program. IAG is listed on the London and Madrid stock exchanges and UK and Spanish corporate governance and securities law issues are handled by our legal and company secretariat teams. 

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

The airline industry continues to build back from the Covid-19 pandemic, and we have worked hard to transform our business, ensuring that we are emerging stronger from the biggest crisis in modern aviation’s history. The legal team has a key role to play in supporting the group in achieving this recovery and returning to sustainable and profitable growth. This includes M&A support, as well as day to day counselling on legal and commercial issues and providing strategic legal support to ensure that IAG continues to adapt to a changing and increasingly regulated environment. 

What measures has your company taken to embed sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how does the role of the general counsel contribute to driving and ensuring sustainable practices within the company?   

IAG is the first airline group to commit to achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Accelerating the transition to a net zero carbon economy will require us to invest more in new technologies, including investing in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), more efficient aircraft and exploring alternative technologies such as hydrogen powered aircraft and carbon capture and removal. The legal team supports IAG’s sustainability team across a wide range of activities including engagement with government policy makers and regulators, supplier contracts (key areas include SAF and fleet procurement), competition and regulatory advice, investment projects with key innovation partners and advising on ESG issues generally.