Group general counsel | BEEAH Group
Shaun Johnson
Group general counsel | BEEAH Group
Can you foresee any key developments to the way general counsel work over the next five years?
General counsel are finally being allowed to do what their title suggests, which is to provide counsel to their senior management over a broad range of matters both commercial and legal. The role of the general counsel is increasingly being acknowledged as a general advisory role, drawing on specialist expertise of law firms when a deeper appreciation of the subject matter is required.
General counsel effectively bridge the gap between legal advice provided by law firms about a particular matter and applying that in a meaningful and useful way to the business. I feel the key development over the next five years in the role of the general counsel is that they will be frequently invited to have a seat at the ‘top table’ in senior management in order to help the business effectively navigate through the myriad of legal complexities that all businesses face.
How do you prioritise diversity and inclusion within your legal department, and what initiatives have you implemented to foster a more inclusive and equitable work environment?
While diversity and inclusion is always talked about, it needs to be implemented in a practical sense in a company’s hiring policies. When resourcing, I continue to seek a fair gender balance within the legal team. In addition to gender, it is particularly important for the legal function to develop the younger generation of lawyers, especially those from your ‘host nation’, to ensure they get the same rotational training across different areas of law as they develop their careers.
Putting some thought in how to organically grow, develop and promote the lawyers within your team ensures longevity, loyalty, and high motivation.
Group chief legal officer | BEEAH Group
Group general counsel | Beeah Group
Director, legal | Vision Invest
Shaun Johnson credits his time in private practice with Ashurst (formerly Blake Dawson) in Australia and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as having been instrumental in his later success as an in-house...
General counsel | ACWA Holding
Shaun Johnson has practiced as a lawyer for 18 years, one third of which was in private practice at Ashurst in Melbourne, Australia and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London, which...
Shaun has over 24 years of experience as a general counsel and C-suite executive, working for both public and private sectors across Australia, the UK, Europe and now the Middle East. He began his career in private practice at Ashurst and then Freshfields, and has spent the last 18 years working in-house across a number of services and sectors, such as utilities, transport, education, health, funds, aviation, waste and digital.
Since 2016, Shaun has resided in the Middle East, initially working at Vision Invest and Miahona (a Vision Invest subsidiary). In 2020 he earned an accreditation as a ‘Certified Director’ from the GCC Board of Director’s Institute. He is now group general counsel for the BEEAH Group, a sustainability and digitalisation pioneer in the region.
Shaun is also the chairman of IPFA Middle East and sits as a non-executive director on IPFA’s global board. A professionally qualified solicitor in England and Australia, Shaun is an active public speaker at professional events and a formal mentor to a number of junior lawyers which underlies the value he places on continuing professional development, training, and mentoring.
