About

SICPA develops and distributes overt and covert high security ink for banknotes, documents and brand protection, occupying a niche in financial services. The legal team at SICPA understand that the business is in nature “legalistic”, however group general counsel and head of corporate services Richard Frey says this means there is ‘no pressure to justify legal implication in projects’. Frey says the team has been recognised and awarded numerous times for its achievements: ‘We have certainly made a significant development in the last five to eight years, from a more traditional industry legal department (i.e. a typical support function) to a more modern function (business partner), with well-qualified and high performing individuals and the necessary modern tools and processes’. The team makes every individual count as they evolve and organise themselves in accordance with business needs. The team has made a number of changes in the last two years to further improve quality and diversity. Legal has played a key role for the ONE SICPA concept, the company term for an integrated organisation acting internationally, with regional flexibility but globally applicable standards and processes. The team is a fully transversal function, reporting centrally, and therefore ensuring global consistency between two business divisions and in corporate regions. The role of a SICPA in-house lawyer usually goes beyond mere legal advice, it extends towards leadership in negotiating, including business-related aspects.