Team size: 13

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

We have been involved in multiple significant cases recently. From 2018, we were responsible for implementing and operating new data protection regulations. Additionally, we participated in the setting up of a private shopping and café businesses in China, and of our H Beauty stores during the pandemic. We were part of the crisis management of the pandemic’s impact on retail, and, in 2020, of re-platforming the company’s website. Lastly, we have had an active role in applying sanctions to Russia.

How has the increasing consciousness of climate change and sustainability affected your company and the team’s priorities?

Sustainability has been on our agenda for a few years but has now become a key focus for our business as we have replaced the iconic green plastic shopping bags with paper bags. Also, we have a fleet of vans and trucks which are either electric or use biofuel, and we look to improve sustainability and climate responsibility in all aspects of our business and supply chain. Our aim is to get to net zero by 2030.

As we enter the next decade, what skills will a corporate legal team need to succeed in the modern in-house legal world? 

The skills required over the next decade for a corporate in-house legal team are adaptability, flexibility, crisis management and a sixth sense for what is truly important. A likely global recession may also put budget pressure on external legal spending, which will require in-house to diversify and carry out some tasks that might otherwise have been outsourced. It has always been important for an in-house lawyer to develop multiple skills, and I can see that becoming more important as we learn to expect the unexpected.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

The key is to get out of your comfort zone, to immerse yourself in the wider business, to be seen and to find out how the business truly works, so that when you carry out legal work you do so with a panoramic view of the business and its aims and priorities. In my experience, business partners respond positively to curiosity, a thirst for knowledge and any ideas you might have. In demonstrating this, our colleagues see us as trusted advisors.