About

Team size: 130 (22 core team)
Major law firms used: Allen & Overy, Bristows, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, Simkins, Slaughter and May

The world’s largest marketing and public relations company went through a period of considerable change in 2018. British multinational WPP, which pulled in more than £15bn in revenue last year, saw its high-profile founder and chief executive, Sir Martin Sorrell, retire after 33 years amid controversy.

Company veteran Mark Read was appointed chief executive in September 2018 and in the last quarter of 2018 launched a new strategy. Group chief counsel Andrea Harris, herself a longstanding employee of more than 20 years, says her direct legal team of 22, which sits alongside the group’s 130 lawyers, has been supporting WPP through this structural change.

‘We need to return the business to long-term, sustainable growth,’ she comments. ‘It’s looking at creating integrated networks, merging a number of our brands on a global basis, reducing our debt levels and disposing of our non-core investments. The team’s been at the heart of that.’

In October, for instance, the company announced it would dispose of a majority interest in global research data and insight business Kantar, which is expected to raise billions. WPP also unveiled its three-year plan in December, with the restructure expected to cost £300m over that period, while delivering headline operating profit margins of at least 15%. The company also established its first executive committee to implement the new plan and improve WPP’s culture.

Harris has also taken on a second role as head of the group’s sustainability function in the past couple of years, with the aim of integrating sustainability as part of mainstream governance and culture across the business. ‘You don’t see that dual role very often. It was a conscious decision because we wanted to make sure sustainability was at the heart of governance.’