About

Team size: 25
Major law firms used: Allen & Overy, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Eversheds Sutherland, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Owen White, Pinsent Masons, Towerhouse

Carol Hui has been GC at Europe’s busiest airport since 2009 but more recently expanded her role when she was appointed chief of staff in 2017. Already on the company’s executive board,
two departments were added to Hui’s remit: communications and sustainability. Those, alongside the existing legal affairs and assurance teams, ensure Hui has an even greater say in how the company is run.

‘A lot of the role now is not just looking at the black-and-white legalities, it’s about protecting the reputation of the company,’ Hui says. ‘I’ve been with the company nine years this year [2018], and
it values the input and experience that I have, and the knowledge of the company I’ve accumulated.’

The four departments Hui now leads cover everything from operations issues and corporate work in legal affairs, internal audits and risk in assurance, internal and external communications (including government relations), and a focus on sustainability as part of the airport’s Heathrow 2.0 strategy. Hui is credited with revamping the legal department since her arrival. There was no formal panel before she took the role, but she quickly reduced reliance on external lawyers to keep the majority of work in-house. The airport recently slimmed down its legal panel from nine to seven firms and restructured
it from 11 sub-panels to a main general approved list. Hui led the review, with the panel effective for three years from 1 January 2019.

Pinsent Masons and legacy Berwin Leighton Paisner advised the airport on the planning process for the approval of Heathrow’s third runway, with Hui saying the two firms came together to effectively act as one firm. Both are instructed together before the work is allocated to whoever in the joint team is best placed to do it, meaning a partner from one firm may supervise a team of lawyers from both firms.

‘We try to be as innovative and commercial as we can, and come up with solutions rather than always saying no. It’s important to understand the business well and be commercial in outlook, but we are also the guardians of the company, and need to always do the right thing and have strong values.’

One Magic Circle partner comments: ‘She is very competent. Heathrow has been through a political, environmental and legal minefield.’