About

Team size: 22
Major law firms used: Clifford Chance, Eversheds Sutherland, Pinsent Masons, Slaughter and May

‘He’s an average musician,’ says Legal & General chief executive Nigel Wilson of his GC and company secretary, Geoffrey Timms. ‘It’s good that he has a day job.’

Questionable comparisons to Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker aside, Timms’ approach to people management has seen him attain an enviable level of respect in the market. ‘Lawyers work incredibly hard’, Wilson adds. ‘They take their roles very seriously and work incredibly long hours. Despite that, Geoffrey manages to manage these people in a way that is human.’

A number of the lawyers under Timms’ wing have subsequently branched out into other areas. One went to HR, another to business development and another became a managing director. ‘That’s what you get from good leadership,’ Wilson insists. Timms obviously has a talent for some of the soft skills modern lawyers require, but Wilson adds he is never afraid to ‘rattle a few cages’ when necessary.
He is clearly also a strong technical lawyer, getting stuck into a variety of pressing matters for the business: ‘We operate in one of the most highly regulated industries in the UK and Geoffrey has a great source of knowledge when it comes to dealing with our huge amount of stakeholders, such as the Financial Conduct Authority, the government or our shareholders.’

Timms is also responsible for external legal procurement, with Eversheds Sutherland, Slaughter and May, Clifford Chance and Pinsent Masons being the prime beneficiaries of Legal & General’s instructions. Wilson praises the collaborative nature of these external relationships, noting the weekly morning sessions Timms runs to keep his panel firms and his own lawyers up to date with L&G’s affairs.

But perhaps most importantly, Timms is simply a nice human. Wilson concludes: ‘He organises a big charity event once a year where he and his band play music. He’s lead guitar and vocals. Luckily there are other bands too.’