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Team size: 90 in the UK
Major law firms used: Herbert Smith Freehills

It will be the end of an era when James Conyers steps down as Sky’s GC this year, after a 26-year career at the broadcasting giant. UK and Ireland GC, Vicky Sandry, will take over his role. In the meantime, she has been appointed deputy group GC.

Conyers first joined Sky in 1993, before rising through the ranks to eventually become group GC in 2015. Despite such a long tenure, arguably the apex of Conyers’ time as GC came in more recent years. In 2018, Comcast acquired 75% of Sky’s shares for £30bn, a landmark transatlantic buyout for the telecoms sector. It was a complex acquisition, with Comcast having to fight off a rival bid from The Walt Disney Company, all under the watchful eye of the Competition and Markets Authority.

Sky will be losing a veteran of the in-house scene when Conyers ultimately departs. On the secret to his success, he says: ‘I am collaborative and I try to work as an effective team member that presents the skills and range of perspectives required of a good GC.’

But the company will be in good hands when the highly regarded Sandry, who has been with Sky since 2005, takes the reins. In addition to effectively running the UK and Ireland legal team since 2016, Sandry has overseen a powerful diversity incentive: over 50% of Sky’s legal leadership roles are filled by women.