Team size: Over 700 

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

Over the last two years, the legal team has been involved in several material acquisitions and licenses, but the largest single transaction would be the separation of the GSK PLC Group, resulting in the spin out and listing of one of the largest consumer healthcare companies in the world, Haleon. The last year has also taken significant time in defending the Zantac mass tort litigation, primarily in the US.   

As a general counsel, how do you anticipate and prepare for potential legal and regulatory challenges that may arise, particularly in light of emerging technologies and evolving business landscapes?  

It is my role as general counsel to engage in active horizon scanning across those areas that could impact the pharmaceutical industry and GSK’s business. That could include things such as the evolution of competition law policy, through to deal structuring, the potential impact of AI and product liability trends. GSK is fortunate to have significant internal resources and is well connected to the world’s best thought leaders in our space. Being able to plan and respond, sometimes pre-emptively, is extremely important in a highly regulated and global business where the stakes are invariably high. To complement this need, we have a strong legal and compliance group that is based in more than 50 markets. As a company in a complex and purpose driven industry, we are fortunate to attract a high level of talented professionals. They are essential in enabling GSK to prepare for potential legal and regulatory challenges that may arise.  

As the legal landscape evolves, what steps are you taking to foster a culture of continuous learning and development within the legal team, ensuring that they are all well-equipped to address future legal complexities?  

We have a full and well thought through culture and training programme that is available to all of our staff. We also focus on the development of our senior leaders as well as our emerging talent, and encourage periodic face to face meetings of our specialist groups. In addition to training and investing in our people, we set clear objectives for every person in the department. These are aligned to the priorities of GSK, and we measure our individuals against these objectives.