2025

What does it take to run an effective corporate legal team in a world that is constantly changing amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty, increasing regulatory burdens and the advent of new technology and AI?

Whatever individual challenge you’re looking at, the answer most certainly involves an open mind, a large dose of resilience and an equal portion of commitment.

Earlier this week more than 150 GCs and senior in-house lawyers from organisations including Starbucks, Reach, Jefferies, Amey, NatWest and Citi came together to discuss some of the biggest challenges facing in-house leaders at Legal Business’s flagship Enterprise GC event.

Held over two days at the Hilton London Wembley on 28-29 April, main stage sessions and breakout workshops were focused on managing in-house teams against the backdrop of two key themes: ever-increasing uncertainty and pressure.

Expertly helping the audience navigate these challenges were two performance coaches. Day one saw homeless runaway turned rally driving champion, TV presenter and author Penny Mallory teach the audience how mental toughness can be the difference between success and failure.

Meanwhile, Day two saw psychologist Jamil Qureshi set out how to turn ambition into achievement by making bold decisions, changing mindsets and bringing the team with you.

Trowers & Hamlins partner Jamie De Souza kicked off the panel sessions on day one with a mainstage session centred on every corporate’s biggest fear, particularly in the wake of the crisis at M&S – a cyber attack. He was joined on stage by Amey general counsel Jayne Bowie, Zscaler EMEA commercial legal head Chris O’Connell and Gary Kinsley, director at Cyber Group.

This was followed by a session led by Walker Morris on ESG and supply chains, which included Shiv Sibal, chief legal officer at Marshalls plc, as well as Ahead Partnership ESG consultant Steven Webb.

The afternoon sessions saw Laura Field, managing director at SSQ, lead Nicki Schroeder, Group GC at Reach, Stephanie Lopes, chief legal officer at Volt, and Latham & Watkins financial services litigation partner Nell Perks through an open and personal discussion around burnout and how to tackle wellbeing in the in-house legal team.

Fried Frank corporate partner Ian Lopez then led a panel of speakers including EG Group’s Lida Khanverdi, Jefferies head of EMEA and APAC M&A, Tariq Hussain, ArcelorMittal group M&A legal counsel Gideon French and Ricardo general counsel Harpreet Sagoo through a session on how GCs are managing to drive M&A deals in a fracturing world.

Day two was no less challenging, with DAC Beachcroft starting the day with a session on how to deal with internal issues effectively in the face of external scrutiny from regulators, police or courts, with partner Angela Hayes leading a panel that included Charlie Potter, co-head of global litigation and disputes at Brunswick. CIBC Europe head of legal Meghan Foreman-Purves and fellow DACB partner David Speakman.

Delegates then heard from legal AI experts Luminance, before a dynamic discussion about what in-house lawyers really think of their law firms, led by Legal Business’s Alex Ryan and Ben Wheway, who were joined by Lisa Lischak, divisional GC at DCC Technology, Evelyn Bueno at SumUp and Chris Ghazarian, COO and GC at DreamHost.

Grant Thornton’s Steve Holt steered IQVIA deputy GC Simon White and UK Debt Management Office GC Sharman Takin through a discussion around geopolitical uncertainty and regulatory change, before the Eagle Club’s Lesley Wan, Ofgem’s Sinead Murray and Legal & General GC (group corporate) Harriet Gallagher-Powell came together to discuss the relationship between GCs and the board, spanning everything from what the board want, to how to build relationships through to the impact of the Post Office scandal on the GC role.

Finally, First 100 Years founder Dana Denis-Smith and Jefferies EMEA and Asia GC Daniel Winterfeldt closed the event with a session on how in-house lawyers are navigating the post-Trump DE&I landscape.

Throughout the event, delegates had the opportunity to attend breakout sessions focusing on specific areas, such as Latham’s roundtable on class actions, a Legal Business session looking at how in-house teams can stay competitive against ever-increasing private practice salaries and a session on how to get involved in non-legal pro bono with Fifth Day.

Thanks to all sponsors and to everyone who attended. Please do get in touch with ideas for next year’s event!