What are the key projects that you have been involved in over the past 12 months? 

UK rail is embarking upon its most wide-ranging reform process since privatisation in the 1990s through the upcoming Railways Bill. Rail reform is also on the agenda across many of Trainline’s key European markets and is a key part of the EU Commission’s programme.

Trainline Legal has spent much of the past year focusing on engagement with governments and regulators across our key markets, with a view to ensuring these reform projects deliver in the best interests of passengers and taxpayers by ensuring competition and innovation is baked into these reformed rail regimes. Most customers now purchase rail tickets via an app or a website.  Ensuring reformed legal and regulatory regimes allow for digital rail retailers like Trainline to continue to innovate to transform the rail customer experience will be key in making these reform processes a success. 

Like most teams, I am sure, we have also been focused on how we can work smarter by utilising AI and other legal tech tooling. Working at an innovative tech business like Trainline, ensuring Legal adopts the same working practices and mindset as our Product and Tech colleagues in pursuing continuous improvement is non-negotiable.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess?

Whilst it is incumbent upon all in-house counsel to ensure they are working as efficiently and effectively as possible by utilising best-in-class tooling (yes, AI again…), it is equally important to build relationships and embed yourself into business functions.

We have a mantra at Trainline that the Legal Team is here to ‘power and protect’. We are not a compliance function. We are here to create opportunities and work towards shared business goals. That is only possible if in-house counsel are prepared to spend time building relationships, being curious, and pushing themselves to think big. 

The real unlock of AI may be to allow in-house counsel to spend more time thinking this way rather than rushing to get the latest contract reviewed or random query answered. The best in-house counsel will think expansively about their roles and the impact they can have.

What measures has your company taken to incorporate sustainability practices into its core business operations, and how can general counsel contribute to driving such initiatives within the organisation?

Trainline is a business with sustainability at its core – train travel reduces carbon emissions by 70% vs car/aviation. Sustainability drives much of what we do at Trainline: it is a key reason cited by new recruits for their decision to join our team.  

Within the Legal function, the key way in which we drive the sustainability agenda is by embedding Trainline’s Senior Corporate Sustainability Manager within the Legal team (reporting into Co Sec). That way we can directly shape the internal and external projects necessary to live out our core sustainability values. Having sustainability embedded within Legal is a real privilege.

It is gratifying to witness our leading sustainability and ESG credentials attract more interest from green funds and ethical investors. Sustainability is a job never done but can be one of the most rewarding parts of a General Counsel’s role if approached in the right way.