The £106.6m conditional sale of 48 acres of land at the former Skelton Grange power station to Microsoft for the development of a hyperscale data centre. Completion of a new £275m senior debt revolving credit facility, which incorporates a £50m accordion facility and improves both margin and terms.

The £53.5m sale of a strategic land site at Ansty, Warwickshire to Frasers Group for the development of its new global headquarters.The buy-out of our Gateway 45 joint venture with Evans Properties on land adjacent to the above-mentioned Skelton Grange scheme and the M1.

Conditional exchange of a strategic partnership with the Church Commissioners to deliver a significant mixed-use development with capacity for c. 1.2m sq. ft of industrial and logistics space and c. 1,500 homes.

The demolition, remediation and sale of the first residential parcels for a scheme which will deliver c.1,000 homes at the former Ironbridge Power Station.

What do you see as an opportunity or risk over the next six months?

The ability to leverage technology represents a significant opportunity for our in-house Legal team and wider business. There is a lot of ‘noise’ about the emergence of artificial intelligence tools to support the legal sector, and I am (on balance) an optimist about the potential for both standalone and embedded AI tools to drive significant efficiencies. For the time being, we are focused on leveraging the technology we already own, principally within the Microsoft ‘stack’. We’ve identified and are gradually implementing significant efficiencies merely by using more effectively the Microsoft products we already pay for! We’re also alive to the risk of adopting AI tools without rigorous assessment as we embark on Group-wide digital transformation. We are doing so in a controlled and measured way.

General counsel often speak of the need to be strategic to reach the pinnacle of the profession. What does being strategic mean to you?  

For me there are two linked but distinct aspects to a strategic mindset.

Firstly, the contribution a GC makes to the curation, implementation, of business strategy. The value which a GC brings around the Executive table to strategic discussions, decisions and actions typically leans heavily into risk assessment and management, governance and compliance, but also what I would describe as ‘legal creativity’ by which I mean identifying innovative legal solutions to strategic challenges.

Secondly, the ability to build and manage teams in a strategic manner. By this I mean identifying for yourself and your teams their purpose, core role, objectives and value, all of which must align with the business strategy, and all of which must inform the priorities, activity and approach of the teams.

Have you had any experiences during your career as a lawyer that stand out as particularly unique or interesting?

The variety of my role never ceases to surprise me. One minute I may be responding to reports of an unexploded ordnance at one of our developments which is located close to the site of a WWII munitions factory. The next we’ll be demolishing c.100m-tall cooling towers at a former power station, immediately adjacent to a supergrid substation. There is never a dull day!

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

You must understand thoroughly the business you are working in – every nook and cranny of it! This takes time and effort. What are the purpose and key objectives of each function/division/team? How do they operate? What are the risks and challenges they face? How can you and your teams help them?

First, by building connections throughout the business carefully. Those connections will become strong relationships which develop into your being viewed across the business as a trusted leader, adviser and confidant.

Having confidence in your own instinct and judgement is key. They will more than likely serve you well.

It is also necessary to adapt your risk appetite to align with that of the business and then build and manage your teams to follow. Typically, you will need a healthy risk appetite (more so than in private practice, in my experience). You must strike a careful balance: don’t be overly cautious (unless that aligns with the risk appetite of the business) but equally don’t be reckless

Finally, being authentic and, in being so, understand what you bring to the Executive is highly valuable. Alongside their traditional traits (see above), GCs always bring extra ‘layer’ or two of value which differs from GC to GC. You might have expertise in leading transformation, be a strong diplomat or confidant, thrive at business development, or be the Executive’s bridge into the workforce, having built the strong relationships I mentioned above. Recognise your value.