Emma Langford is a highly accomplished dual-qualified General Counsel, admitted in both England and Wales and as an attorney in New York, with more than 25 years’ experience advising boards, executive teams and private equity investors across complex, regulated and international environments. She is particularly recognised for her experience in private equity-backed businesses, where she combines legal and commercial insight to support the business through investment, transformation and exit.

Currently serving as General Counsel, Company Secretary and Head of Governance at Heywood, a private equity-backed fintech business specialising in pensions and financial services technology, Emma plays a pivotal role in advising the board and investors, focusing on strategic growth, governance and transaction execution. She leads the Legal, Governance, Compliance, Risk and ESG functions, operating across a broad spectrum of the organisation.

A defining highlight of Emma’s career is her role in the legal workstream on Heywood’s private equity transition, including the exit from BlackRock ownership and subsequent acquisition by Pollen Street Capital. She managed all legal aspects of the transaction, including extensive due diligence, transaction governance, and liaising with external counsel. Her ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and deliver a seamless ownership transition underscores her strength as a trusted advisor in high-value private equity businesses.

Beyond transactional work, Emma has been instrumental in preparing the business for private equity investment and ongoing value creation. She has implemented scalable legal and governance infrastructure, including a full lifecycle contract management system and is currently focusing on the integration of legal AI tools to support operational efficiency. She has also embedded robust governance and policy frameworks, including establishing Audit and Risk, and Remuneration, Committees, and aligning organisational structures with investor expectations.

Emma’s leadership extends to ESG and regulatory strategy, where she has developed and implemented a comprehensive ESG programme, including environmental policies and carbon reduction initiatives, ensuring alignment with both regulatory requirements and private equity priorities. As Company Secretary to multiple group entities, she oversees board governance, statutory compliance and decision-making processes, and is a regular and influential presence at board and committee meetings.

Her international and private equity credentials are further reinforced by her earlier career at Thomas Cook Group, where she spent 15 years and progressed to Group Airlines Head of Legal. There, she led an international team of numerous lawyers across the UK and Europe, and setting us business operations in the United States, advising on complex commercial arrangements, regulatory frameworks and corporate transactions within a highly regulated sector. Her roles as Anti-Bribery and Corruption Officer and Data Protection Officer further demonstrate her depth in governance and risk management in multinational environments.

In addition to her executive role, Emma contributes to the wider legal and business community as a member of the LexisNexis PSL Consulting Editorial Board, reflecting her standing as a respected and commercially astute legal leader.

Emma’s career is defined by her ability to operate at the intersection of law, business and investment. Her dual qualification as a UK solicitor and New York attorney, combined with her experience advising private equity backed businesses through investment and exit cycles, positions her as a leading General Counsel in the fintech and financial services sector.

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

The most significant transaction my team has been involved in over the past year was the transition from existing private equity owners (BlackRock) to new private equity investors (Pollen Street Capital). The process took almost a year with extensive due diligence from a variety of potential purchasers. I managed all legal aspects of the transaction, including extensive due diligence, transaction governance, and liaising with external counsel. Managing this process whilst also continuing to support the day-to-day needs of the business with legal support was challenging but ultimately a very rewarding transaction to be involved with.

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

In-house lawyers need to act primarily as a business partner, not just a legal adviser. A solid foundation in areas like legal principles and regulatory compliance is still essential, but I think the real value comes from applying that knowledge in a way that supports commercial goals.

For me, one of the most important attributes is strong commercial awareness—understanding how the business works, how it creates value, and where legal issues can impact strategy. Alongside that is good risk judgment: being able to balance legal protection with business needs, and knowing when to escalate, when to mitigate, and when to accept a level of risk.

Clear and practical communication is also key, particularly the ability to translate complex legal points into straightforward, usable advice. I believe that it is important for in-house lawyers to be confident working with a range of stakeholders, both internal and external, and developing the ability to influence decisions.

Finally, adaptability is increasingly important, especially with the rise of new technologies and changing ways of working. Overall, the most effective in-house counsel combine strong technical legal skills with commercial thinking, sound judgment, and the ability to help drive business decisions rather than just advise on them.

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

One experience that stands out for me was the period when I was simultaneously leading a legal team while preparing for the New York Bar Exam.

At the time, I was Head of Legal and responsible for managing day-to-day legal operations across the business (an international airline) and supporting ongoing commercial matters, so my workload was already demanding. On top of that, I was asked by the business to qualify as a US lawyer, to support our expansion into the US, and so I began studying to sit the New York Bar, which required a significant and disciplined study commitment over several months.

Running a team while preparing for a major exam forced me to be extremely structured with my time, prioritise effectively, and delegate more intentionally and effectively than I might otherwise have done.

It was definitely challenging, but it was also one of the most rewarding periods of my career because it tested both my technical legal knowledge and my ability to operate under sustained pressure. Ultimately, I passed the exam while continuing to deliver on my professional responsibilities, and it reinforced my confidence in managing competing high-stakes demands without compromising on quality.