About

Based at the corporate headquarters in Dublin and lead by general counsel Margaret Kearney, the CarTrawler legal function provide a cross-functional body of work crucial to continued company success. Operating in the car rental market, the rapidly moving and exponentially growing challenges brought about by the internet are cited by the CarTrawler team as their biggest challenge. Kearney explains that ‘trying to balance the law with the pace of change of the internet’ is crucial, as gaps in regulation exist because laws ‘have not kept up with advances in technology’. Able to make a positive impact on the business operations of the company as well as being reliable legal advisors, Kearney and her team of three have recently introduced innovative and inventive ways of working to improve efficiency. Kearney highlights the way the legal team implemented automated contract generation allowing commercial, procurement and brands teams to create contracts with a few clicks of a button. This development has ‘dramatically improved and streamlined’ the contracting process for the commercial side of the company, demonstrating a tangible commercial impact on the business. Another two strategically important victories for the team include the undertaking of a full review of CarTrawler’s insurance products and the acquisition of Cabforce in 2015, both deals securing better offerings for customers, suppliers and the business as a result. Recognising the need to keep pace with the rapid growth of the business and the ever changing internet market, important changes related to the team’s growth have been put in place; CarTrawler’s business has committed to ‘building the legal talent pool’ in the last two years, expanding the team and developing a new business partnering model. Displaying strong market acumen and integrity, CarTrawler’s legal team try to be market influencers through their work, maintaining close relationships with consumer authorities to raise industry standards and educating their suppliers on such standards.