About

Catlin Europe, a provider of commercial and industrial insurance and reinsurance solutions, only set up its legal department with Petra Scheida joining in 2008, while Catlin Europe operates as one of six regional centres of Catlin group. When structuring the legal department she particularly sought to implement an ‘active and creative approach’ as well as ‘well-founded knowledge of the company’s ways of operating’. To actively ask and create is particularly crucial during projects with ‘marginal legal aspects’ such as currently the implementation of a comprehensive receivables management for all payment methods and all Continental European locations. A particular success has been the corporate restructuring of the company’s Continental European hub. Previously associated companies in France, Switzerland, Austria and Spain were directed from Cologne which significantly ‘increased the corporate law work, compared to branches’. This is why she supported a rethinking, which finally took place. After 2008 ‘the company only grew further by setting up branches, while existing associated companies were integrated’. The final step has been the transformation into a SE simultaneously in eight countries, a particular challenge for Scheida. ‘It has overall been a legally and logistically demanding transaction’; however, she enjoys to ‘guide interdisciplinary projects’. She says law firms should always ask themselves ‘if their work creates additional value’. If something goes wrong, ‘I highly value if this is being recognised’.