About

Leading oil and energy equipment firm Lamprell relies on the services of a highly capable in-house legal function to get the blockbuster deals which it is engaged with over the line. As general counsel and company secretary, Alexander Ridout is the individual with ultimate responsibility for the legal aspects of these deals, and provides further details on a particularly notable one: ‘Without a doubt, the negotiation and conclusion of Lamprell’s joint venture with Saudi Aramco and other leading international companies for a US$5bn maritime yard in 2017 ranks as a career highlight. This was a process that lasted nearly 18 months and involved a number of challenges that we had to overcome, not least the regulatory requirements as a LSE-listed company. I had a key role all the way from inception through to completion and you learn a lot about your own capabilities and how joint ventures should operate from a deal of this size and complexity’. Ridout has also prioritised close cooperation between his legal department and Lamprell’s other business units. ‘I have focused on ensuring that my internal clients view legal as a department that should be brought in to assist and advise on all key decisions or matters within the business and that adds value whenever it is brought in’, he says. He also believes his work to embed the risk management process at the company has been extremely positive. ‘Risk management forms a key component of all projects’, he says, ‘whether at the bidding stage or during execution, and helps to ensure that decisions are made on a risk-informed basis so I believe that this has been my most important internal innovation’.