Legal team size: 14

Major legal advisers/ external counsel: Sidley, Mayer Brown, Paul Hastings

What are the projects that you are most proud of working on over the past 12 months?

As the leader of our legal department, I have always believed that legal should be a true business partner, not just a service provider. This is especially crucial in a highly regulated financial technology company, where our role extends beyond compliance to actively supporting innovation and business growth.

Recently, my team and I launched two key initiatives to strengthen this partnership:

Full integration with the product team’s project management system, ensuring legal is involved from the outset when planning new products and features. This allows us to provide early guidance on feasibility, regulatory requirements, and potential challenges, ultimately enabling smoother go-to-market strategies and safer product launches.

A biannual NPS survey for key stakeholders to assess our partnership, SLA performance, legal advice clarity, creativity, business acumen, and overall contribution to the company’s mission. These initiatives help us measure our success and reinforce our commitment to being a strategic partner.

Based on your experiences in the past year, are there any trends in the legal or business world that you are keeping an eye on that you think other in-house lawyers should be mindful of?

AI is rapidly transforming legal departments, improving contract review, compliance monitoring, and overall efficiency. While automation streamlines workflows, it must not replace the human judgment essential to legal work.

My team has started implementing AI tools, particularly for compliance testing and monitoring, to enhance accuracy and efficiency. As we adopt these technologies, I am focused on ensuring AI acts as a support system for human legal analysis rather than a substitute for it. Responsible AI integration should enhance productivity while preserving the thoughtful reasoning and strategic insight that define strong legal counsel. Striking this balance is key to leveraging technology without compromising legal integrity.

What are the key things you prioritise to get the most out of your team?

My priority as a legal department leader is to foster an environment in which team members feel empowered, engaged, and aligned with the business. I encourage them to take initiative, lead projects, and voice their ideas confidently. A customer-first mindset is essential, ensuring all client-facing communications, agreements, and disclosures build trust and security.

I also promote cross-functional collaboration, urging my team to connect with stakeholders across the company. In each of our monthly meetings, we invite a mid-level manager from another department to share insights into their work. This initiative strengthens our understanding of the business, improves our legal support, and fosters a sense of engagement and belonging within the team.