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

Our legal team is at the heart of some of the most complex and strategically important work in the defence aerospace sector — from multinational partnerships and major export campaigns to cutting‑edge R&D collaborations and transformative industrial programmes. Our portfolio spans the full spectrum of high‑stakes legal activity, negotiating complex contracts, developing novel IP structures, advising on M&A and ensuring compliance with trade controls across multiple jurisdictions. Standout examples include our pivotal role in supporting the UK Government’s agreement with the Republic of Türkiye for the purchase of Typhoon aircraft, and the expansion of FalconWorks, our advanced research and technology business, through a new strategic collaboration with Lockheed Martin to develop uncrewed autonomous air systems. Supporting these programmes is a reminder of the impact that great in‑house lawyering can have far beyond the legal function.

What do you see as an opportunity or risk over the next six months?

Multiple conflicts are reshaping priorities, global defence spending is rising sharply, and geopolitical pressures are driving companies to scale production, add new capabilities and accelerate innovation through acquisitions and partnerships. Product development cycles are compressing from years into months. AI‑enabled systems, drones, autonomy, cyber capabilities and digital engineering are redefining the battlespace.

This presents a critical opportunity to reset how the legal function partners with the business. The organisation needs counsel that is strategic, commercially savvy and agile in uncertainty. We play a vital role in shifting mindsets from risk avoidance to risk‑informed decision‑making; if we can find innovative legal solutions which lean into opportunities rather than brace against them, we can help the business make decisions today which improve resilience, accelerate capability and generate sustainable value.

Could you share an example of an innovation that improved how your legal team works without a large expense?

The most impactful innovations are often cultural and structural. I have launched a new set of Foundation Principles — Purpose, Community, Focus, Risk, Stakeholders and Methods – which provide a shared language for how we work with the business and each other. They cost nothing, but are transforming the way we operate. We have better clarity of expectations, a renewed functional identity, a sharpened focus on ruthless prioritisation and a mindset that we are stronger together than as individuals.

I also introduced a dedicated Legal Operations capability. Bringing together lawyers, compliance specialists and a project manager, we are delivering improvement tasks that sat at the bottom of action lists for years. Using existing headcount and toolsets, we are streamlining processes, building dashboards, generating KPIs that demonstrate our value add and sharing knowledge through whole group learning days and cross‑team problem‑solving.

Have you had any unique or interesting experiences in your legal career?

A career highlight was creating the landmark joint venture company, Edgewing, with our partners in Italy and Japan. This partnership is the industrial core of the Global Combat Air Programme, which will deliver next‑generation combat aircraft capability for the future threat environment, strengthen security across Europe and the Indo‑Pacific and drive economic benefits for decades.

The Legal team provided commercial strategy, operational insights and risk‑shaping that underpinned the entire structure. We developed a framework that aligned government policy, industrial priorities and programme ambition. We resolved complex legal challenges, applied culturally attuned negotiation techniques and ensured that the final construct empowered quick decision‑making.