Team size: 14

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

The Transport Legal team supports the Transport business at Lloyds Banking Group, partnering with senior leaders to enable growth while managing legal and regulatory risk. We advise across the product lifecycle from manufacturer and supplier arrangements to new customer propositions and app-enabled services. We lead legal strategy and external engagement, including responses to HM Treasury and FCA consultations, and support the business through motor finance policy change, most recently the FCA’s motor commission policy statement. We also advise on complex risk issues and day-to-day operational and customer matters.

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

AI and legal technology can increase capacity and consistency by automating document-heavy tasks, accelerating research and issue-spotting, and improving horizon scanning. Stronger, data-led triage and management information should help teams prioritise more effectively, control cost and demonstrate value to senior leaders. In parallel, agile ways of working, standardisation of repeatable tasks and selective outsourcing can free in-house teams to focus on higher-value, strategic work. Panel-firm relationships are also evolving, with closer scrutiny of pricing and an expectation that technology-driven efficiencies are reflected in delivery.

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

The team supported a major change programme without extra headcount or new systems. When the programme shifted to agile methodology for delivery, lawyers embedded in feature teams, so advice was provided as part of the sprint cadence, with brief, regular check-ins to surface blockers and reprioritise. Existing tools were used more effectively: Jira tracked legal tasks, while Confluence hosted practical guidance and protocols. The result was faster decision-making, clearer prioritisation and earlier risk identification. Separately, the team streamlined a large regulatory consultation response by automating data collation via a Power Apps solution and using agentic AI tools to enable quicker drafting and document review.

What do you think are the most important attributes for a modern in-house counsel to possess? 

Modern in-house counsel are more than technical advisors: they turn complex requirements into clear, practical options that help teams move quickly and deliver good customer outcomes. At Lloyds Banking Group, we champion the “change lawyer” mindset – providing legal optionality grounded in a strong understanding of business strategy. Alongside this, the best lawyers maintain strong external awareness, tracking regulatory direction, peer practice and market developments, and use data and technology (including AI) responsibly to improve consistency and output. They stay calm under pressure, get into the detail when consequences are material and hold high standards, even on tight timelines. They also lead transparently, setting expectations, encouraging constructive challenge and creating a culture where issues are surfaced early.