About

The legal function of Lindt & Sprüngli, one of the largest chocolate producers in the world, is centralised with all lawyers reporting directly to the group general counsel. Made up of nine team members including the group general counsel, six lawyers, one paralegal (Susanne Schindler) and two assistants (Rita Gretener and Wendy Harris), the team provides legal support to the business globally, including the Americas (the responsibility of Jessica Haefele and Simon Kehl), EMEA (Ueli Hengartner and Timo Leis) and Asia Pacific (Ueli Hengartner), operating primarily out of two hubs: Switzerland and the US. The business has grown very quickly and subsequently so has the legal team. ‘The team members needed to adapt quickly and put a lot of efforts into team building’, says group general counsel and company secretary Jennifer Picenoni, adding ‘in the last two years we put a lot of effort into legal operations. We are constantly faced with the issue to do more with less. The team needs to focus on high stake matters and push back low value work to the business’. The legal team takes pride in its team culture, where ‘team members collaborate, share knowledge, communicate and most importantly support one another’, says Picenoni. The team’s values include teamwork, integrity, excellence and progress, and it is staffed with extremely experienced in-house counsel to guide Lindt through the changing environment of the fast moving consumer goods industry. ‘With years of experience behind it, the team has been instrumental in advising the company while entering in to new markets and developing new products. Thankfully the company can rely on the sterling work of its legal function to ensure its plans for expansion go smoothly’, explains Picenoni. The tangible results the legal team has delivered the last few years have been clear, and the outcomes can be measured in terms of cost reductions and savings alongside the reduction in risk liability, mainly achieved through the introduction of standardised processes. Described as a ‘source of comfort and support’ for the business, the legal staff at Lindt are happy to be pragmatic where necessary, recognising the need to outsource work and manage the relevant outsourced costs. The team actively adds strategic value to the business by, according to Picenoni, ‘opening the eyes’ of Lindt’s business people to real opportunities and risks from both legal and other standpoints.