Team size: 64

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

While the specifics of what our team does are wildly different from day-to-day, solving the most out-of-the-box problems is a constant challenge. The edge case happens multiple times a week at Deliveroo. Our problems are not just legal–there is usually a political element to it and this dynamic can skew the legal outcome of any given problem. This means the team has to be holistic problem solvers, rather than just advisors, which means we have a very different relationship with our business than the typical in-house legal team. We go beyond legal and can help to direct the business in a particular strategic direction.

From last year, the most significant cases include: the completion of the largest IPO on the LSE in just seven months, with a dual share class structure which put the company in a strong capital position; the launch of Hop, the company’s first on demand grocery site including Deliveroo’s first retail presence; entering into the first of its kind voluntary union recognition partnership with the GMB union covering more than 90,000 self-employed Deliveroo riders; and handling the business through Deliveroo’s exit from Spain.

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

It is extremely important. Our values as a company are reflective of both the culture we want to create and the landscape in which we operate. It would be impossible to work with advisors who did not truly understand this.

In general, what would you like to see change about the external law firms you use?

Exploring how to create an environment within law firms that foster a more innovative and diverse group of thinkers. Lawyers advising disruptive hyper-growth companies, such as Deliveroo, need to–amongst other things–be extremely creative. Generally, I think there is a real gap in the market for this. Nevertheless, our major legal advisors have managed to assist us very capably.

How do you suggest in-house lawyers build strong relationships with business partners?

Trust is key. To build this, listen carefully, be thorough, provide risk-based advice and drive projects over the line. You should be a problem solver, not just a legal advisor. Be open-minded enough to look at the problem as a whole and don’t limit yourself to just the legal issues. Lastly, know the specifics of your business better than anyone else, so the business team always wants you in the room with them.